Who got your pinch bolts out and what did it cost..

[LJH]

So it is time for me to do CA's, when I did my Coil Overs a couple months back I tried to get the pinch bolts out using every method talked about short of drilling them. For those of you that have broken down and had the pinch bolts removed by a pro who did you take it to and what did they charge you.


Cheers,
Jim

[espo4442]

So it is time for me to do CA's, when I did my Coil Overs a couple months back I tried to get the pinch bolts out using every method talked about short of drilling them. For those of you that have broken down and had the pinch bolts removed by a pro who did you take it to and what did they charge you.


Cheers,
Jim

Let them marinate in pb blaster for a good bit you shouldn't have that much trouble after that

[2k1audiS4]

So it is time for me to do CA's, when I did my Coil Overs a couple months back I tried to get the pinch bolts out using every method talked about short of drilling them. For those of you that have broken down and had the pinch bolts removed by a pro who did you take it to and what did they charge you.


Cheers,
Jim

The Incredible hulk did mine, still took him about an hour to get them out.

No j/k, I would say that if you take it to anywhere else other then a audi dealer/perf shop they would have no idea what they are getting themselves into.

[mholme]

So it is time for me to do CA's, when I did my Coil Overs a couple months back I tried to get the pinch bolts out using every method talked about short of drilling them. For those of you that have broken down and had the pinch bolts removed by a pro who did you take it to and what did they charge you.


Cheers,
Jim

I'd keep fighting with it yourself. I asked Induktion, a local shop that knows these cars, what they would charge me to do it:

"Well, we charge 89 dollars an hour..soooo...however long it takes us to get it out.."

[Papachristou]

mine came out without too much trouble Stern adjustable control arms rock!

[2.7avant]

I actually hammered a flat head screwdriver into the split which opened it up enough for me to get them out and back in without much trouble.

[LJH]

Let them marinate in pb blaster for a good bit you shouldn't have that much trouble after that

They are well marinated, soaked them down once a week with BP Blaster for 7 months. Those babies are in there.


I may have one more go at them, but I am not holding my breath.


Cheers,
Jim

[mholme]

Keep at it. I was ready to cry when I finally got it. I hate being defeated by bolts..

[s42k5b]

mine came out without too much trouble Stern adjustable control arms rock!

Dont mean to thread jack but im going to. How do you like your stern's. I'm considering them over oem ones.

[obijohn22]

Have you tried an air chisel with a blunt end? Also, i just had mine off last weekend, i have aluminum uprights so i'm sure that makes a difference. But i had trouble and used a LARGE pair of channel locks opened all the way with a 2.5" long 1/4" drive rachet extension inserted into the hole then used the channel locks as kind of a C-clamp to push up on the socket extension. Worked good for me. I hope that made sense... good luck.

[jutny]

pinchbolts... thread a nut on, heat the FUCK out of the bolt and upright, and use a BFH* with sharp, hard, precise hits., as with anything rusted stuck.

tell me more about these stern adjustable arms... do they still use a rubber(suck) bushing on the inboard mount?

those bushings are the first to go for me every time, and that way on every audi i've worked on (many). I'd be game for non-adjustable arms if only we could do away with the rubber suck-bushings. New upper control arms less than every 10k mi. is fucking stupid.


*BFH- big fucking hammer.

[mholme]

pinchbolts... thread a nut on, heat the FUCK out of the bolt and upright, and use a BFH* with sharp, hard, precise hits., as with anything rusted stuck.

How's that work, threading a nut on?

[djwimbo]

Step #:
1. Remove nut, and along the bore that the bolt travels through hit with a hammer
2. Take a chisel and try to separate the "pinched" area slightly.
3. If you have an Air Hammer, use it to push the bolt through, if not, thread the nut back on so it's almost flush with the end of the bolt and hammer.
4. Get a punch to drive it out the rest of the way, or use the Air Hammer on the head of the bolt from an angle. It will pull out.

If the above method doesn't work, you either need:
A) more balls
B) A bigger hammer
c) some Penetrating oil (no not your KY)
D) To give up, and accept that a technician can do upper control arms in 15mins/side and you shouldn't be working on your car.
E) find said technician and pay him some $$ under the table to come over and show you how it's done.

