front lower control arm (forward) replacement

[TBone7281]

Started replacing the passenger side forward front lower control arm (the straight one). Long story short, I ended up putting it back together because I decided I would order a ball joint and replace that at the same time as well but I ran in to something that I thought I'd pose to the general masses as I'm sure someone else has to have run in to this...

I loosed the nut holding on the chassis bolt without too much issue, but where exactly is the bolt supposed to go? Before deciding that I wasn't going to fight with the ball joint in order to gently get it out, I popped that bolt out a little bit. It sure seemed like it ran into the inner tie rod. I think I could probably force it by, but it sure seems like I'm going to run a pretty high risk of damaging the boot. I did some searching and couldn't really find anything. Has no one else run in to this issue? Is there a trick to it, or is there legitimately enough room to slide the bolt out by the tie rod?


#4 in this picture...

http://www.jimellisaudiparts.com/images/parts/Audi/fullsize/620407000.jpg

[epalacios]

I'm assuming this is what you talking about! Have someone move the steering wheel and you will find a sweet spot where you can pop it out and put it back in! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181022/65ec195c4474ebd76c25485ce32a6770.jpg

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[meph137]

I’m glad you asked this question as this is something I’m going to do in the next few weeks, so would be grateful if you keep the thread updated with progress.

I assume you haven’t taken the ball joint out yet? I was surprised to see it wasn’t the same as the other control arms and that you had to purchase it separately - how easy is it to remove? Info on B8 suspension work seems hard to come by it seems, no YouTube clips that I can see either.


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[epalacios]

Once you loosen the bolt where my finger is at just use a large socket and hammer it out! You can have someone with a flathead pry the gap a little and it will come out super easy! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181022/0025b150187c469a97212f70ef7540de.jpg

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[rj124104]

The absolute easiest thing to do is get some locking pliers and lock them as close as you can to the end of the bolt then tap on the pliers with a hammer to pull it out and past the boot. I did this to both sides and it made it so much easier than anything else I tried.

[LocoLobo]

I used a large impact socket the side of the OD for the ball joint and a floor jack to remove my ball joints. Popped right out thanks to the strut pushing against it.

[meph137]

Dont suppose anyone knows who the OEM is for the ball joints? (20 in the diagram at the top of the thread). I would assume it's Lemforder, same as the arms, but it looks like the only part number I can find for Lemforder is 36899 01 which is an M12 ball joint. I can see TRW do one which is M14 which is JBJ341, but that has a blue and a red ring, as opposed to the two blue rings of the standard ball joints.

[TBone7281]

That was exactly what I was talking about for the inner control arm, thanks.

New questions:
1. I took out the pinch bolt for the bottom of the ball joint and it popped out with some mild hammering on the old control arm. But that being said, perhaps I didn't think this all the way through... do I need a press kit to install the new one? Doesn't seem like there is enough room for me to put it in by hand/hammer, even with the pinch being open. (And I don't want to pry it, either.)

2. Another interesting issue... with the old control arm out, how is the new one supposed to go in? The strut is more forward than I think it would normally be and it sure doesn't seem to want to move. I don't need to loosen the top strut mounts or anything, do I?


You would think there would be a definitive "how to" on this, but I haven't found much in my searches. The lack of information is kind of weird, coming from the Subaru community most recently.

[epalacios]

That was exactly what I was talking about for the inner control arm, thanks.

New questions:
1. I took out the pinch bolt for the bottom of the ball joint and it popped out with some mild hammering on the old control arm. But that being said, perhaps I didn't think this all the way through... do I need a press kit to install the new one? Doesn't seem like there is enough room for me to put it in by hand/hammer, even with the pinch being open. (And I don't want to pry it, either.)

2. Another interesting issue... with the old control arm out, how is the new one supposed to go in? The strut is more forward than I think it would normally be and it sure doesn't seem to want to move. I don't need to loosen the top strut mounts or anything, do I?


You would think there would be a definitive "how to" on this, but I haven't found much in my searches. The lack of information is kind of weird, coming from the Subaru community most recently.All I did was use a thick flat head screw screwdriver to open the gap for a quick second or two and put some washers in between the gap to keep the hole wide enough for me to place the new ball joint. I lightly hammered it in with a rubber mallet. The lower control arms take a lit bit of playing around with to get it in. I lightly tighten it on the wheel housing side, had my brother move the wheel housing around and got the long bolt near the boot in.

Note that I took out the struts/coil/strut housing out because I was replacing them too so it made my life incredibly easier to move the wheel housing. And the C shape control arm was also loose on both sides as well.

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[TBone7281]

All I did was use a thick flat head screw screwdriver to open the gap for a quick second or two and put some washers in between the gap to keep the hole wide enough for me to place the new ball joint. I lightly hammered it in with a rubber mallet. The lower control arms take a lit bit of playing around with to get it in. I lightly tighten it on the wheel housing side, had my brother move the wheel housing around and got the long bolt near the boot in.

Note that I took out the struts/coil/strut housing out because I was replacing them too so it made my life incredibly easier to move the wheel housing. And the C shape control arm was also loose on both sides as well.

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Yeah, the more I look at it, the more I realize there isn't room to get a press in there anyway. I'd literally have to take everything off of the steering knuckle. I wonder if it's possible to do this with the ball joint already installed on the control arm. I'd be able to torque it correctly then. I don't think there is enough room otherwise. No room to get my torque wrench under the axle to get to the ball joint nut.

[TBone7281]

I did a write up on this if anyone needs to do this in the future:

https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/832341-DIY-Front-Lower-Control-Arm-(forward)