Audi B8 (A4, A5, S4, S5, & Q5) Front Control Arm Replacement - DIY
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ย. 2024
- ►Audi B8s have reached the point where many of them are beginning to need a front-end overhaul. Whether you're experiencing clunking, vibrating, or declining handling characteristics, it probably means that the bushings and ball joints in your front control arms are in desperate need of replacing.
This kit contains everything you need to completely replace both your upper and lower front control arms on your Audi B8. With this kit, the bushings and the majority of the ball joints come pre-installed to make your job that much easier.
Shop This Control Arm Kit: www.fcpeuro.co...
READ THE FULL GUIDE HERE: blog.fcpeuro.c...
SUBSCRIBE: hubs.ly/H0cDnfN0
TOOLS NEEDED:
16-21mm Sockets: www.fcpeuro.co...
16-21mm Wrenches: www.fcpeuro.co...
Hook Pick Set: www.fcpeuro.co...
Dead Blow Hammer: www.fcpeuro.co...
Strut Spreader Socket: www.fcpeuro.co...
Pickle Fork: www.fcpeuro.co...
Ball Joint Separator: www.fcpeuro.co...
Torque Wrench: www.fcpeuro.co...
T25 Torx Socket: www.fcpeuro.co...
Get free parts from FCP Euro:
www.fcpeuro.co...
Follow FCP Euro on:
/ fcpeuro
/ fcpeuro
/ fcpeuro
www.fcpeuro.com/
![เกิดใหม่ทั้งทีก็เป็นสไลม์ไปซะแล้ว ซีซั่น 3 - ตอนที่ 69 [ซับไทย]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QuodflInQT8/mqdefault.jpg)
![How to change front suspension arm / front control arm on Audi A4 B8 Saloon [TUTORIAL AUTODOC]](/img/n.gif)
Give this man a raise. Even a rube like me got this done with no hydrolic lift. Yes it takes time, but this is hands down the best step by step I've ever seen.
How long does it take when all the equipment are gathered?
@@MHL1528About two hours per side, if you’re focused and undisturbed..
i second this question. would be good to know the estimated time. @@MHL1528
@@MHL1528can be done in a day if all goes smoothly. But if you have a ball joint that is seized or a pinch bolt then, good luck 🥲
😊
This is the only evidence of the "rubber creak" I've heard so clearly. Great step-by-step. Wish me luck...
how did it go
@@slow_season went amazing! Not too much trouble at all! Hardest thing was the crawling around on the floor lol. I need a lift…
I don't comment on videos ever but this was one of the most constructive, well made, quality tutorial videos I've ever seen👍 nice work man
We really appreciate your kind words Joe! Our team does our best to put out informative quality content for the euro car community, glad to see it paying off.
@fcpeuro is there written tutorial on this job I can download?
just ordered a set for my 2013 Audi A7! for every like i get the pinch bolt will be that much easier to get out!!!
So I actually attempted this on my 2011 A4 Quattro 6-speed, was successful, however when I went to get an alignment, even though the parts were brand new with less than 5 miles on them, they double checked I had torqued everything down correctly and showed me that they had concerns with the actual bushings. I purchased the Meyle HD upper and lower control arms with ball joints, all bolts included. everything went fairly smooth with the install, save for needing to run down the street on my bicycle several times to rent the Mcpherson strut compressor.
I did the work about 6 months ago, and hadn't been driving it at all for the past 3 months. I knew it still needed an alignment so i finally got around to scheduling one, and they called me 30 min after it had been dropped off, asking me to come down to look at something going on with the bushings on the parts I had very recently installed. The owner of the shop, a very reputable local tire and brake shop, advised me that he saw no issues with how things had been installed, in fact he said it looked great, and asked if I'd made sure to do the final torque after lowering my car to ground level, which I confirmed I had done. He then proceeded to point out all of the bushings in every control arm, focusing on how the bolts securing them in place were tight, but he could literally grab the control arms with his bare hands and wiggle them around. He then explained how much further damage this would cause, which I immediately understood and agreed that parts needed to be replaced ASAP. I will be installing the 034 Motorsports upper and lower with their upgraded bushings. I expect this to solve the problem. Just like I expected the Meyle HD parts to actually be HD. Not ineptly soft. So FYI...