[AudiHolicS4]

i think an air hammer is the best way to work it out of there like they said let it soak have a buddy get on the head of the bolt with a socket and turn it while you hammering that bitch.... it worked for me it took about 3 hours a side but it got them out

[djwimbo]

How's that work, threading a nut on?

It protects the end of the bolt from mushrooming out (like the end of a punch). That would prevent the bolt from being able to be removed, thus increasing the difficulty of the task.



EDIT: I did my right side in 45 mins(total) and I had to remove the entire spindle from the car and put it in a vice. Add heat and an Air Hammer, and both ends of the bolt were broken off Head and Nut.

[espo4442]

Ok wait can you get the nut off? If you can get the nut off but not pull the bolt out just get another bolt that has a smaller diameter and use a hammer to punch it out.

[mholme]

It protects the end of the bolt from mushrooming out (like the end of a punch). That would prevent the bolt from being able to be removed, thus increasing the difficulty of the task.



EDIT: I did my right side in 45 mins(total) and I had to remove the entire spindle from the car and put it in a vice. Add heat and an Air Hammer, and both ends of the bolt were broken off Head and Nut.

Hmm, didn't try that way. I ended up snapping the head off and having to work it out similarly to do this:

http://www.passatworld.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=233225

Apparently that didn't work for the OP either but I was able to pound it out after the bolt actually started turning.

[djwimbo]

Hmm, didn't try that way. I ended up snapping the head off and having to work it out similarly to do this:

http://www.passatworld.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=233225

Apparently that didn't work for the OP either but I was able to pound it out after the bolt actually started turning.

That's a good DIY, unfortunately I didn't have that for an option.

I stand corrected, the head was busted off when I bought the car. I tried to remove the nut, or turn the bolt and it broke the nut off.

I took a pic before I broke it. I realize that some of the people viewing this thread have aluminum spindles, but the process is the same for removal.

[highPSI-S4]

The HELL with those bolts

[jutny]

It protects the end of the bolt from mushrooming out (like the end of a punch). That would prevent the bolt from being able to be removed, thus increasing the difficulty of the task.

exactly. what it does is allow you to beat the hell out of the bolt directly in the direction it needs to go. (rather than having to use a punch or some such other nonsense) Combined with heat and an accurate and strong striking hand (with hammer) i've never had too much drama.

definitely a good idea to buy spares beforehand though. Lightly coat them with anti-seize (the purple or silver) to help keep it from being quite so hard the next time. 'Cause there will be a next time.

btw djwimbo, might wanna look into some new tires, those look pretty well beat and pretty mediocre to begin with. A proper set of tires on these cars makes more difference than any other single mod.

cussing helps lots too

[MacDaddy]

I didn't have any trouble with mine, but if i did, i would soak it then impact it (the nut). if it broke off, its air hammer time.

If a bolt is going to break theirs nothing you can do about it, but if its marginal, an impact is more likeley not the break it than a wrench because the impact hammers on it and the wrench twists it.

[joules]

I removed mine in the form of metal shavings. Drilled them, and am convinced that there was no other way for the ones I had. Cost: The better part of a weekend that I will never be able to get back...

[mholme]

I didn't have any trouble with mine, but if i did, i would soak it then impact it (the nut). if it broke off, its air hammer time.

The nut is usually not the problem, it's the bolt itself. I was able to get the nut off without any issues. I used air on the bolt but it didn't budge, that's when I went and did something stupid and twisted off the head with a wrench. Oh well, live and learn.

[mtroxel]

Cost: The better part of a weekend that I will never be able to get back...

But you're a real man now joules.

I used to think all the talk about the pinch bolt meant I was better than all you guys. I've done Cntrl Arms about 11ty billion times, never had a problem. Till last Sept. I did it all. Even pulled the top of the hub carrier out of the fender and put a huge F'n vice on it. Two days of that and I went out and found a used hub carrier. That did it. When that thing is bad, it's really bad.

