How to remove S4 Avant rear side bolsters behind passenger seat??

[Lear70]

OK, I have two questions actually.

I have the rear side bolsters removed EXCEPT for the latching pawls that the rear seat backs lock into with the latch.

There's an allen head socket on the outside edge which cannot be turned (I've nearly stripped it out with good tools with an impact wrench, no dice) and at the base of it there's a nut (suspected 16mm, can't tell) that my deep well sockets won't fit over deep enough to reach and I can't find 6" long sockets.

So I'm just about ready to cut these things off with a cutting wheel down to where I can get a deep well onto the socket head, but before I do I thought I'd ask if ANYONE knows how to remove these in an easier way? I've searched around but no real answers on that particular bolt for this year model that are easy to find.

Gotta love Audi, always making things harder than it needs to be.

Also, any special tricks to getting the seat backs themselves off? There's not an easy way to get a tool on the allen head bolts that appear to hold them in.

Anyone?

Thanks!

[rdcyclist]

Yeah, Audi doesn't make things easy back there. The following is all IIRC: First of all to get the seat backs out, the center hinge is bolted to the pan with 6mm allens. I think it was four of 'em. Same thing on the sides. I used an "L" wrench with a cheater to get the side ones. Those latches use the 16mm (who in the fuck told the Krauts it was OK to start using 16 and 18mm fasteners? I am seriously displeased.) nuts as jam nuts. I just used a box end wrench on them and it all came off easy-peasy. I was lucky in that I got the 16mm Snap-On wrench in an eBay lot of tools I bought 15 years ago. Otherwise it would've been the metric Crescent wrench.

You're gonna have a blast with the rear paneling. Work slowly and try not to fuck it up. It's worth decent money for the guys that busted theirs up removing it. Start at the back and work forward after you get the bolsters off.

Have a ball...

[Lear70]

I can't get a metric set of wrenches on over the nut but inside the plastic.

F*** it, I'm going to take a cutting wheel to the long part of the pawl and just put a socket over it tomorrow. Not keeping the pawls anyway, it's a parts car I'm taking these off to sell. lol

Thanks,