Great video thanks! For UK owners be aware that the steering column can be a pain by restricting access to the front lower rear arm inner bolt and the heat shield on the driver's side is a pain to remove and refit. Also, in the UK if you have the facelift B8.5 you could have the upgraded ball joint on the front lower front arm from M12 (18mm) to M14 (21mm) and the torque is uprated from 110Nm to 140Nm.
Hi, how did u go about refitting the heatshield on the drivers side? - im having some trouble with it 🤣
This was a great video! Thanks for the good explanations, stable video, and nice angles. I just wrapped up this project on my '12 Q5 at home, and this was my principle guide. Used the exact Meyle kit shown. I'm a pretty fearless DIYer, but this turned out to be about a 15-hour job for all 10 arms in the front (one on each side were not included in the video), even with the upper pinch bolts coming straight off. Proceed with patience and caution if doing this yourself, and don't be on a deadline. The most important tool on this job was the floor jack, which I used not only for raising the car and loading the suspension, but also to lift the lower arms into place while I aligned the bolt holes. Thanks, guys, for the clear instructions!
Great Video!! Thanks....My comments below (Bought everything from FCP) 2011 A4 B8 Avant Q Wagon
1. Replaced the struts at the same time. Was able to get the uppers off/on easy and pre set them on how they came off. Wasn't perfect, but it ended up at about the same as if the suspension was loaded.
2. The ball joint separator I bought from FCP needed a little grinding of the inner forks to fit right. They are casted a little too narrow...slightly...but just enough for it not to fit correctly. After which, the tool worked perfect.
3. I had one upper pinch bolt come right out, and one that didn't. Did what the video said....heat, pounded the end which got mushroomed, cut the mushroomed end off, used a punch and air hammer when the bolt was inside the non-threaded sleeve of the wheel bearing housing and used heat, PB blaster, and persuasion until it came out. Took 30 minutes or so. Fun fun!! Thinking back, I might have just saved a little time and cut the bolt end off after I determined it was stuck, and begin the air hammering/punch hammering/heat/PB blaster craziness!! Where was the celebration horn when mine came out?!?!?!
4. I used 5/6/7mm hex key and turned halfway to use spread the pinch bolt areas. I didn't buy a special tool. (Nerd tool or strut spreader tool)
5. I didn't have a passthru socket for the strut top nut. I used a socket with a hex key thru it and a pipe wrench on the socket and I tighten the nut down until it stopped before I released the coil compressor. It worked great.
6. At the end of the day it was all worth it. No creaks or noises anymore. Back to normal. Thanks FCP!!
My Wagon Lives On!! 200,000 miles.
Just did the uppers today. Head straight for an air chisel. If you don’t have one it will be more than tough with just a hammer
Also, I just air chiseled the arms out of the knuckle. Way easier than hitting with hammer
😅
Thanks. 2009 Q5. Now i know to just pay the shop and save my back (no lift avail).
Thanks for the great video. A couple of things to keep in mind:
1) my 2014 audi a4 quattro did not allow the triple square bolts to come out from the lower front control arms, like in the video. There was not enough clearance due to the inner tie rod arm. Therefore, I had to cut the bolt heads off just to get them out and them reinstall them from the other direction.
2) the upper control arms were difficult to torque using a torque wrench. Had to play with various combinations of universal joints and lengths. The pinch bolts came out using a pneumatic impact wrench. After removing the nuts, i would use the impact gun on the bolt to get it to spin in place, and them hammer out with 5lb hammer.
3) be careful with the heat shield. In removing mine, i bent it quite a bit. After reinstall, I heard a grinding noise during the test drive that turned out to be the drive axle rubbing against the bent section of heat shield.
You may want to check your tie rod boots because they are prone to rubbing on the nut if installed backwards, like you mentioned in (1). This can cause a hole puncture in the boot. The bolt was installed specifically in that direction due to the close proximity to the tie rod boot.
