Front Suspension Removal

[#Nick]

Hey guys

Doing my front perches tomorrow.

Looking online, I will probably find the pinch bolt issue!

Is there a way to drop the suspension out, without touching the pinch bolt?
Is there a way to remove the upper control arm bolts at the top, and drop it out like that?

Any other advice that will help me would be awesome!!

Thanks!
#Nick

 

[Jimmy TDI]

You've answered it yourself mate. Undo the top arms from the top mount and you can then leave the dreaded pinch bolt as is. You will either need two ratchets, or a stubbie spanner as there isn't much room up there.

 

[deano1978]

There is a way of doing it without touching them bolts,im sure its in asn somewhere.

 

[Spacemonkey]

I've just done mine tonight. Dead easy as long as a muppet hasn't been mixing bolts up..

Anyway, drop the ARB bolt, undo 13mm steering top balljoint nut, then remove the 16mm steering pinch bolt, all easy and drop steering.

Now you have two options: remove two top arm bolts using two 16mm spanners- helps if one is a ratchet. Then remove 18mm top mount bolts.

Or, remove 18mm top nut mounts, then manoeuvre the top mount for easier access to the two sets of 16mm top arm bolts.

Then remove bottom of shock 16mm bolt and remove strut.

Don't forget to lift suspension before fully tightening bolts or you'll shag the bushes.

 

[#Nick]

Ok...Sit-rep..

7hrs of my time WASTED today. Didn't even get the shock off, and that's without touching the pinch bolts!
What a STUPID design. What were Audi thinking?????

The steering ball joint would not budge, the bottom shock mount bolt is now f**ked (deeming the car now useless and stuck on axle stands), I lost one of the 3 upper shock mount bolts down under the Power Steering reservoir, and to top it all off, the bottom suspension mount is jammed on the wishbone and will not budge, so I cant re-aline the holes.

Is anyone local to Bristol with mechanical skill (and decent tools!) and free tomorrow to help me out for a small fee????????

 

[Spacemonkey]

Feel for you mate- we've all been there. I would help but I'm miles away and dying of a cold, not to mention fully booked.

 

[mattyb6]

Best thing to do is cut the track rod end off on the flat spot (you'll see it just between the knuckle and threaded bit)

Now drop the lower arms out from the sub frame/ chassis.

Make sure the caliper and drive shaft is unbolted.

Losses the last top mount bolt that you haven't lost and pull the whole assembly out.

Now you will have to remove the remaining of the track rod end that is still in he steering rack. I couldn't get mine out so I removed the 2nd knuckle (track rod itself) with a monkey wrench. (You will need to cut the rubber boot off, and an OEM lemforder one is only £30 from ECP.)

This will be the quickest, albeit the heaviest, way of doing it.

 

[Jimmy TDI]

I didn't need to remove the track rod end when I did mine?