Subframe bolt fell out?

[Dave Glubrecht]

When I bought one of my Audi's I found a subframe bolt to be missing.
I don't remember weather it was stripped or broken off (I have dealt with
many broken/stripped bolts).
I do remember drilling and installing a Heli-Coil in the remains of the
captive nut.
As I remember I lowered the subframe on my car for access.
I have had a lot of success with Heli-Coils and do not have any affiliation
with the company.

   Dave G




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Conner" <conner at cfm.ohio-state.edu>
To: <heodore.Haug at rrd.com>
Cc: <quattro at audifans.com>
Sent: Monday, July 26, 2004 12:50 PM
Subject: Subframe bolt fell out?


> Ted wrote ...
> " ... 1990 Audi 100 (non quattro)
>  ... the left rear subframe bolt has fallen out. ...   the replacement
bolt
> no longer draws tight in the threads."
>
> Ted,
> Ooops!
> I doubt that it just "fell out".  How long have you owned the car?  I
> suspect someone had the subframe off and stripped the threads upon
> re-install.  Then they either left the bolt out altogether or else left it
> in the stripped threads with not much to hold it in place which led to it
> falling out later.  OTOH, if you owned the car since new and know the
> subframe has never been off then I have no idea how it could happen.
>
> Yes, I've BTDT...  right rear on an 89 100.   I stripped the threads
myself
> so there was no big mystery in my case.  The nut that stripped is a
captive
> nut ... captive inside a body cavity.   There was a cutout opening in the
> body that gave me limited access otherwise I would have had to cut a hole
> in the body.  I drilled out the captive nut and place a new nut on top the
> remains of the drilled out nut.  The standard subframe bolt is long enough
> to do this.  I dropped the subframe to do it but I'm not sure it's
> absolutely necessary.
>
> HTH,
> Dave C.
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