This video has def convinced me not to attempt this diy.. lol
Same here, glad I found the video but I will probably fall into the same situation of snapping off the head of the bolt as in the video with how rusted on everything is on my car. Not a chance I’m trying this lol.
it is not difficult to DIY, anyone could have similar problem either you are a mechanic or you do it yourself at home, corrosion doesn’t now are you a mechanic or not
i literally stared typing the same comment
lmao well you can start there its the first step. If the bolt comes out easy your good, thats the hard part if not take it somewhere.
I think that's the whole point of these series of videos.
Wow this has got to be the best video I have ever seen anyone give so clear the guy was so detailed in his explaining everything he did and I'm a girl so I appreciated him... Now I just got to find someone to do it for me
You Can Do it Girll" I'm gonna try& I'm a dude😅.just Pray & be patient...
They do, actually. The sleeves do go back in. And fairly easily with some lube, block of wood and a c-clamp.
I'm stuck at trying to remove that control arm piece where we need the joint separator tool.
@@shibidi Remember how you ended up getting those front lower rearward ball joints out?
FCP Euro is the absolute best auto parts distributor around. Unbeatable warranty, solid service, huge selection AND YOU EVEN MAKE DIY VIDEOS! Y’all are the reason thousands of beat German cars will still be on the road in 20 years.
Thank you so much for the kind words, Taylor, and thank you for your support!
I did rear low arm and front low arm but just replaced bushing. Even with kit from amazon to push bushings out I had a misery to push the rear low bushing. It was huge 3" 1/8 and no tool to use to push it out. I had to make one from the spiral stairs. Front low arm went out easy but my suspension moved 3-4 inch forward. Spent 2 hours trying to put arm back but couldn't push suspension back in position to screw to arm. Finally I had to disconnect sway bar end link from suspension and then I was able to put all back. Start your work in the morning, you never know how long it's gonna take.
Going through the same exact situation with my A6... I'm really hoping the Schwaben ball joint separator will be big enough for the job.
Thank you for this video X 100! Replaced right rear lower control arm last night. Took you 4.5 minutes in the video, and it took me 90 minutes...but that's the story of my life. I ordered the Lemdorfer control arm from FCP (OE for Audi at 1/4th the cost) and new upper bolt/nut from Audi. I had to futz around with using the balljoint spreader (rented for free at local auto parts chain). It needs to be positioned exactly as in video so the that the head of the tightening bolt is under the control arm. As you tighten the bolt the head of the bolt bumps up against the bottom of the control arm which is what keeps the balljoint spreader from slipping off....and shooting across the garage. My advice is never to stand in front of the balljoint spreader when tightening. Stand to the side. After tightening and tightening I eventually tapped it with the hammer as in the video. Worked like a charm! Thanks again!
Very well done video just one point: preloading the suspension should be done both wheels at a time, or with the sway bar disconnected. Preloading the suspension on one side only with the sway bar connected will yield a preloaded ride height that will be 1-3 inches off of static weight on wheels ride height. Also whenever you are working on suspension components, it’s always easiest to have a jack under the steering knuckle to be able to position the suspension in different ride heights to assist in removing and installing bushing bolts. I do not recommend hammering new suspension bolts through their eyelets thus damaging/deforming threads and making future removal much more difficult. They should go in smoothly by hand.
You guys are the best instructional video for these Audi models. I have a 2014 RS5 and was able to do it, without a lift also. It was tough but followed the steps and got it done, and including all the torques! Can't say enough, thanks!
How difficult did it end up being
Dude how did you get that bolt out so easily without removing the steering tie rod at 12:30 . The tie rod on my car is in the way of the M12 bolt and had to be lifted to remove that bolt.
Great video! Little advice for next time on the upper pinch bolt. Break off the bolt head, remove the nut and put some washers on the bolt before putting the nut back on and tightening. That way you can push the bolt out :)
I did this on my 2013 Q5. Very helpful video... thanks. The big difference between the car in the video and the Q5 is the inner bolt for the lower front control arm. It has to go in from the front or the tie rod end boot will get wrecked over time. The tie rod is very close to that bolt (it's far in the video) and can't be pushed by hand past the tie rod boot. The head of the bolt is rounded to not rip the boot. I was unable to get the bolt to go in and temporarily put it in reversed, then had a shop fix it up for me during the subsequent alignment. I asked if the tie rod had to be removed from the steering knuckle, which requires a special tool I don't have. He said he just puts a drift on it and hits it with a hammer. Not something I want to see.
