Arnott replacement - how to do up top 18mm nut on allroad front suspension damper

[2.5TDi_AR]

How are you guys doing up the nut at the top of the allroad front suspension dampers? Looks like I could get an 18mm deep socket and cut a section out of it to drop in the allen key to stop the chrome tube from spinning as i tighten it up.

Or knock up a hex-shaped box wrench from some heavy duty pipe, cut some slots, weld it, grind it down to fit in the shock mount.

Can you MIG weld a regular chrome vanadium spanner to a deep socket? So i can use a regular allen key out of the top of the socket?

Anyone know the torque specs for the nut?

[02 A6 2.7T]

How are you guys doing up the nut at the top of the allroad front suspension dampers? Looks like I could get an 18mm deep socket and cut a section out of it to drop in the allen key to stop the chrome tube from spinning as i tighten it up.

Or knock up a hex-shaped box wrench from some heavy duty pipe, cut some slots, weld it, grind it down to fit in the shock mount.

Can you MIG weld a regular chrome vanadium spanner to a deep socket? So i can use a regular allen key out of the top of the socket?

Anyone know the torque specs for the nut?

I use a pass-through socket set ... http://www.harborfreight.com/21-piece-saemetric-go-thru-socket-set-67974.html

Nut is 60 Nm as noted here: http://elsaweb.spaghetticoder.org/doc/A.en-GB.A06.5606.29/32001433/3

[MYDWAGON]

Sears Max Access socket set works

[2.5TDi_AR]

Thanks. Looking at the images of the sockets and knowing the state of the underneath of my allroad (every nut and bolt is rusty) you would want to drive the sides as opposed to the corners, right?

60Nm? No wonder the front end rattles. The suspension struts are rattling against nuts that bolt down the shock mounts.

[MYDWAGON]

Lowes also has a Kobalt version

[julex]

Wise grip and impact wrench :).

I split couple of shocks at their hex receiver trying to tighten to required torque spec so now just using impact with blue loctite. Shock doesn't care if it is a bit scuffed from grips just below the shock mount, this is where bump stop sits and this part of shaft never enters body of shock absorber.

It is going nowhere after said and done.

[2.5TDi_AR]

The last time a friend and I tried gripping the chrome shaft with some thick leather held in an adjustable wrench, but it would just spin round. Makes perfect sense to me now to grip it below the shock mount with mole grips, dab of Loctite on the nut and zip it home.

I blame the instructions that came with the Arnott airbags. And my inability to tackle problems from another direction. I am a dinosaur.

Over the weekend i tried to replace the cracked rubber front diff mount with my high modulus polyurethane filled bush. Kinda fancy the go through ratchet and 16mm socket to get the diff mount nut off. Anyone tried to replace the diff mount and diff carrier bushes at home without a workshop press?

[AudiA4_20T]

a simple impact gun from Advance Auto parts should get it done. You can feel when it snugs down. Saves you a bunch of time as well

[julex]

If one wise locking plier is not enough, adjust it so that you cannot lock it with your hands anymore and take another grip and "help" the first one to lock. I guarantee you that it will have enough stopping power to allow the impact to do its work.

[2.5TDi_AR]

Such an elegant solution to use a pair of grips to grab the shaft. Thank you gentlemen.

Now i just hope the 88x4 o-rings are the correct size. Stupidly i squashed the oring when changing the shock mounts. Offering the new ones up to the suspension top hat it seems to fit, but compared to the replacements sold in the Audi reconditioning packs they are way too small.

[2.5TDi_AR]

Just to follow up. Got myself a go through socket set yesterday (6-19mm hex so hopefully no more rounded corners). Had a test fit and amazed at how it works. Wonderfully engineered solutions get me all excited. Saw a Touraeg V10 TDI crankshaft in a VW workshop which made my knees giddy.

[julex]

Audi original replacement kit o-ring doesn't fit on arnott spring, just FYI. It is too big, or rather arnott is smaller than OEM...

[2.5TDi_AR]

That's what i thought. The guy at Audi told me it was a direct replacement. I though i needed the shock mount, 6 new 12 point bolts, lower and upper shock o-rings, the heavy gauge metal collet, a new 18mm self locking nut and the big o-ring. 2x £75 + VAT. Daylight robbery. The Arnott's came with everything!

I'm worried about the size of the big o-ring now. Bought some 88x4 and some 80x4 o-rings. Already started soaking the pinch bolts in diesel and GT85. I don't like to rely on luck when it comes to cars and maintenance, etc. Just hope they fit. Do you have a spare top o-ring you can measure for me?

[Kentetsu]

You don't need to touch the pinch bolt to swap or repair air bags. Just unbolt the strut from the top, then crank the wheel all the way one direction (one direction for driver's side, other for passenger's side). Then you can pull the top of the strut out of the fender well to complete your repairs, with the pinch bolt still in place. :)

[julex]

That's what i thought. The guy at Audi told me it was a direct replacement. I though i needed the shock mount, 6 new 12 point bolts, lower and upper shock o-rings, the heavy gauge metal collet, a new 18mm self locking nut and the big o-ring. 2x £75 + VAT. Daylight robbery. The Arnott's came with everything!

I'm worried about the size of the big o-ring now. Bought some 88x4 and some 80x4 o-rings. Already started soaking the pinch bolts in diesel and GT85. I don't like to rely on luck when it comes to cars and maintenance, etc. Just hope they fit. Do you have a spare top o-ring you can measure for me?

No spare to measure but judging on slight difference in diameters it must be imperial inch o-ring on Arnott that doesn't exactly match up with whatever metric stuff Audi uses up there.

[2.5TDi_AR]

Just before Christmas my car started making some funny noises. Sounded to me like an idler pulley and worn camshafts (there was an odd rhythmic chirrup as the camshaft lobes ate through the case hardening and soft internal metal of the rocker arms). A mate and I pulled the rocker covers, it had lost a rocker arm on the 3rd cylinder intake side, gouged out a bit of the head where the rocker arm and thrust pad was being thrown around by the cam and there was a hefty chunk missing out of a rocker arm on the 4th cylinder intake side again. The auxiliary belt tensioner had also worked its way loose and was eating a crescent shaped groove in the plastic timing belt cover.

Luckily I caught it in time. I still need to change the glowplugs, the rocker cover and seals, give the engine a good service and show her some TLC. To top it all off, my headlights are steaming up, i have a small oil leak and due to the inactivity during Christmas my battery isn't holding charge.

The mad thing is i've rebuilt the top end 4 times so far. I was an idiot to use a garage near work. They ripped me off bigtime, charged me dealer prices for Ebay sh*t and reconditioned crap. Rebuilt the head 3 times with them. I paid for it once, and got them to pay it the 2nd and 3rd time when it kept spitting out rocker arms. And now i have just had to re-build it a 4th time. This time with genuine much better INA parts (surface treated). I am so p!ssed off.

Thanks Julex for following up. And thanks Kentetsu for the advice. I am hoping to tackle the front end as soon as the weather settles down a bit.