Background
Audis offer such an amazing driving experience in large measure due to their advanced suspensions. You see, most cars are designed with 2 control arms per side. Audis have 4 per side, for a total of 8! That ensures your Audi A4, A6, Q5, Q7 grabs the road at all speeds and even during fast cornering. This advanced design also offers unparalleled safety, as the tires have more constant contact with the road in all conditions.
Design of the Audi Front Suspension
Each side of the popular '8' chassis, such as the one in the A4, A6, and Q5, has two lower control arms and two upper control arms, each one packing a bushing. The bushing is a metal cylinder with a rubber center and a tubular metal core for the mounting bolt to pass through.
The Issue: Bushings wear out
Over time and with the heavy weight of the chassis pushing down on them all the time, the rubber inevitably wears out. That causes an audible creaking noise when accelerating, braking, and cornering. While replacing the bushings is an option, there's more value and better results in replacing the entire control arm.
