Hi Can someone help please

I just bought a 65 plate face lift A1 S Line 8X.

It has had a bit of an accident front n/s corner.

The top of the tyre camber is pointing in. I have changed the track rod as was bent, but not sure what to change to sort that camber its at approx 5 degrees. As the tyre is only a few mill from the shock. Can anyone help, please

Wishbone ,chassis leg,  distortion? 
Regards,

Gareth. 

Hi Gareth

Thanks for reply. 

Nothing on the chassis leg i can see looks straight as. Impact looks to top of wheel into wing but just under bonnet luckily but didn't even scratch the apron.. it puzzled me a little why track rod was bent lower down as impact looked top of wheel.  How do you go about diagnosing which bit it is thats damaged?

Is there any movement on the lower wish balljoint nuts that will track back couple %

How is camber adjusted in these?

Appreciate your help

Looked at top mounts under cowl and one on damaged side looks lower and not quite straight somehow. The other non impact side seems to sit a little higher with a little gap under the top hat but seems to me a little bumper on right side. Would that make the strut sit off and make the wheel camber in. The gap should be be about 14mm by looks and damaged side is approx 6mm

Sorry that's the gap between the strut and top of the tyre

Hello Chris,

May have to do this by a process of throwing some parts at it, starting with the front suspension leg ( and top mount) These should be changed as a pair, but try the offending side first.

Regards,

Gareth. 
p.s. Are you sure the wheel is true? Worth swapping it with one of the others.

I think you said the impact was at the top of the wheel -?Very odd, normally 3/9 o’c. How did that happen?

Not sure how it happened was a copart jobby. I ran the wheels in 1st on jack stands and can't see a wobble. 

Edited November 10, 2025Nov 10 by Chris777

You bought it from Copart? That explains a lot. The chances are that the car was an insurance write-off i.e. beyond economical repair.

19 hours ago, Chris777 said:

Looked at top mounts under cowl and one on damaged side looks lower and not quite straight somehow. The other non impact side seems to sit a little higher with a little gap under the top hat but seems to me a little bumper on right side. Would that make the strut sit off and make the wheel camber in. The gap should be be about 14mm by looks and damaged side is approx 6mm

Hi looks like it might have damaged the strut top mount bearing, the only way to check is to have it out and replace if necessary, that would make it sit out, problem is when the vehicle gets that type of angled impact its normally the metal work lower arms etc that deform to absorb the impact, as for uneconomical repair I would say most vehicles in copart are that but only because the thieving insurance approved repairers are skinning them for thousands, thats why is not economical if you are obliged to use dealer parts and £200 an hour labour, if you consider the dynamics of a car its lots of bits bolted or welded together therefore what is considered light like yours is repairable using some new mechanical parts and some second hand for the body plus possibly some paint, cheap car with a good resale value even with the category rating, I bought a MK4 Mondeo Titanium X as one of my cabs it was a year old and a category D at the time it had 9k on the clock all the whistles and bells Alcantara half leather seats Heated and Cooled, it had a shunt up the back so had new rear quarter panels a second hand boot and bumper with tail lights and a respray, I gave £10,000 for that and ran it for another 350, 000mls, a year before someone else had parted with just over £30,000 for it.

Steve.

Thanks Steve

I did new coil springs both sides on an A3 from Copart with new Rad more front end that was an N. This is CAT S but can't see any bend apron, arm or anything structural and hearing more and more of these youtubers say about miss categorising as more done by AI.

My concern is not replacing strut and top mount that was my thinking to go to next aswell its the other bit you said about absorbing the shunt. Im new to CAT S. looked for obvious bend to wishbone, strut, apron, strut tower and structural bits i can see that side but concerned now may have transferred the energy further? What would you suggest checking? Looked like little oil weep under gearbox but seems from loose oil filter as bottom mounted and its done 100k. 

Any help and pointers great fully received 

I did a new track rod as was only thing visibly bent

23 hours ago, Chris777 said:

Thanks Steve

I did new coil springs both sides on an A3 from Copart with new Rad more front end that was an N. This is CAT S but can't see any bend apron, arm or anything structural and hearing more and more of these youtubers say about miss categorising as more done by AI.

My concern is not replacing strut and top mount that was my thinking to go to next aswell its the other bit you said about absorbing the shunt. Im new to CAT S. looked for obvious bend to wishbone, strut, apron, strut tower and structural bits i can see that side but concerned now may have transferred the energy further? What would you suggest checking? Looked like little oil weep under gearbox but seems from loose oil filter as bottom mounted and its done 100k. 

Any help and pointers great fully received 

Hi I personally would change the strut and bottom arm with ball joint, from what I can see from the photos it hasn't tried to push the drive shaft through the gearbox so that would indicate an angled impact the chassis rail looks ok along with the subframe and from experience I would say when hit hard both those items would kink, as for the top turret you can check that with a straight edge with a torch behind it but I can't honestly see that being bent as its one of the thickest structures on the car, its double skinned, most of the parts you will otherwise need can be obtained from the breakers, have look at a company called Nirro they specialise in VAG salvage and parts and are pretty reasonable price wise, my daughters Q3 fuel pump went and according to Audi they would have to get it back order six weeks and £400 so I contacted Nirro with the part number and they said it was also fitted to a Golf MK7 pump which they had in stock off of a 30k donor so I bought it for £75 shipped.

Steve.

Wondered how you are getting on with this now Chris.

Thanks for your message was trying to get the whole leg, knuckle etc from a breakers like suggested think I've found one. The big number across the middle seems to match but the smaller code across top is slightly different so hoping will be correct double checking

This is the one looking at getting 

Do I have to detach and reattach any brake lines or sensors like wheel speed etc as remember that was stuck in on my old Honda 

Can you squeeze clamp a brake line or are they ruined if try to stem them that way? 

Thanks Chris,

The brake hose is attached to the caliper, which detaches from the strut, so I can’t see you having to detach any hoes. Make sure you take the weight off the caliper not to stress the hose. 

Thanks mate, I'll have a bungee i normally use for the callipers, seen people use a coat hanger etc like you say take the pressure of stressing the line

Ive done a coil on strut before but not whole assembly amd knuckle etc. From that pic I attached of one id seen for sale, does it look like everything id need. Is the bearing there? Know i need to switch the calliper, disc and pads

The hub is there, so the bearing must be there. 

Ok thanks 

Will the wheel speed sensor need taking out and moving over?

Heard they can be a reet pain

The on-shaft/in hub speed sensor will surely be part of the whole assembly you show in the photo. 

Oh so just unclip and clip back on? That would be easier. The one I did on a Civic was a plastic sensor that literally welded itself into the hub over time had to drill out

Hi guys

Got the new leg now, old one off and about to reinstall. Just waiting for new hub nut as believe stretch and only 1 time use. Im not not sure where to get all my torque ratings from if anyone can help please

Sway bar

Drop link

Lower ball joint 3 nuts

Most importantly the hub/axle nut. Seen one say 75NM and another 148NM +90degrees so a massive difference. Wanted to double check as steering and if I get wrong could be dangerous. 

Also are wheel lug nuts 125NM ?