Shitting in the shallow end. *Arse friends Electric*

[Jim Bell]

Time for an update. 

The A2 has been providing stirling service (foreshadowing) so I took it out to Nenthead Mines for Twixfest 2024. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While we were there, me and @320touring had a roll about in the gravel in the scorching summer heat and swapped the wheels for 15 lightweight pepperpots. 

 

 

The jack was too tall to fit under the car so some stones were employed under the wheel to give a little clearance. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stuck some air in and job jobbed. 

 

All in all, very pleased with the results. One of the tyres that came off was bulged all the way round the sidewall so a lucky escape! (foreshadowing) 

Hard to tell in the pic maybe.

 

 

Looks much improved I think. 

 

 

 

[fatharris]

Think the round holes of the alloys make the car look less 'lanky' tall too!

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[Jim Bell]

I was driving up the A19 over the tees flyover today and I had to brake hard for a kamikaze lane changer. 

The car had always pulled to the right a bit which I presumed was bottom arm bushes. When I hit the brakes it went very squirly, dove to the left and generally felt like it was suddenly suicidal. 

I limped home and thought a wheel might be loose as they'd been off on Saturday so checked the bolts. 

 

Well that's not good lads. 

[Jim Bell]

 

 

Well that's sub-optimal. 

 

 

[captain_70s]

Well, fuck.

At least you didn't plummet to your untimely demise on Saturday...

[fatharris]

Jesus tapdancing Christ, that's a lucky escape!

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[Jim Bell]

 

It's a hole. 

I'd been booting this up and down the dales on Saturday, between a Heritage Dolomite and a National Treasure Amazon. 

Lucky it let go when it did really. If it had let go on Saturday, I could have caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage!

(To other cars)

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Jeez. Your Audley must have been parked too close to a Ka/Transit/Mazda and caught the rust from them. 

At least the rot is slightly posh.

[rusty_vw_man]

[wesacosa]

jeez

those front lower arms are a renowned failure mode on the A2 by all accounts 

[Jim Bell]

Just now, wesacosa said:

jeez

those front lower arms are a renowned failure mode on the A2 by all accounts 

Yeah. Luckily usually at low speed under breaking I've learned too. Which is for the best. 

[brownnova]

Crivens! 
 

[rusty_vw_man]

at least the fix is easy, four ducks, big springs and some gaffer tape and there you have it -

four sprung duck technique. 

I am already wearing my coat and ready to leave…..

[Jim Bell]

23 minutes ago, rusty_vw_man said:

at least the fix is easy, four ducks, big springs and some gaffer tape and there you have it -

four sprung duck technique. 

I am already wearing my coat and ready to leave…..

I get it. 

[Schaefft]

Woah, thats unusual, the whole arm is ripping into two pieces, certainly could have been sub-optimal in a fast corner on Saturday!

[Jim Bell]

12 minutes ago, Schaefft said:

Woah, thats unusual, the whole arm is ripping into two pieces, certainly could have been sub-optimal in a fast corner on Saturday!

Apparently it's not unusual at all. @sdkrc did a bit of cursory research today and found about 16.8 billion tales of woe of a very similar nature on the old internet.

Arm looks fine, passes MOT, stand on brakes, arm snaps in half.  A tale as old as time (on A2s)

[sdkrc]

20 minutes ago, Jim Bell said:

 it's not unusual 

[wesacosa]

Audi changed from cast to pressed steel arms part way through production and seems the pressed ones are shite 

[Mrcento]

A2's are all* aluminium M8

They never ever rust** M8

etc etc.

 

 

 

 

 

*Except the bits that aren't.

** Except the bits that do.

[Datsuncog]

Yipes.

Glad you're okay, Mr. B.

Pressed lower arms are the design of Mephistopheles.

Not the most amazeballs thing to have happen, no... 

[gm]

1 hour ago, Mrcento said:

A2's are all* aluminium M8

They never ever rust** M8

etc etc.

 

 

 

 

 

*Except the bits that aren't.

** Except the bits that do.

damn you, i came on here to say the exact same thing   

way back when i had mine, it failed an mot on something wishboney, the garage ordered up the parts which turned out to be totally wrong at which point they gave up and sent me packing  five minutes on ebay and i’d found the right ones which they grudgingly fitted when they arrived from outer mongolia 

which helped the car to survive for almost another whole year !

[Sigmund Fraud]

1 hour ago, Mrcento said:

A2's are all* aluminium M8

They never ever rust** M8

etc etc.

 

 

 

 

 

*Except the bits that aren't.

** Except the bits that do.

Indeed. Also see : A2 rear axles.

[cort16]

ooft, angry little bugger glad you didn't drive into a canal or anything.

[Missy Charm]

This?

All you need is this:

for an easy fix...  

[Jim Bell]

A plan was duly devised to make this rig roadable. Not by me mind, but by car fixery legend @Jimbob McGregor .

The "have tools, will travel" hero volunteered to have a good go at getting the homicidal, suicidal, genocidal Audi A2 in fit enough shape to drive to the garage. 

That meant getting the arms off. 

A man of great taste and endeavour ariveth. 

 

Hup!

Decent arse. 8/10. 

 

That's not good 

 

Actually that isn't even attached at all. 

 

 

It came out easy. Well, this bit did. 

 

This bit decided it would prefer to remain attached to the car. 

 

 

Oft you fuck then, you absolute wishbone-end. 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Wow. What's it like on the other side? 

Have a listen to this gem by Doves, which was specifically written about Audi A2 front arms.  

 

[Jim Bell]

Out with the old, in with the new. 

New ones are cast, rather than pressed like the originals, so they should see us all out. 

 

Unfortunately at this point, the new arm became reluctant to push into the bush. 

Ever helpfull I suggested pulling it in with a ratchet strap. 

"Great idea. Do you have one?"

Me: no. 

 

So. We hopped in the veg munching puglet and headed for the nearest trading estate. 

 

 

Wood knob

 

Summer Strap shopping. 

 

Attempts were made to pull it home from a couple of angles but to no avail. 

 

So we paused for a pie break and a think. 

 

Emboldened by my earlier idea, I suggested pushing it into the nearest sea. A man not to be beaten, @Jimbob McGregor suggested taking the aluminum mounting console door dah off, then fucking it home in the press. Which is in his garage, an hour away. 

That's a better plan. 

So close but yet so far. 

 

That sounds like a great plan. 

End of day one. 

[Jim Bell]

8 minutes ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Wow. What's it like on the other side? 

Have a listen to this gem by Doves to chill out a bit.

 

It looks similar, but not failed yet. Definitely needs changed on the other side too. 

The ball joint didn't want to play on the drives side so the plan was to get the passenger side done, so it's drivable, then drive it to Jimbobs garage and do the rest there. The press will be needed for sure. 

[Jim Bell]

After being pressed up, the rest bolted back up without incident and the car is now back on the path to full health. 

 

That looks less deadly. 

 

[Jim Bell]

It's now well on its way to the garage and will be enjoying a second wishbone, top mounts and a good look over by a fastidious professional. 

Can't thank @Jimbob McGregor enough. Man is a fine fellow of the highest order. Car would have been immobile indefinitely without his skills and determination.