2017 Audi A4 Wheel Bearing and Anti Roll Bar Replacement in Walsall
A 2017 Audi A4 came into us here at Platinum Vehicle Services with the owner reporting a low rumbling noise that had been getting gradually worse over several weeks. There was also a slight pulling sensation through the steering on faster roads. Those two symptoms together pointed us in a fairly clear direction before we had even put the car on the ramp, but we always do a proper inspection before confirming anything, and in this case what we found gave us a complete picture of what needed doing.
The Front Wheel Bearing Had Developed Significant Play and the Anti Roll Bar Drop Link Was Worn Through
Once the car was up on the ramp and the front wheel was off, we checked the hub assembly for play by gripping the wheel at the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions and rocking it. There was noticeable movement, which tells you the bearing has lost its internal tolerance. A wheel bearing is designed to allow the wheel to spin freely while holding it firmly in place with no lateral or axial movement at all. When that movement starts to appear, the bearing is on its way out. On this A4, the play was enough that you could feel it clearly by hand, which means it had been deteriorating for some time. The rumbling noise the customer described is exactly what a failing bearing sounds like, caused by the rolling elements inside the bearing moving against worn or pitted raceways rather than running smoothly. While we had the front end stripped down we also inspected the anti roll bar drop links. The drop link is a short connecting rod that joins the anti roll bar to the suspension strut, and its job is to transfer load from one side of the car to the other when you go around a corner, keeping the body level and the tyres in proper contact with the road. On this car, the drop link bush was split and the joint itself had excessive free movement in it. That is what was contributing to the steering pull and the vague, slightly unsettled feel through the wheel.
Leaving Either of These Issues Any Longer Would Have Created a Real Safety Problem and a Much Larger Bill
A worn wheel bearing does not stay at the same level of wear. Once the internal play has developed to the point where it is detectable by hand, the rate at which it deteriorates tends to accelerate. The bearing generates heat as it runs in that worn state, and heat breaks down the grease inside the bearing and causes further damage to the raceways. In a worst case, a bearing that is left long enough can seize completely or shed its outer race. Either of those outcomes on a front wheel means you lose control of steering on that corner of the car. That is not a risk worth taking for the sake of getting the job done quickly. On the cost side, a bearing that is caught at this stage means you are replacing the bearing. A bearing that is left until it causes secondary damage can mean replacing the hub, the driveshaft, or in some cases components further up the suspension. The drop link is a less dramatic failure on its own, but a broken drop link means the anti roll bar is effectively disconnected on one side. The car will roll significantly more through corners, the tyre loading becomes uneven, and the handling becomes unpredictable at speed. Neither of these were something we were comfortable signing off without addressing.
New Wheel Bearing and Drop Link Fitted to the Front Axle and the Car Road Tested Before Being Returned
We pressed out the old bearing from the hub carrier using the correct press tooling, fitted a new bearing to the proper specification for a 2017 A4, and torqued everything back up to the manufacturer's settings. The drop link was replaced with a new unit, again to the correct specification, and the front end was reassembled. Once the car was back on the ground we took it out for a road test to confirm the rumble had gone and that the steering was tracking cleanly. It was. The car came back noticeably quieter and the steering felt settled and accurate again, which is exactly what it should feel like on an A4 of this age in otherwise good condition.
Suspension and bearing work is something we carry out regularly here at Platinum Vehicle Services in Walsall, across all makes and ages of vehicle. If you are driving something and you notice a low humming or rumbling noise that changes with your speed but not your engine revs, that is worth getting looked at. If the noise changes when you gently steer left or right at motorway speed, that points even more specifically to a wheel bearing. A knocking or clunking noise from the front end over bumps or when turning in a car park tends to suggest drop links, ball joints, or anti roll bar bushes. None of these things resolve themselves, and all of them affect how safely the car handles. If any of that sounds familiar, bring your car to us and we will put it on the ramp and tell you exactly what we are looking at. You can book in at platinumvehicleservices.co.uk.
