Struts run down

[Tow3rs]

Tomorrow I am replacing all 4 of the struts in my a4 quattro, any tips on doing this? I've heard it can be a pain in the ass. Before I start I wanted to see if anyone had any tips on making this easier/faster. Thanks

[bhusted]

You're probably going to experience more rust than I had to deal with being in NY. On the fronts, don't touch the pinch bolt. There are two rubber body plugs in the engine bay that can be removed to grant access to two 13mm nuts on the top side of the strut. If you need pictures, I can take some later today. Jack up the front and remove the sway bar links to get the suspension to droop so more. Then just undo the lower bolt on the strut where it meets the control arm. Lift the strut up a bit and slide it to the side for it to fall out the bottom between the lower control arms.

For the rear the holder for strut/spring has been known to rust out, so you may find that yours are pretty well shot. There are a couple of bolts that hold it to the inner wheel well. Disconnect the upper control arm at the upright and unbolt the lower strut mount from the control arm. Once again you may need to undo the sway bar to get some more droop out of the suspension.

[Tow3rs]

Bhusted you sir are awesome. Yeah if you get time please do post some pics. Thanks man

[bhusted]

Here's a picture of the two nuts on the top of the strut mount on the driver's side. They are in the rain tray area. Just remove the rubber plugs covering them up.