Table of contents: Design of the chassis ↓ Steering and vehicle safety ↓ Do-it-yourself repair of chassis and… ↓
The chassis of your car also uses advanced technology, which ensures the corresponding driving characteristics and comfort. Thanks to the low unsprung masses, the chassis of the A4 ensures exemplary driving dynamics. The chassis primarily serves to precisely guide the moving wheels, only then does the car remain steerable. This is not an easy task, because the wheels not only rotate while driving, but also move up and down - after all, there are no completely flat roads.
Braking, accelerating and cornering generate significant forces that the chassis must also cope with. This is only possible if all chassis components are optimally coordinated with each other. The chassis includes the suspension and damping, front and rear wheel suspension, steering, as well as wheels and tires. The brakes, which are also part of the chassis, are described in a separate chapter.
Design of the chassis
Proper wheel suspension is a whole science. When a car, for example, moves along a fold in the soil or makes a turn at high speed, the geometry of the wheels, which are located at certain angles relative to the axis of the car, changes every time. The tires must not lose contact with the road, since in this case they cannot transmit the braking forces and forces acting on the wheels when they turn. Suspension ensures that the wheels do not come off the ground. Suspension takes the shocks and follows the unevenness of the road. Unwanted vibrations of the body that occur after unevenness are prevented by shock absorbers. In fact, they should be called vibration dampers.
Steering and vehicle safety
The steering must be sensitive and precise. The steering is precisely matched to the axle shafts and the installation of the steered wheels. Like most modern cars, the A4 uses a rack and pinion steering system. The standard power steering facilitates the work performed when turning the steering wheel, and also ensures a more sensitive and direct steering response. The overall safety of the vehicle largely depends on the steering. Incorrect installations and poorly performed repairs can have fatal consequences.
The rack and pinion steering system used in both the Audi A4 and the Audi A6 has become a fixture in modern automotive engineering
Do-it-yourself repair of chassis and steering
Work on the chassis and steering requires relevant experience, and often requires special garage equipment. If you are not confident in your abilities or do not have the necessary tools, it is better to contact a workshop. Poorly performed repairs pose a danger to you and others. Do not straighten or weld damaged wheel suspension parts; such parts must be replaced.