[s-cars] Looking for BTDTs...
Paul Heneghan
paul at heneghan.co.uk
Tue Jun 24 19:07:46 PDT 2008
Hello Steve,
I did this two weeks ago. The car is a 1995 S6 Avant (UK spec) at 137K
miles. LH front wheel bearing had been rumbling for two years and was now
making a shocking amount of noise. I kept meaning to get around to it, but
just didn't have time. Then, three weeks ago, the LH front shock absorber
failed suddenly, and the car was undrivable.
I bought the following parts from VAG Parts (they obtain them directly from
Germany):
4A0 407 643 A outer CV shouldered bolt
2 ?4.11 ?8.22
N 021 199 3 front stabilizer end nut M16x1,5
2 ?0.84 ?1.68
N 021 191 6 (N 906 350 01) front stabilizer inner mount nut M12x1.5
4 ?0.30 ?1.20
4A0 411 327 J front inner stabilizer bushings 28 mm
2 ?6.75 ?13.50
N 904 563 02 subframe bushing bolt rear M12x1,5x150x60
2 ?1.72 ?3.44
N 906 350 01 tie rod nut M12x1,5
2 ?0.32 ?0.64
N 909 488 02 self-locking bolt M14x1,5x35 (front caliper)
4 ?1.02 ?4.08
4A0 413 031 K (4A0 413 031 L) gas shocks (sports)
2 ?82.06 ?164.12
445 412 131 front shock bump stop
2 ?10.06 ?20.12
431 412 175 D front shock dust boots
2 ?11.51 ?23.02
431 412 389 B cap for boot
2 ???.?? ???.??
4A0 412 249 axial grooved ball bearing (spring top
bearing) 2 ?9.45 ?18.90
N 011 184 9 hexagon nut, self locking M8 (strut mount to
body) 6 ?0.16 ?0.96
N 021 195 5 hexagon nut, self locking M10 (camber adjust)
6 ?0.27 ?1.62
N 022 150 6 front shock top nut M14
2 ?0.47 ?0.94
N 034 778 4 control arm ball joint pinch bolt
2 ?0.83 ?1.66
N 102 861 02 control arm ball joint pinch nut M10
2 ?0.20 ?0.40
(Numbers in brackets are the replacement parts VAG suggested - the L shock
is actually the one for the AEC engine)
I had already bought these parts from German Swedish French/Euro Car Parts:
4A0 407 151 track control arm (left)
1 ?29.50 ?29.50
4A0 407 152 track control arm (right)
1 ?29.50 ?29.50
4A0 412 377 C strut bearing (top mount)
2 ?21.00 ?42.00
4A0 498 625 wheel bearing (82mm O.D. 43/45mm I.D.)
2 ?18.50 ?37.00
Total spent on parts: just over ?400.
I also bought the following tools from CCW:
Sealey VS7020 - Wheel Bearing Removal Tool Kit
?103.73
3 x Sealey VS7021.04 - M14 Hub Screw ?15.09
Sealey AK5536 - Spline Bit Socket Extra Long M10 x 800mm 1/2" Sq Drive
?11.12
Sealey SX041 - Injector Socket 22 x 100mm
?9.25
After I finished this job, (and as I have another car to do), I ordered the
shock absorber cap removal tool - the 2069A at ?21. I had to make do with
an enormous Stilson Wrench.
Follow the Bentley manual and
http://www.sjmautotechnik.com/trouble_shooting/susp.html. If you have the
2069A, you can easily replace the shocks without taking the struts out, and
if you mark the position of the top strut mount, your camber should be
unaffected. If you haven't got the 2069A, then you might be able to undo
the strut cap by reaching through the turns of the coils with a BIG Stilson.
I removed the struts as I wanted to inspect everything and replace all the
worn bits.
I have always struggled with prising the lower ball joint out of the pinch
clamp at the bottom of the strut and getting it back in again afterwards. I
don't even bother wasting time on this any more; I just undo the inner
stabilizer bar mountings, and that takes all the tension out of the system
and everything gets so much easier. I still had to use a jack between the
TCA and the strut to pop the shaft out of the pinch clamp.