[vdub203]

jus bought a new knuckle tonight cause my bolt broke and fucked mine up

[2001S4NY]

i usually do it within 1-2 hours depending on the bolt :D

[MacDaddy]

The nut is usually not the problem, it's the bolt itself. I was able to get the nut off without any issues. I used air on the bolt but it didn't budge, that's when I went and did something stupid and twisted off the head with a wrench. Oh well, live and learn.

Air hammer the bolt out, or i soak it and work the bolt back and forth to try and free it, or a combination of all three.

high-heat would work like a hot knife through butter.

[okkim]

This is the best way, definitely! I have use it many time (with all the other not so good ones) and it it the fastest and saves you from bossible drilling if you hammer the threaded end twisted and it cracks when you hassle with the bolt.

http://www.passatworld.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=233225

[mtroxel]

I've done that one ^^^^. You don't even need the coupling. If you can get the nut off, grease up the threads, put a washer on the bolt and put the nut back on. Now tighten the nut and sometimes it will move the bolt enough that you can pound it back out from the other side.

[LJH]

When that thing is bad, it's really bad.

Amen....Brother. I have tried everything except heat as I did not want to ruin my CA's but now that I am at that stage so the next go around will involve heat.

I am really shocked how stuck these things are, the car has always been in the NE but every other bolt on the car has come off easily....so far at least.


I hate the pinch bolts.


Cheers,
Jim

[veggiemonster]

pinchbolts... thread a nut on, heat the FUCK out of the bolt and upright, and use a BFH* with sharp, hard, precise hits., as with anything rusted stuck.

tell me more about these stern adjustable arms... do they still use a rubber(suck) bushing on the inboard mount?

those bushings are the first to go for me every time, and that way on every audi i've worked on (many). I'd be game for non-adjustable arms if only we could do away with the rubber suck-bushings. New upper control arms less than every 10k mi. is fucking stupid.


*BFH- big fucking hammer.

omg never ever heat a load-suspension piece, and never proceed to hit it then. bad idea. you change the temper of the metal and you hit the shit out of it making it brittle.

i'd rather have bent control arms than ones that snapped in half

[wdbdy2000s4]

I think they are replacing the control arms and that's why they are taking out the pinch bolts. Since these control arms are probably junk already the heat won't really matter.

[Papachristou]

Dont mean to thread jack but im going to. How do you like your stern's. I'm considering them over oem ones.

i am very happy with them, my car was eating tires like a fat guy at a chinese buffet. (24" fender height )

also you can "feel" the road so much more. the stern use a steel rod and ball instead of the OEM rubber bushing, its hard to explain but you do have to pay more attention to what you are doing but when you want to turn, the car just falls in sync like a fighter jet...

i was getting some popping noises but i found out audi had positioned them they were twisted all the way over (during the alignment), i set them straight where they have full flexibility to move around and no more noises now

[mholme]

Air hammer the bolt out, or i soak it and work the bolt back and forth to try and free it, or a combination of all three.

high-heat would work like a hot knife through butter.

Air hammer didn't work, neither did a torch..It soaked for days..I tried everything before having to get creative...

[S4 in_lowplaces]

Took me a day to get it out. After putting the car together i went for a test drive around the block. Axle popped out of its joint and i was stuck in front of one of my neighbors house. DIdnt have a compressor for the air hammer. So i put a socket onto the nut, and started tightening it till i broke off the threaded end of the bolt. Grabed a huge chissel that looks like an ice pick and started hammering the broken off part as to push the bolt out. PB blaster didnt do anything so i bought some other stuff, kinda worked. then i took a flathead and started picking away at the bolt head, so i can try and get inbetween the bolt and pinch area. it worked, then i just hammered away for about 3 hours the nest day and it came out.

[mtroxel]

I have yet to hear of someone who got that bolt with heat. When you heat that knuckle, you have to heat about 30 pounds of steel. By the time the whole knuckle is heated up, so is the bolt.

Anyone ever get that bolt with heat or is it just the standard advice?

[Papachristou]

BTW yes the sterns still have a rubber mount with steel liner on the inboard mount that mounts but its much stiffer than my old CAs (new perhaps) but on the outside on the two pieces that are secured by the pinch bolt use metal rods of course seated in a metal race/bearing type deal instead of the OEM rubber