Btw, this job took me 2 full days just to do the lower arms, as I don't have a lift (but I do all my own repairs and have done many struts and control arms in my life) . I lost a lot of time on those bolts mentioned above. Torquing at ride height is a pain, but very important... it takes a while with 2 floor jacks. Godspeed to anyone doing this with floor jacks. I should have paid the shop and saved my back (and 2 days of my life).
the trick to get the bolt on past the streering boot is to turn the wheel all the way towards the other side, then the rod moves inward compressing the boot and leaving you more room. I did have to lightly tap the bolt to get it in.
Damn this is a well made video. Thanks guys
Thanks for watching Luis, glad you enjoyed it!
Just did mine today on my S4, what a difference. The pinch bolt came right out with ease and wasn't the problem, granted I hit it everything with PB blaster 2x a week for 3 weeks. The problem was the damn ball joint on the lower rearward arm. Even with the ball joint separator she wouldn't budge without some heat.
Dealing with the same exact situation on my A6... Hoping that the Schwaben ball joint separator will be big enough to do the job. Maybe I'll look into using some heat application as well, I'm just so worried about that damn sleeve coming out.
Same here on A6 C7 same suspension as B8, pinch bolt came right out but the lower rearward control arm ball joint is seized… I’ve tried pickle fork with air hammer no luck. Two types of ball joint separators keep slipping out. Do i really need to resort to heat?
@@austinmerrival927did the ball joint separator work out for you?
@@saz-646 Sure did. None of the commonly recommended separators did it for me so I got a bigger 32mm separator from Amazon that popped em out like it should.
Side note if you don't want to ruin your upper control arm boots. Take the ball joint separater and put a sucker that fits the hole and use that to push the arm out.
Great video.
In place of a strut speader i put a piece of flat steel in the gap and threaded the bolt in from the opposite side to remove the lower front control arm.
Pinch bolt air hammer pin kit is what you need
Fantastic Video! we did my sons Audi A4 and that upper control arm bolt is no Joke! We got it out Without heat but it took hours! both sides.....I also had to call in a professional mechanic friend with a turbo socket to grip on to the bolt head that we stripped. He used lots of lubricant, worked very slow and used two wrenches to get more leverage. We keep that bolt on our work bench, that sucker is now a trophy! lol
Great tutorial FCP! Another good tip is to measure from the center of the axle bolt up to the fender before you lift the car and start your project. Then you know how far to jack up when doing the final torque. Huge FCP fan! I've purchased a ton of parts from them and they've never done me wrong. Great company 👏👏🙏
Great tip Andy, thank you!
Ok, such a real video and shows exactly what to expect when tackling this job. Really great job guys!
Such a great job explaining this repair. I will be doing it soon on my own A4. It is especially great you included a clip of what the sounds you could be hearing are like. My favorite part is how you actually include proper torque specs. It's as though you've seen many bad "how to" examples and decided to do things right. FCP clearly takes pride in the work they do. Not only did you show that here, but you also show it with every order you send out. Thank you all for what you do!
Great video, I wish you didn’t skip over separating the ball joint and using the tool though, seems to just slips off and won’t tighten.
GREAT video. Very helpful. I was confident working on my old Nissan Maxima. I now have a '14 Q5 and I'm a little nervous. This looks a bit tough, especially since I don't have a lift, but I will attempt. Thank you!
Glad you like the video, BK! You should be able to do all of this with the car on jack stands! Don't be nervous, just take your time and follow the steps! Let us know how it goes, we are always happy to help!
I remember those old A6s with the steel arms and pinch bolts!
The trick to get thel ower control arm body side bolt on past the steering boot is to turn the wheel all the way towards the other side, then the rod moves inward compressing the boot and leaving you more room.
