Front arms saga
 

Just thought I would tell all of my experience on replacing all arms, I'm sure its been done before.
I bought the arms in various stages from Mister-auto TRW version.
All nuts and bolts track rod ends wheel bearing from TPS Peterborough.
Started with the N/S all still got Audi logo on and the top bolt would not move, So I thought I'd buy a large compressor with a Air hammer waste of money. Best thing is remove the hole lot from car then get angle grinder and remove top arms from knuckle also had to do this for the track rod end as the bolt on that was seized. Then with thin blade on angle grinder cut bolt in gaps for top arms, then tighten bolt and it should pull through, then do same again with nut and you should be left with a piece of bolt between the gaps. Now you need a drill and good Cobolt drill bits first ones from tool station took half a day. If I hadn't bought the compressor a new arm was on the cards at £300+vat got there in the end.
This one side took two days.
Now onto the O/S done at the weekend again remove all, this the bolt came out of the track rod end, the same procedure for the top bolt again, but this time with different drill bits much quicker half a day and should all be back together, no chance this time track rod end had seized on inner no spanner to fit the inner rod made a spanner using the grinder.
The nearest place on Saturday was Northampton G/S store. Fetched that start again next day.
The Cobolt drill bits are from www-hard-drills.com sizes we used were 4/8/10mm these were very good.
I had the use of a pit in my Brothers back garden still not Ideal, and his help some days.
Not sure if the wheel bearings needed to be done or not, bearings were £120 and they don't include the hub, so you need pullers and a press which work kindly had.
Car is now all tracked and seems quieter and solid.
Hope this may help some else, if not its a good laugh, the time alone could have bought another car with Audi's labour.
Now just got LED stripes to fit and door handle to paint that's for another section on the chrome trim to remove.

David

Currently have my D2 going through the same operation. Got an entire Meyle kit off eBay for £150 and left it with the mechanic last night. After spending the day on it, he calls me just after 5pm and asks if he knows anyone breaking an A8, as the top pinch bolt won't budge. They tried hammers, heat and drills, but still no joy... and this is only the drivers side. Luckily, managed to find A8parts with one available, so ordered it. That was around 6pm, after much scouring of the web and breakers. Won't be posted until tomorrow and the car is up for the MOT on Thursday evening. Nothing like cutting things fine. Fingers, toes, arms and legs crossed that he can get it done in time. :-(

For badly seized pinch bolts I snap the head off the bolt with the breaker bar and then pull the bolt out from the other side. Lube up a few thick washers and the thread with CV grease, put a couple of C-shaped wedges (also made of thick washers) in the pinch-gaps, and then tighten a threaded rod coupler on to the end of the bolt. As the coupler is tightened it pulls the headless bolt out of the hole. Its tight on the D2 alloy hubs but doable. A4 and A6 hubs have more clearance so its pretty simple on those.

There is a proper tool for doing this job, but at £500 I can't really justify it!

Thanks. Will have to suggest this to the mechanic tomorrow so he can try it on the passenger side.

Make sure he wedges something in the pinch-gap, otherwise it will break the end off the hub!

While looking for images, I stumbled on a write-up of this exact technique: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...ontrol-arms-EZ

There is also a Laser tool for use with an air chisel. A friend uses this, but I've never tried it myself: http://www.lasertools.co.uk/product/5863

Good luck!

I forgot to mention that I bought the laser tool, And tried the same method by trying pull the bolt through but all that happened is the nut ate into the arm.
That's when we had to drill what's left of the bolt out.

I was lucky time was not a problem as I'm between jobs and had the Wife's car after dropping her at work.

Hope you get sorted and doesn't cost the earth.

Well done. Did you grease/wayoyl the new bolt? May be worth whipping out and doing if not.

Have bookmarked this for future reference as well.

I put a stack of well greased washers under the nut to make sure that doesn't happen. I'm not surprised the Laser tool didn't work on one that stuck though. It just doesn't put enough constant force on the bolt.