Audi does not mean for UrS driveshafts to be serviced, nor repaired. Audi does not provide individual parts of the driveshaft, but rather asks that you replace the whole thing, if anything goes wrong. Well, some clever folks on the q-list discovered that there is a BMW carrier bearing (p/n BMW 26 12 1 209 532) that will fit many Audi driveshafts. Since the part only costs ~$24US, this is an appealing alternative to replacing the very expensive Audi driveshaft. So, does the BMW part work on the S-Cars? Well, maybe. It does look like it will work, but it IS NOT a bolt-up proposition. It looks like a custom bracket will need to be fabricated in order for the carrier bearing (CB) to mount properly.
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| | UrS CB, still mounted on the driveshaft. BMW CB is in the foreground, an UrQuattro CB in the background. Note the similarity between the BMW and UrQ. | Note the bracket difference between UrS and BMW part. |
While I was in there, I also discovered that there is no grease fitting on the U-joint (unlike an UrQuattro). Instead, Audi thoughtfully replaced the grease fitting with a hole. The reason I pulled my driveshaft was because I was hearing an awful rattling sound upon any kind of deceleration. Sometimes the sound was tinny, other times it sounded gravely (sometimes, it just sounded grave). It turns out that my front CV joint had dried out and what grease was left, had turned thick and pasty. So, I disassembled the CV joint, cleaned everything up, reassembled it, and repacked it with fresh grease. The sound disappeared. Since that was the source of my problem, I abandoned replacing the carrier bearing for now. If anyone moves forward on this, please advise me and I shall update the FAQ. Jimmy Pribble (Owner/Managing Editor, UrS4.com)
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