Any thoughts on this one please? The car is a 2000 model S8 (80k miles) and it has a rumble from the front end. It's quite bearable at cruising speed but very noticeable at low speeds on good surfaces, where it appears as a "wop, wop" noise each wheel revolution. Front discs and pads are new, so I don't think it's a warped disc. Tyre wear is slightly uneven (more wear on the outside of the tyre on both sides) but no worse than on the front tyres of any Audi.
I suspected front wheel bearings, and last week I took it for service at a VAG main dealer (Crewe Audi - nee Charles Audi). I told them about the noise and said I suspected the bearings, but I told them they would need to test-drive the car and listen to it. As soon as I'd uttered my suspicions I regretted doing so, and guess what, they've just changed the bearings and the noise is still there. They obviously haven't listened for the noise either before or after doing the work.
Three questions. First, could this be worn inner or outer CV joints? Second, could it (gulp!) be from the final drive? Third, can anyone in the UK recommend a decent independent Audi specialist in the midlands who knows about quattros and is actually interested in diagnosing a problem, rather than just doing what the owner thinks might need doing? I was wondering about BR Motorsport in Leamington. I'm in Staffordshire.
Thanks for any help.
Regards
Jonathan Morton