Audi B5 A4 Painting Lower Stock Side Moldings

I did this on my 2001 Silver A4. Duplicolor has a "briliant silver" that matches our factory LY7W "silver" perfectly. They have the cans at local auto parts stores for about $5 for a 6oz. can. They also have clear coats in 12 oz. cans for $5 as well. You will also need a plastic adhesion promoter to prime the plastic. For the sides I used 4-6oz cans of silver and 2-12oz can of clear coat and 1-12oz. can of plastic adhesion promoter.

As always when painting, it is best to paint when humidity is low and temperature is above 68 degrees F.

I'm going to finish up on my front and rears this weekend, so I'll have that portion up as well as a Part II

1) buy/gather all materials:
mask tape, paint, newspaper, jack/stands, respirator, goggles, gloves, etc.

2) deep clean (with dawn dishsoap or equivalant)

2.5) I did not remove my lower side moldings for painting, some do, but I didn't!

3) dry completely and mask area

4) apply plastic adhesion promoter 2 coats

5) apply color soon after, in very light coats for it to stick best.

6) more color coats until desired match it achieved, took me 4 coats of color per side. I used basically half of a 6oz can for each coat. Make sure paint becomes at least tacky between coats.

7) IMPORTANT: apply first light clear coat when color is DRY!! very light coat so the color coat doesn't run underneath and look like garbage.

8) apply 1-3- more clear coats, heavier this time, after the first coat has almost dried completely.

Let that all dry overnight and demask very carefully!
Pictures are right down there!

Pics :












Questions? PM me and I'd be glad to help!

Audi A4 B5 Minor DIY Patch/ReSpray

Since I've done this a few times now, I figured it's time to share what I've learned… plus I've been hit up a few times to write this DIY'r, so here goes.

This will be PART I of the DIY'r. I will follow up shortly with the rest including photos. Just wanted to get this part out of the way since ppl are asking.

Keep in mind, this type of DIY'r is not black and white, it will take some patients along with trial and error. And remember, don't panic, if you screw up, the worst that can happen is you have to redo it - it may cost you some more time and paint, but with paint, nothing is permanent.

WARNING: I do not recommend first timers of this type of DIY'r to try this on anything other than bumpers and valences - re-spraying door panels, hoods, fenders, etc takes a lot of practice and should NOT be attempted unless you feel super confident.

ITEMS NEEDED:
- 100 grit wet/dry sand paper
- 300 grit wet/dry sand paper
- 600 grit wet/dry sand paper
- 2000 grit wet/dry sand paper

(you can buy the larger sheets and cut them to size or buy the smaller stuff already pre-cut to fit the sanding blocks I will list below - I found that buying the bigger sheets gives you more for your money and you can always save the left overs for a future mod)

- Sponge sanding block
- Hard rubber sanding block

- Blue painter's tape
- Masking paper (can be any kind of paper, but the brown paper rolls you get from Home Depot in the painter's section seem to be cheep and work super well)

- Depending on the task at hand, you may need some sort of body filler to fill in holes or deep scratches on the item that you are painting. For items that are flexible such as bumpers and valences, bondo makes a two-part filler that when dry, stays somewhat flexible. For items that are hard and rigid, you can use any type of body filler that you are comfortable with.

- Plastic spreaders

- Rubbing compound
- Wax
- Applicator pads
- soft towels/cloths (for wax and compound removal)
- Some sort of power tool to apply wax/rubbing compound. You can use good'ol elbow grease, but I find that a cordless drill and a applicator pad attachment saves a lot of time and energy and the results are much more apparent.

- Applicator pad attachment

- bucket (for clean water and for soapy water)
- sponge (to wash items being painted
- towel (to dry off washed items)

- Primer paint
- Base coat paint
- Clear coat paint
- Adhesive Promoter (if painting something plastic/rubber)

Audi A4 B5 DIY: Painting Lowers!

I did this on my 2001 Silver A4. Duplicolor has a "radiant silver" that matches our factory LY7W "silver" perfectly. They have the cans at local auto parts stores for about $5 for a 6oz. can. They also have clear coats in 12 oz. cans for $5 as well. You will also need a plastic adhesion promoter to prime the plastic. For the sides I used 4-6oz cans of silver and 2-12oz can of clear coat and 1-12oz. can of plastic adhesion promoter.

If you don't have silver, don't worry!
You can get YOUR color code here! (Just to name a few)
http://www.paintscratch.com
http://www.etouchup.com/store/agora.cgi?p_id=10035
http://www.levineautoparts.com...spray
http://www.paintworldinc.com/touchup.aspx

1) buy/gather all materials:
mask tape, paint, newspaper, jack/stands, respirator, goggles, gloves, etc.

2) deep clean (with dawn dishsoap or equivalant)

2.5) I did not remove my lower side moldings for painting, some do, but I didn't! It would be such a pain to remove them...not worth it!