When you say pre load the suspension before torquing should I test the weight of the vehicle down on it? Like put the wheels on if I’m doing this at home??
Hi GG, you can use the wheels, or you can use an additional floor jack/screw jack to load the suspension up.
Can you please tell me the size of the opening on that Ball Joint Separator (doesn't say so in the link)?
The separator I have has a 19mm opening and is too small for this job (and for the tie rod end as well).
You should replace the pinch bolt with updated bolt PN: WHT007963. There is a section of the OD that is smaller (between the two ball joint locations) that reduces the possibility of corrosion between the bolt and the knuckle. I would still recommend anti-seize on pinch bolt re-installation with the newer bolt. Also, all torque to yield bolts should be replaced (any bolt with a +XX degrees torque requirement).
Unbelievable explaining to demonstration and ease of understanding everything from tools to parts.
Can you please tell me what to say to the Audi service department if I want my 2022 Q5 45 sline to become as stiff as it was in the beginning. It got too soft after 15k miles driving spiritedly everyday almost
Hy guys. Thanks to this video I managed to change the front arms in the right way.Thanks!
Do you have a video for the back arms?
Super glad the video helped you out with your control arm install Nastasa Cosmin! We dont have a DIY shot for the rear yet but it is on our to do list for the near future!
I'm a main dealer technician with years of experience and that upper pinch bolt made me want to cry.
Fyi, this was m12 nut, not m14 like you stated in the video. I'm doing all my CAs for my SQ5 (m14) next week, so this video comes in handy.
Thank you for the note!
2 pinch bolts took me 3 days/afternoons without heat, and 1 day with heat and blood blisters a cold and elevated stress levels but those bolts strengthened my determination real good
what doesnt kill you makes you stronger right?
you're not supposed to use heat to get the bolt out and even Audi itself warns against it due to the aluminum carrier being weakened. The bolt can actually be easily removed with enough heat, but it's the carrier that can't handle it and it loses strength because of it. This is why Audi made tools for past models (which no longer work on the new models) and why so many people are afraid to go to independent shops- they will always use heat and weaken the carrier in a critical area.
Some advice: plan the job way in advance and add oil every so often up to months in advance. The oil will eventually work its way in there.
Audi came up with an updated bolt which has reduced diameters in certain areas. I've tried ordering it and never got it. Only got the standard one. All this because they didn't put anti-seize on.
Brilliant video. Aaron you the man! Did the upper control arms a few weeks ago and yep that bolt was stuck pretty damn tight. Living in the UK obviously with our climate (salt etc) was expecting it. Used lots of heat (mapp gas), 4lb hammer and same size bolt to pound at threaded end. Once it started to move, soaked it with gas plus spray & worked it out eventually. Thanks for sharing the video guys!!
That bolt can really be a pain, huh! Glad you were able to get it done!
How long do these last in the UK? I had one replaced at an independent VAG specialist 6 months ago and they charged £400 - (£220 for the part and 1.5 hours labour). They now say the whole front needs done - both lower front and 4 upper front? Haven't given me a quote but said it will be over a thousand £ of work. I've just looked at a previous service only 2-3 years ago from another VAG specialist albeit in a cheaper part of the country and they replaced one front control arm, charging £80+VAT for the arm. So 1.) Does £200+ an arm sound ridiculous? 2.) Surely now I've noticed one front was replaced only 25k miles ago, surely they should last longer than that? I'm concerned I'm being taken for a mug both on them needing done and cost. There is no abnormal suspension noise but he said one may fail on next MOT. Any advice would be appreciated.
@@ln5747 That is ridiculous..they are trying to rinse you. Look online for Meyle HD (can buy as a kit) or individual arms & do it yourself..easy job if the pinch bolt turns. Garage shouldn't charge more than £50/£60 in labour per arm.
As to how long they should last well that depends on the quality of the part fitted & installation...should be properly torqued with the suspension under load otherwise the bushings will fail quickly.
