[s-cars] Help with rear control arm replacement

[Sean Douglas]

Dave:

Having just gone through a complete suspension overhaul, this is still fresh 
in my mind.

Bentley refers to them as "trapezoidal arms". Have you priced out a new set? I 
hope you are sitting down :-)

The trap arms are very robust, and are coated with a rubbery-like paint to 
limit corrosion. Working on a donor set, I used a wire wheel to clean them and 
painted them with an epoxy chassis paint and installed new bushings - actually 
if you contact Gabriel, he has my old set which were in pretty good condition 
and he may sell these to you. That way you can work on them ahead of time.

Dave K's advice is spot on, I torched out the rubber and punched out the 
centre piece, then used a sawzall, and carefully cut the outer ring. Then I 
punched out the ring with a drift.

I used a press to install the new bushings - perhaps a machine shop can do 
this for you if you don't have access to one.

Also, you may want to consider reconditioning the toe-adjustment bracket at 
the rear and the front support bracket and related bushings.

Cheers,

Sean D
1997 S6





> 
> Message: 3
> Date: Wed, 09 Aug 2006 11:49:21 -0400
> From: Dave Ellis <UrS4 at sympatico.ca>
> Subject: Re: [s-cars] Help with rear control arm replacement
> To: David Kase <davekase at pdqlocks.com>
> Cc: "S-CAR at audifans.com" <S-CAR-List at audifans.com>
> Message-ID: <44DA0401.7050203 at sympatico.ca>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
> 
> I was planning on replacing the whole part since mine are looking pretty 
> sorry from 13 years of winter salt.  I gather that's easier then 
> pressing out the old bushings and pressing in new ones (specially since 
> I don't have a press).
> -Dave
> 
> 
> David Kase wrote:
> > Are you replacing the entire control arm or the bushings?
> > 
> > The bushings are a PIA to remove but there are ways...
> > 
> > I took mine, used a torch to burn the rubber out and remove the inner 
> > sleeve.  Then I used a die grinder with a rotary file to cut the outer 
> > sleeve out.
> > 
> > You have to be careful not to go through the outer sleeve and bitch up 
> > the arm itself.  You just grind a slot across the outer sleeve until it 
> > is thin the whole way across.  Then take a chisel and crush the sleeve 
> > inward.
> > 
> > Clean the hole in the control arm well, freeze the new bushings and use 
> > a vice or press to install (carefully).
> > 
> > HTH,
> > Dave Kase
> > 
> > Kent McLean wrote:
> > 
> > 
> >>Dave Ellis wrote:
> >> 
> >>
> >>
> >>>Is replacing the rear control arms do-able with only hand tools, and are 
> >>>any special tools required (Bentley manual refers to tool VW267a to 
> >>>"press joint out of crossmember")?  Any BTDT or useful hints I should be 
> >>>aware of?
> >>>   
> >>>
> >>
> >>Not having done it, I think that means it needs a hydraulic
> >>shop press to press the bushing in and out.  You may be able
> >>to jury rig something with a long bolt and some thick washers
> >>or socket wrench sockets, or try the Harbor Freight wheel
> >>bearing tool -- go to www.harborfreight.com and search for
> >>part/item number: 45210-3VGA
> >>
> >> 
> >>
> >>
> >>>Grepping through the S-car archives ...
> >>>   
> >>>
> >>
> >>Now *there* is a Unix guy. :)
> >>
> >> 
> >>
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > S-CAR-List mailing list
> > S-CAR-List at audifans.com
> > http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/s-car-list
> > 
> 
> 
>