[s-cars] Front Suspension - Lower Pinch Bolt Question

[manuelsanchez at starpower.net]

Paul,

Thanks for the info.

I am waiting for the new nut and pinch bolt to arrive, so I had installed the ball joint into the lower strut housing in preparation, thinking the flare in the ball joint would seat things properly. Seems as though the pinch bolt is necessary to locate these pieces in the correct position, so I'll give a go that way. The other side of the car seemed to locate properly without the bolt, must have been just luck.

Regards,

Manny

95.5 urS6 Avant

---- Original message ----
>Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2010 09:06:22 -0500 (GMT-05:00)
>From: Paul Gailus <gailus at mindspring.com>  
>Subject: Re: [s-cars] Front Suspension - Lower Pinch Bolt Question  
>To: Manuel Sanchez <manuelsanchez at starpower.net>
>
>
>It's been a while since I replaced control arms so my memory is a little fuzzy. However, I believe there's a small recess on the side of the ball joint end that allows the pinch bolt to slide in. This arangement locks the ball joint end in the vertical direction using one side of the bolt. So the male end has to be pushed up the proper amount to allow the bolt to clear the recess. If your starting to interfere with the axle then it's obviously pushed in too far.
>
>Paul
>
>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Manuel Sanchez <manuelsanchez at starpower.net>
>>Sent: Oct 4, 2010 7:34 AM
>>To: s-car-list list <s-car-list at audifans.com>
>>Subject: [s-cars] Front Suspension - Lower Pinch Bolt Question
>>
>>Fellow S-heads,
>>
>>I am in the process of re-installing the hub/strut uprights back into  
>>the S6 and I have a question regarding the lower control arm ball  
>>joint with regard as to where it should be located for proper  
>>tightening.
>>
>>One one side of the car the ball joints male end is crammed into the  
>>female portion (OK,OK, this is an easy softball for your knucklehead  
>>jokes) of the strut housing upright further than the other other  
>>side. The side that is penetrating deeper (ducks and covers) would  
>>seem to interfere with the axle, in that the tip of the ball joint  
>>shaft is touching a portion of the axle. The other side of the car  
>>does not have such deep penetration. I did not pry this joint apart  
>>during removal (which does not mean that someone else did not I  
>>suppose).
>>
>>So the big question is, how far should the lower control arms  
>>balljoint shaft stick out (if at all) above the strut housing  
>>uprights joint.
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>