@@seat786 yes I can't quite get over the cost really. It's in the West Midlands so not like it's London prices. They also seemed to be very expensive for other work. They seem to charge £70+vat for labour and charged around 1.5 hours for one control arm. The control arm was £198+vat. Now he's saying 4 more need done (perhaps some arms are cheaper I don't know) but ideally he said I should have the whole suspension done at the same time. I almost laughed, it's a £5k 2011 A4. Isn't there 16 control arms!? I think I will try a non VAG specialist local garage for a quote as I can't imagine they will charge that nor need to be a VAG specialist. The previous VAG specialist I used was in Belfast and they charged £85+vat for the arm, which seems more reasonable. I just can't imagine doing it myself as I have no tools nor never worked on cars so I'm concerned I wouldn't get it exactly right. Thanks for the advice anyway 👍🏻
@@ln5747 Very hard to find honest garages that don't charge you a arm (no pun intended) & a leg.. I'm in Brum myself & don't mind having a look at it for you if your local enough. Like I've said if the pinch bolt is loose & not seized it's a easy job for the 2 upper control arms.
Awsome guide, following this for my B8 RS4 in the UK,
Doing this job currently, far easier to remove the axle to bearing center bolt and remove the whole upright with top arms attached, both pinch bolts came free with an impact gun a bit of heat and penetrating oil. Just make sure you replace the axle center bolt after as it’s a stretch bolt. (200nm + 180°)
Thanks a lot for this vidéo! I’ll start this week end on my A4 B8 2,7 tdi which is now 485 000km…
The sleeve on the knuckle will go back In. Mine came out, removed the ball joint next to it and heated the knuckle and chilled the sleeve in dry ice and she slides in and re seats when the Temps come back to normal
Dang bruh this guy literally just saved me a headache of work trying to figure it out fr way cheaper job and easy to do by myself this guy literally saved me 2k from what the Audi agency wanted me to charge (3.5k to replace this sh naa scam)
They are thieves...
More 'real life situation' videos like this please. I fucking hate the picture perfect videos, no hassle installs people do. struggles, stress, time eating hold ups etc are always a part of any install. I'm no mechanic but due to people like you i've learned far more than ever before. Also, dong it yourself means you know it was dne correctly and no hidden secrets to later discover. Respect.
Thanks for watching and for the kind comment!!
Wow do I feel fortunate after replacing my upper control arms on my 2018 A6. My pinch bolts came off no problem compared to this, holy crap that sucks! Although my springs were in the way of the control arm bolts being completely removed that sucked 😜
Lucky!
Good video. That pickle fork works best when you hammer it into the ball joint, that's why it's shaped like a wedge. Hit it hard with a real sledge hammer, not that wimpy dead head hammer. I use a 3-5lb hammer. It only takes a couple of hits in most cases, but I've not removed these arms before so don't know what it will take, but you did it the hard way IMO. Also, heat the bolt, not the arm, the arm is a huge heat sink esp. being aluminum. And I use MAPP with oxygen (2 bottles) as it's got more BTUs, and gives a more controlled flame, and it's hotter. My guess is that would work faster. Overall your video is likely very helpful, but as others have stated, those torque to yield bolts must be replaced, it's dangerous to reuse them as you don't know when they'll break.
Great video. Couple years ago I replaced the strut and 2 control arms each side on 2010 BMW E92 and was so simple but Audi suspension seems far more superior design with 4 arms each side.
Purchased a 2009 A5 with leaking struts so will replace the 2 upper arms same time when weather is warmer. Picked up TRW upper arms with Audi logo rubbed out £23 each on black Friday sale.
If I have trouble with the pinch bolt will drive car to local garage to heat/cut the bolt out and I will complete the rest of job at home. Got 2 new pinch bolt as backup if original needs to be cut the original.
Car has 88k miles and not sure if lower arms have died yet..no vibration or noise at turning or driving at 80miles.
Will also replace rear shocks same time to give the tired suspension a refresh.
This video mead my day. Now i finaly know wat to do. That’s a lot of wait off my sholders.
I just bought this kit from you guys! Going to finish the job this weekend. 1 of pinch bolts came out no problem. Haven't tried the other one yet! Fingers crossed 🤞
Let’s hope that second one does the same!!!