3) dry completely and mask area

4) apply plastic adhesion promoter (read front & back for more tips)

5) apply color soon after, in very light coats for it to look best.

6) more color coats until desired match it achieved, took me 4 coats of color per side. I used basically half of a 6oz can for each coat.

7) apply first light clear coat when paint is dry, very light coat so the color coat doesn't run.

8) apply 1-3- more clear coats, heavier this time, after the first coat has almost dried completely.

Let that all dry overnight and demask very carefully!

Unwrap your work and enjoy!!

Scroll down for the FRONT and BACK section

Audi A4 B5 30 Minute Amateur Rim Rash Repair

ALL: 30 Minute Amateur Rim Rash Repair It was a nice day outside today, so I decided to repair a road rash I had on my rim. This is the road rash I got on my Oettinger RZ's ------------- Tools and Materials you'll need... -Eye Protection -A beer or more -And these items below.... ------------- 1. Put on your eye protection and grab your Dremel. Put on the pointed grinder bit, at low speed. Begin working on the rash, smoothing it down and keeping it parallel to the rim lip. Work it until you have removed some of the deep scratches. Once you have grind down the rash it should look like this... 2. Next move to the sander bit. This will smooth out the high and low areas of your rim. I believe its about 320 grit. Again low speed and keep it parallel with the lip. Once you have sanded down the rash it should look like this... After you have used the sanding bit. I moved into sanding blocks, this will keep your lip rounded and help smooth the edges out After the blocks, move to some sand paper. Move to 400 and then to 600 to smooth everything off... Lightly sand it, It should start having a little shine to it once you start doing this process... 3. Polishing. Switch to the polishing bit, add a little polish to the tip. And being working the polishing into the lip slowly. Again you are on low speed. Work until the polish turns black. 4. Wipe off the black. You might want to go back and hand buff it one more time. 5. Results. Neither Audizine nor its Members may/will be held responsible for the outcome of performing a modification (mod) to one's car. Such acts are performed at one's own risk and sole responsibility must be assumed by you. This may include, but not be limited to, the voiding of the vehicle's warranty.

Audi B5 A4: How to replace your Front Sway Bar Uplinks/ Stabilizer Links

Front Sway Bar Uplinks/Stabilizer Links

Part Numbers: 8D0-411-318D 8D0-411-317D
Disclaimer: Not my fault if you mess something up.
Approximate time: ~30 minutes per side
Tools needed: 16mm wrench and socket, 17mm wrench and socket, 18mm wrench and socket, flat head screw driver, and you may need a hammer,


1. Put front of the car on jack stands
2. Remove front wheels.
3. With the older style uplinks remove the two 16mm nuts on the uplink.

4. In order to take the older style uplink off you must remove the lower shock bolt and move the shock forward. The shock bolt is 18mm and the nut is the same.

5. Once you have done that pull the uplink off. You may have to hammer on the bolts a bit to break it free.
6. Remove the metal clip. You may need a flat head screw driver to do this.
6. Next step is to put the new links on and tighten them down. The nuts are 17mm the bolts are 16mm.

7. Now reinstall the lower shock bolt and you're done with that side. Do the other side the same way and your all set.

This is what you should be left with.

Just by comparing the two links you can see how superior the new ones are. The old style allows the bolt to wear out a lot faster it looks like and mine were able to be moved by hand. The new links won't even move much with a screw driver through them. I also noticed that although the new ones were bigger it also appeared that the holes were spaced slightly further apart.



Once the car was on the ground I noticed if I put weight on the front of the car it would move. Before it was as solid as a brick.

Audi A4 B5 Do-it-Yourself Sway Bar Installation

Anti-Sway Bars, more commonly referred to as Sway Bars, are used to reduce body roll during fast transition turning. The Audi A4 comes with anti-sway bars in all trim levels. The 97 1.8T and the 96 and 97 2.8 A4 have the same anti-sway bars. Starting with the 98 model year the A4 came with a sports package which included a hollow front bar 27mm, and a solid rear bar at 16mm. The difference between stock and aftermarket sway bars can be seen in the pictures below.

There are several companies that offer aftermarket anti-sway bars; Neuspeed, LLtek, and Total Audi Performance (TAP) to name a few. Neuspeed developed their own anti-sway bars at 27mm solid in front, and 22mm solid rear bar (with two adjustment holes for a soft and harsh setting). The LLtek and TAP rear anti-sway bars are manufactured by ADDCO and are 19mm in diameter.

Tools Necessary

1. Floor Jack (the one that came with the car or a hydraulic aftermarket jack -- highly recommended)
2. Screwdriver - Standard
3. 13mm open or closed end wrench (2 preferred)
4. 17mm open or closed end wrench
5. Silicone grease for sway bar bushing (usually comes with sway bar)
6. Jack Stands (2)

Installation

The time required to remove and re-install both aftermarket sway bars ranges from 1.5 to 3.0 hours depending upon your level of expertise, your tools, and the type of jack employed.


