AndyMac
Retired from service
OK so after yesterdays disasters with my passenger side control arms (see control arm thread), the sun is shining and I'm at it again trying to replace the control arms on my B5 2.8 Quattro. I've resigned myself to the fact that the hub carrier has to come out and the ******* bolt drilled out. What a fcuking ridiculous design! That bolt could just be a split pin and it would do the same job - talk about over engineered!
So I'm following the instructions on the tech article from AW but I'm stuck again. Nothing wants to come out easily. I have the axle bolt out, which was surprisingly easy, but I can't release the axle as there isn't enough room. It moves back & forth freely but there isn't the room for it to come out completely. I've released the top strut, but the ******* is pressing down on the lower front arm, which is making removal of the arm impossible. The TRE came out easily. I have the front upper arm free, where I drilled out part of the pinch bolt. I can't release the rear lower arm, it's rock solid like everything on the damn car. I had to slice off the top of the bolt as the nut just would not come all the way off, even though it was fine until it reached the top of the bolt.
Just nothing is working. I've tried ball joint seperators, wedges, lump hammers everything I can think of. Yeah this was a great idea to save a few quid. 2 days and the new contol arms haven't moved from their box!
Anyone got any bright ideas?
Also the rear lower arm with the longest bolt in the world securing it to the subframe, how do you get it all the way out? I've released the subframe bracket to give me room, but the bolt goes on forever as you can see:
Any help appreciated as I'm rapidly losing the will to live again.
So I'm following the instructions on the tech article from AW but I'm stuck again. Nothing wants to come out easily. I have the axle bolt out, which was surprisingly easy, but I can't release the axle as there isn't enough room. It moves back & forth freely but there isn't the room for it to come out completely. I've released the top strut, but the ******* is pressing down on the lower front arm, which is making removal of the arm impossible. The TRE came out easily. I have the front upper arm free, where I drilled out part of the pinch bolt. I can't release the rear lower arm, it's rock solid like everything on the damn car. I had to slice off the top of the bolt as the nut just would not come all the way off, even though it was fine until it reached the top of the bolt.
Just nothing is working. I've tried ball joint seperators, wedges, lump hammers everything I can think of. Yeah this was a great idea to save a few quid. 2 days and the new contol arms haven't moved from their box!
Anyone got any bright ideas?
Also the rear lower arm with the longest bolt in the world securing it to the subframe, how do you get it all the way out? I've released the subframe bracket to give me room, but the bolt goes on forever as you can see:
Any help appreciated as I'm rapidly losing the will to live again.