@fcpeuro you guys are the best. Used to purchase from ECS tuning but your prices are better and the DIY videos are amazing!
@@Holycow723 well we really appreciate the support - and happy we can help!
For removing the pinch bolt, if you preload the suspension it should be easier to come out right? It's those two upper control arms that are grabbing the bolt that makes it very hard to remove.
Not true for me. Both sides pinch bolt seized with corrosion and still won’t budge with control arms disconnected from chassis.
Tempted to try this myself. We Will see if the pinch bolt is seized before ordering parts..
Good idea!
Just finished the control arms on my S4 thanks to this video. Bought the parts from FCPEuro, used their DIY tutorial. Everything went smoothly. Also the pinch bolts came out smooth like butter 👌🏼
SO glad to hear it Brad. The Audi gods have blessed you with a buttery pinch bolt removal!
you have no idea how lucky you are! lol
Replaced the arms and the knuckle thanks to your video. Not too bad at all just getting a torque wrench on those upper arms isn't easy. Great kit from fcp also
Hey guys, good video. I am actually working on a 2002 Audi A8 Quattro. Had the same pinch bolt issues on both sides. In the end I reverted to taking the whole suspension out. Biggest PITA is the bolt for the link arms, I had to drop the subframe at the rear to do this.
We were about 10 minutes from dropping the entire steering knuckle as well to press it out... hail mary saved us on this one. It is an atrocity of a bolt to get out, glad you were able to get it!
Got through the horror show of the upper pinch bolts in about 6 hours, only to then snap the 16mm front lower ball joint bolt when I thought I was on the home stretch! Guess I'll be having some fun trying to drill that out, why did it have to be the only threaded bolt (without a nut) to snap in this whole process!
Great guide guys - really useful. Just had the nightmare experience with the upper pinch bolt. Snapped the head off then wound it out from the other end using the nut and various spacers. Poor show Audi!!!
How do you know when to stop using a jack to preload the suspension for final torquing? Do you keep jacking up until the suspension stops raising?
Brilliant video, I'm doing my 2010 B8 A4 Avants arms soon and I plan on soaking the pinch bolt area a few months before with PB blaster to hopefully give me more of a chance.
That's a good idea soaking the pinch bolts with PB Blaster beforehand. Good luck with the repair, Jack!
@@fcpeuro Have you tried an induction heater on the pinch bolt?
I am interested of buying one for this project, if it would be some help of course, otherwise I will skip it!
My 2010 audi s5 looks.very different from yours to access the front lower rearward inner arm bolt. Mine has some sort of plate even, not allowing to even put my wrench through. Any ideas?
I finally replaced everything with a car jack so it was extra hard work and longer hours. But the cracking has finally disappeared. The cause of the cracking was the largest control arm with the half rounding. Without a car bridge it is really much more difficult.😆😪
This Video is very well done! Especially thanks to you showing the struggle with that upper clamping bolt. Great of you guys also showing the torque and to torque only in travel position. Again very well done!
Thanks, onkel j!It was definitely a struggle!
Just used this video this past weekend, with my FCP Euro parts! Such a great resource!
OMG! Thank you for giving us the down-and-dirty for removing that bolt. Otherwise this is a straight-forward job. I definitly will NOT be doing this without my brother.
I like how out of all these suspension videos on Audi Nobody is talking about changing the stretch bolts. So people who are doing this are not gonna know this.
15:57 you may call yourself an Audi fan, but you're not on the same level of an Audi/VW wrist tattoo level of fandom!
Aaron is certainly dedicated LOL
I had to do the old heat and beat to replace my upper control arms. I slathered the new Bitch Bolt with anti seize and take it out and reapply it every year. Makes my life a whole lot easier or the next guy that has to take it apart next.
You must not apply heat to the wheel bearing housing. It works, but by applying heat to the wheel bearing housing you change the strength of the aluminium which has an negativ effect to the load capacity. There are special tools to remove the pinch bolt. If you don‘t want to buy one of these tools, you can remove the head of the pinch bolt and remove the nut of the pinch bolt. Put some spacers on the thread of the pinch bolt and install the nut again. If you tighten the nut, the pinch bolt will be pulled out of the housing. If no more thread is left, remove the nut, put more spacers to the thread and install the nut again. But please, do not apply heat to the aluminium. Greetings from Germany
Edit: in Germany this special pinch bolt is known as „Arschlo*h-Schraube“ (a**hole screw) 🤪
I watched it again and I'm sure that pinch bolt designer must be fired.
