Updated: New tie rod ends were good. Now, to solve brake booster faulty light

[dpatel710]

I got my front suspension parts in and was checking out the joints and noticed something unusual (to me). On the lower control arms and the tie rod ends, the joints are pretty loose but movement is smooth. Is this normal for the cayenne tie rod ends/control arms? 

 

When I replaced the tie rods and arms on my Audi, the joints on the new arms/ends were so stiff I couldn’t move them by hand. 

 

Update: Installed new parts and all is well. 

Edited January 29, 2018 by dpatel710

[Brainz006]

I suppose it depends, but I’ve always found new ball joints to be quite stiff. Aftermarket part?


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[dpatel710]

They are lemforder parts. Everything looks new and the joints themselves don’t have any play in them. We’ll see how it goes....

[nerdtalker]

I replaced my tie rod ends a few months ago. The old ones had visibly torn rubber boots and flopped around. I was concerned about driving around on them much longer. The new ones were stiffer but had smooth action. My new ones were also branded lemforder. 

[dpatel710]

All the parts are in - the steering is heavy and precise now. The joints on the new lemforder parts were loose (could move by hand) but had no play in them. On the old parts,  my upper control arms were completely shot, the metal sleeve in the center separated from the rest of the bushing. Lower rear bushings were cracked. Surprisingly, the strut mounts were in good shape. Ratcheting 21mm and 18mm wrenches were very helpful for doing this. 

 

As an added bonus, some of the vibration I had on the highway has gone away as a result. 

 

Now, I am dealing with the brake booster light. I consistently have code P1431 and intermittently receive P1914. On visual inspection of all the booster hoses, I can not find any leaks or cracks. I have already JB welded several of the common areas where the hose cracks. I replaced the brake booster pump with the updated Audi part# 8E0 927 317A since I had a spare pump. The pump kicks on whenever my foot is on the brake which makes me think there is a crack in the line that I have not been able to spot visually. When clearing the codes, the light goes away for 5-10 minutes and then returns. 

 

Planning on picking up a vac tester to see if the lines hold vac. I am kind of stumped since there are no obvious leaks/cracks this time. 

Edited January 29, 2018 by dpatel710

[dpatel710]

Brake booster fault fixed. Turned out the only area of the line that can’t be visually inspected was cracked at one of the valves, per usual. It was located under the wiper assembly. 

 

The audi part number for the booster pump seems to work. It is a newer revision than the 7L0 part number that was in the car. Plus, they can be had for ~$20 off eBay.