The simplest way of putting the inner mountings back on again, is to use a
jack which presses against the back of the wheel arch, and pushes the strut
forward. This can be done on each side in turn.
Undoing the stabilizer bar inner mountings can be tricky. You've got to
stop the bolt heads spinning, and they're recessed into the sub frame.
Three of them can be held in place using a socket (19mm I think) on a T-bar.
The fourth (front left or front right - I can't remember which) has
virtually no clearance above it, so I wedged a 19mm crows foot spanner down
the recess, and that just about gripped enough to allow loosening and
tightening the nut. The replacement nuts may be a different size from the
originals, by the way.
Follow the recommendations about loosening and tightening certain rubber
bushings with the weight on the wheels, otherwise, the rubber will be
stressed when the car is in its 'normal' position and will fail early.
I don't know whether it is possible to remove and replace the track control
arms on their own, but you'll certainly have difficulty with all three
stages:
1. removing the stabilizer bar end from the TCA. Without undoing the inner
stabilizer mounting, this is really difficult to do.
2. removing the ball joint shaft from the pinch clamp on the bottom of the
strut. Again, undoing the inner stabilizer mounting makes this much easier.
3. removing the inner end of the TCA from the subframe. There are some
aluminium sleeves that go between the bolt and the bushing, and you can't
pull the TCA out without removing this sleeve. I tried QSHIPQ's trick of
putting a small notch (about 1mm) in the end of a bar, putting the bar
through the sleeve, gripping the bar with a vice grips and then tapping the
vice grips to pull the sleeve downwards. If you can't follow this
description, then order one of the sleeves (4A0 399 413 A - they're not
expensive) so you can fabricate a removal tool that fits perfectly.
I decided that the inner stabilizer mounting bushes and the tie rod ends
were OK (I think they're original), so I didn't replace them.
Here are a few minor problems I had along the way.
On the UK spec cars (314x30 disks), the front M14 caliper-mounting bolts are
really difficult to undo. They're done up to a very high torque (125Nm?),
and after 12 years, they corrode into place. They are also serrated which
gives them even more grip. I presumed they were 19mm, and split a socket on
the first one. It turns out that they're 18mm, but the replacements are
different (can't remember what). There are quite a few funny sizes in this
part of the suspension - I also came across some 16mm bolts/nuts - rear
subframe and pinch bolt/nut I think. Again, I think the replacements may
have been a different size.
I had to use a floor jack pressing up on a 400mm 3/4" extension to get
enough torque to undo these caliper mounting bolts. I don't think I could
have done it if I hadn't removed the axles first.
On the LHS, the inner aluminium collar in the strut top mounting had
corroded/welded itself to the shock absorber shaft. I used a LOT of force
and had no success in removing it. In the end, I had to use a gear puller
and pull the mounting off the shock. This destroyed the mounting which was
probably in no great shape anyway. I then had to grind two slots near the
base of the aluminium collar that remained stuck on the shaft, and use the
gear puller to pull it off. I couldn't have done this if the strut had been
in the car.
I noticed one brake hose had some splitting where it went into the caliper.
When I tried to replace it, I found that the nut had seized on the pipe.
There was no way it would turn, and in the end, I sheared it off. I then
had several unsuccessful attempts at flaring the aluminium pipe before I had
one good enough to trust.
The good news is that with new shocks, new outer stabilizer bushings, new
track control arms, new bearings, new disks and new pads, it's transformed
the car. I don't need to slow down for corners any more!
If you have any specific problems/questions, email me while it's still fresh
in my mind!
Paul
press
and then
-----Original Message-----
Message: 1
Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:24:38 -0500
From: "Young, Steve" <sryoung at trane.com>
Subject: [s-cars] Looking for BTDTs...
I have to change front inner track (control) arm bushings and strut inserts
on my wife's 97 A6Q this weekend. I have found nothing except Chris Rich's
write-up on the struts. Does anyone have anything more that would be useful
or any BTDTs I should watch out for? TIA
Regards,
Steven Young
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