Sir. Thanks for great information. i need to find out some good mechanic who can do it instead of me. Thank you sir.
thanks for the info. i found on my s5 that i needed to turn the wheel to get some bolts out.
Great video and angles. The little trick with the hex to remove the lower ball joint was very helpful as well!
Good job ! I'll soon get à S4 B8 from 2011 with 170000 kms so I think i've got to go through this job also. ( many thanks from France ;) I like your channel
Thanks for the love Christophe! Hope this helps make the arm replacement easier
Outstanding detailed explanation.
Everything great but please fix txt in the video, it's says as upper arm torque is 250Nm... Someone could get confused. 😀
If you can get the pinch bolt out it’s smooth sailing afterwards
It is the key to this entire diy! Success and failure hinges on that pinch bolt 😁
I'll need to do this soon... hearing steering knock when going lock to lock.
At 21:15 I put new 10.9 bolts in there as well. Did not reuse the old ones.
Is this the same for Q7?
The M12 triple square is giving me the hardest time to get out. Nut is off but the tie rod boot is not allowing me to get the bolt out. I even removed the tie rod from the knuckles but the pivot is too far from the bolt so it didn’t help.
I got the bolt out by turning the steering wheel, didn’t think it would do the trick but it worked.
Surprised you didn't change out the front struts while you were at it. Good video overall!
Would not have been a bad idea! I'm sure we will have to make a video for that in the somewhat near future ^.^
@@fcpeuro Want to see this done too
I consider myself pretty handy, I need to replace my 08 Audi joints and after watching this video I will most likely have it professionally done🤣
Ill buy the parts but I ant doing this repair lmao.... and this is coming from someone who will work on anything.
Hello dear, great reviews, well done! Are there any difference between Audi a4 b8 and b9 arms?
oops, you torqued the bolt in one of them.. but other than that, thanks for the excellent clear video, brilliant.
Thanks for the note, Richard!
Very informative. Thank you. Only 78K miles? I wouldn't "think" you would need to replace basically the entire ft suspension with those few miles. Audi ownership never fails to surprise.
You're welcome, Chris! Yeah...you can see how potholes and rough roads really take a toll!
Chris it’s pretty common for them to be toast at 80k miles
i don’t know how often it happens that the pinch bolt gets stuck but i had the same problem and i had to replace the knuckle because i damaged the pinch bolt hole trying to get it out, 1 hour job turned intru 2 days till i got the replacement knuckle, the driver side was 1 hour top everything unbolted easy
Sergiu it is extremely common especially in the Northeast and Midwest for those pinch bolts to be absolutely obnoxious. It does run the risk of a much bigger job if you have to remove the knuckle to remove the bolt or like what happened to you, replace it entirely... It can go from super simple to a real headache based on 1 bolt.
Unbelievable. Haven't you considered relieving the bolt tension by lifting the suspension?
Another question ….
Why Not just do the bushings instead of getting all new control arms.?
Dude I’ve been hearing that exact noise and this whole time I thought it was a fucking creek in the cab somewhere just replaced my upper CA and it’s GONE THANK YOU
Needed a good impact while heating it up and wd40 then it will work. I’ve done many that way on Audis. Never had to cut any
A fine case of Galvanic Corrosion Sir
Sounds like a great name for a Metal Band!
Glad I found on the procedure with how to do this, but I will just take it to the mechanic instead. It was a pain in the ass just changing my rotors with how rusted on they all were, I can only imagine how hard this would be with everything seized on.
Depending on where you live/how much corrosion is on the car, it could certainly be a tough job!
That 18mm is it preferred with offset or just normal straight to remove the front lower rearward due to the confined space
Thank you all,
Is it too expensive to just replace the knuckle too (or too much extra work?)