[s-cars] Adventures in C4 control arm & strut replacement..

[Vincent Frégeac]

Ditto on lowering the rear of subframe. Dropping the subframe makes it
really accessible and is fairly easy but putting back the subframe is a real
pain with only 2 hands (BTDT a long time ago). Your back will thank you if
you just lower the subframe enough to access the bolt ;-)


Vincent

2011/4/10 Peter Schulz <p.schulz at verizon.net>

> Spent Saturday at my friend Mike S, doing something that was relatively
> easy on both my former 1991 200q20v Wagons...not so with an S6 Avant...
>
> Tackled the control arm and front strut replacement on the Silver Avant
> which included a pair of powder coated struts from Brian Weldon, S6 pus
> springs, Bilstein sports, new bearings and oem top mounts.
> Drilled approximately 1/4 inch hole in bottom of strut housings per
> Bilstein for drainage.
>
> Thoughts....
> #$!#!#@!#! New England salted roads and ABS sensors...
> Had to torch one out in order to get the  brass cage, luckily my friend
> Mike gave me a pair of used sensors.
>
> Next @#!@#! - removing the control arm ball joint from the strut housing...
> Mike and I bent his 6 foot pry bar and had to resort to sliding a piece of
> pipe over it to pop the ball joints...definitely a two man job, and not for
> someone weighing less than 200lbs.
>
> Found a neat way for removing the metal bushing from the control arms.
> Remove the control arm/subframe bolt, get an old wheel bolt, large washer,
> and thread it into the bottom of the collar.  Use a pry bar against the
> washer and the bushing should come out of the subframe.
>
> Final @!#@! - driver side control arm bolt did not want to come out. Met
> alot of resistance with a 18inch breaker bar, so I decided to not replace
> that control arm for fear of snapping the bolt.  Installed the powdercoated
> strut housing, tightened everything up, and headed home..what was Audi
> thinking when they eliminated a separate subframe & control arm bolt....the
> type 44 design was much better for R&R
>
> Need to get all the torque specs from Bentley today and check every
> fastener, and schedule an alignment.
>
> Impressions on the ride home...much firmer ride with the Bilsteins and S6+
> springs - no wonder the stock springs and Boge struts had 168k miles on
> them.  (I replaced the rear struts & springs already)
>
> Something I need to tackle soon however, is that control arm/subframe bolt.
> Any advice on extraction, other that cutting a hole in the inner fender to
> access bolt end?  Its a matter of time for having to replace that control
> arm as the ball joint is looser than a new one.
>
>
>
> -Peter Schulz
> Chelmsford Ma, USA
> http://www.naaclub.org/
>
> 1995.5 S6 Avant Emerald/Ecru
> 1995.5 S6 Avant Silver/Platinum
> 1991 90Q 20v Q Red
> 1991 90Q 20v Indigo
> 1991 CQ silver  (eS2 recipient)
>
>
>
>
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