best place to buy special tools?

[cobram at juno.com]

Spreading that slit can have dire consequences.  There is a steel sleeve
inside the hub for the ball joint, if you spread the hub to insert the
ball joint, sometimes it won't tighten back up correctly.  Ball joint
will start moving up and down inside the shaft no matter how much you
tighten it.  Ball joint popped out twice on the 5KS, only figured it out
after I saw screwdriver/pry marks on the hub.  Cut a slot in the hub
sleeve with a whizzer to be able to tighten up the ball joint,  got a
complete strut assembly from chris at force5auto.com and the problem was
remedied.  I was VERY, VERY  lucky that the ball joint popped out once at
a stop sign, and the second time a slow speed and only took out the front
tire.  I've become overly sensitive to "pops" in type44 suspension since
then.  An Audi tech friend told me he's seen 2 instances of fatal
accidents in type 44's because the ball joint popped out,  he didn't know
why they popped out though.

BCNU,
http://www.geocities.com/cobramsri/
There are two types of tragedies in life. One is not getting what you
want, the other is getting it.

On Wed, 17 May 2006 16:52:12 -0700 John Larson <j.d.larson at verizon.net>
writes:
> Kurt wrote:  "For the ball joints, I spray them with penetrating oil, 
> 
> then wedge a screwdriver in the slot to spread it slightly."
> 
> Audi (and Porsche, MB, and BMW) specifically warns AGAINST doing 
> this. 
> Therefore, I don't do it here at the shop.  John