Click for larger image

Special Note: The OEM jacks that come with your A4 are unstable and not designed to do anything but lift the car just enough to allow wheel/tire removal. Any side loading, such as leaning into the wheel well to remove the engine shroud or swaybar mounts, can topple the car off the jack. At that point, with no jack stands you can have your head crushed instantly, and even with a jack stand, if it is not properly placed, the stand can literally punch a hole in the body, doing costly damage and possibly still allowing the car to crush your head or other (human) body parts caught in the suspension. In addition, it wouldn't hurt to use proper blocking of wheels to increase stability. You should put a wood block in front of both front tires while working on the rear, for example. Again this statement is not intended to get you worried or anything, just to shock you into being safe whenever you jack up a car and do any modifications.

1. Slightly loosen the lug nuts on your front wheels
2. Jack up the car at the most forward jack point (see manual if you don't know where it is). In addition to the jack, place a jack stand just adjacent to the jack itself (this is a safety measure)
3. Jack the car up so the front wheel is about 2-3 inches off the ground
4. Remove wheel, set aside
5. Remove plastic shroud under the engine by using a standard screwdriver...there are about 6-8 attachment points that hold it to the car...including two in the wheel well. After it is removed set aside shroud and plastic nuts.
6. Gradually remove all nuts...should be two sets of two bolts near the center...and the 17mm bolts at the bar ends.
7. Gradually lower bar and remove.

To Install Front Bar:

1. Repeat process in reverse order. Make sure to use the new bushings that come with the anti-sway bars, and remember to grease them. They are either polyethylene or rubber.
2. Tighten all bolts securely. Tighten a little bit tighter that you would think. The reason why I suggest this is that my bolts came slightly undone after some use.
3. Test drive the car without the shroud on, to make sure everything is tight.
4. Reinstall plastic shroud when totally done.

Note: Make sure you don't install the anti-sway bars upside down...don't laugh...it is possible to do. If it doesn't look right...it probably isn't.


Click for larger image

To Remove Rear Bars:

1. Loosen lug nuts on rear wheels
2. Jack up car as described above...use jack stands as a safety precaution.
3. Remove wheel, set aside
4. Go under car and remove the two sets of 13mm bolts near the center of the car and the 17mm bolts at the end of the anti-sway bar. The best way to remove the 17mm bar-end nuts is to use a 5-6mm allen wrench at the end, while turning the 17mm nut with a open ended wrench. Remove stock anti-sway bar.

Click for larger image

To Install Aftermarket Bars:

1. First lubricate the replacement bushing (if you get one) or just lubricate the existing one with grease.
2. Reinstall bushing over anti-sway bar
3. Place sway bar in proper location....you might have a little bit of difficulty getting over exhaust (I did).
4. Tighten each bolt moderately...when fully in place, tighten the bolts completely.
5. Replace wheel on car....
6. Test drive car...then do a double check on the lug bolts to make sure they are tight.

After a week or so, go back and check the bolt tightness on all bolts...last thing you need is one of these babies falling off the car in a high speed freeway onramp. Every year you should re-lubricate all of your anti-sway bar bushings with grease.


Click for larger image

WARNING: Some A4 owners have reported cracked rear subframes and broken or damaged uplink arms when using the larger solid rear sway bars (22mm in diameter) in the stiff setting. The older A4s (96 thru early 98) had metal uplink bar arms, while the 98.5 and newer cars seem to all have these larger plastic rectangular uplink arms. Unfortunately, one poor soul had to replace his whole subframe due to the extent of damage to his car. If you want to avoid this occurrence I would highly recommend that you set the rear anti-sway bar at the softest setting (if it has multiple mounting holes) to prevent additional stress on the suspension of the car. The softest setting uses the holes nearest the ends of the anti-sway bar.....the stiffest setting usually uses mounting holes down the bar a few inches. To my knowledge the 19mm ADDCO rear bars and the OEM sport rear bars (16mm) have not produced any subframe damage. However, I was emailed by someone that had the plastic uplink arms break on his A4 with the ADDCO rear bars. The main point is that some kind of damage can be had with ANY aftermarket anti-sway bar manufacturer and that you need to really make sure you are installing the part correctly. If you intend on participating in autocross events and high performance driving schools, I would highly recommend that you definitely check for possible damage in the subframe and uplink arm areas.

To reinforce the subframe that the rear anti-sway bar attaches to, a support piece or gusset may be required. I worked with a shop to fabricate a gusset that supports the subframe right near the anti-sway bar mount. This will allow for a small amount of additional stress and hopefully prevent any subframe cracks. See picture below.