[s-cars] Removing Springs/Strut **Without** removing Strut/wheel bearing Housing

[Mark Pollan]

I started it so...

WRT the S6, I have performed very few operations so I am quite the neophyte.
My S6 wrenching is limited to brakes, rear diff oil seal and tune-up stuff.

That said, I have been all up and down and around my '86 5KCSTQ (currently
329K miles).  I replaced all the rubber parts (subframe bushings, motor
mounts, trans mounts, control arm bushings, a-arm bushings) wheel bearings,
cv joints, blah blah blah.  All require varying degrees of invasiveness.

New control arms?  No need to take **everything** apart, IMO.  They bolt
to/in subframe on one end and have the ball joint on the other that need to
be popped out of the strut housing.  But you got that durn sway bar

Sway bar bushings?  You got two different ones here.  The bushings
securing/isolating the sway bar to/from the subframe and the end bushing
that secures/isolates to/from the control arm.  Again, no need to take
**everything** apart here - IMO.  The absolute PITA was compressing the sway
bar to get it secured to the control arm.  I put one end in, loosely
secured, and made a "tourniquet" out of some dock line and a sawed off
shovel handle.  One end on the end of the sway bar and one end secured
somewhere (can't remember where).  About 10 or so turns on the "tourniquet"
and the sway bar was compressed sufficiently to allow me to slip it into the
hole in the control arm.  Car on jack stands, me on my back.  Did I say this
was a PITA.

So...about them them springs and struts?  Next in line please.

Regards,

Mark

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	s-car-list-admin at audifans.com [mailto:s-car-list-admin at audifans.com]
On Behalf Of Rich Assarabowski
Sent:	Thursday, January 16, 2003 8:10 PM
To:	mark.pollan at wcom.com; s-car-list at audifans.com
Subject:	RE: [s-cars] Removing Springs/Strut **Without** removing
Strut/wheel bearing Housing

Actually this may be a good opportunity to poll the list on what exactly
IS the best way to replace the struts and springs.  I'm planning on
doing this once the weather warms up a bit, I know there are others who
are equally vague on the procedure (step-by-step) of pulling everything
apart and putting it back together.  My plan is to put on new control
arms and new sway bar bushings as well.  Has anyone ever replaced
subframe bushings, is it worth doing on a 90K car?  Anyone try the 2B
camber plates yet??

Who's first?

-- Rich Assarabowski
   '93 S4 (still floating on OEM suspension)


>Thanks Eric.  I really hate mucking with the front sway bar mounts and
that damn ball joint on the control arm is >for me like sticking a wet
noodle into a key hole.  I probably just opened a whole new bikini
thread with that
>one. Hey a four ring bikini, kinda like this OooO, where the two small
rings hold the large rings together and the
>larger rings, ah crap never mind.



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