HELP: Upper control arm pinch bolt head broke off!!!

[2010A6]

What do I do now?









Sent from my iPhone 6s+ using Tapatalk

[zcspec]

From my experience removing a few pinch bolts from the B8/8.5 chassis, that pinch bolt is only held in by the other side's nut. I do not believe it's threaded inside the pinch hole.
What I would recommend that you do:

- slightly jack up the front suspension from the brake assembly
- tap on the threaded side of the pinch bolt until you feel it slightly move (you may have to raise or lower your brake assembly to relieve some pressure on that area)
- from there, you should be able to tap it completely out, with a long bolt or something that can go through the pinch bolt hole
- replace the bolt with an OEM bolt/nut or simply head to your hardware store to find a replacement to hold you over)

[LINDW4LL]

Correct; it isn't threaded. Hammer it out.

If it won't budge, you may need an air hammer. My A6 saw many WI winters, and the pinch bolt snapped both ends off when I went to remove it with an impact. I could tell it had probably never been removed before throughout the car's life. The thing would not budge even a single millimeter no matter what I tried, until I finally went and bought the air hammer. Had it out in a few minutes after that.

[sun_dance]

I once had to actually drill out the pinch bolt, since even an air hammer was useless against it... It was the biggest pita I'd ever dealt with.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[D's Avant]

Soak it with PB Blaster. Soaking it at least overnight. Tap around the bolt/upright area to maybe loosen things up. Try a punch first, then air hammer, heat, then drill it out if you have to. This will take you hours if it is really stuck. Welcome to pinch bolt hell, I've been there before with my B5.

Use some anti seize for the new one, duh.

[Mickmerr62]

What do I do now?









Sent from my iPhone 6s+ using Tapatalk

I have that very same pain today!

[2010A6]

I have that very same pain today!

Oh my friend I'm sorry to hear! Be extremely careful with how you proceed. All in all I spent over $2,300 replacing things from the first shop's attempt at getting it out via grind wheel and torch. Both sides of my front end still rattle over uneven roads like gravel or cracks in the city streets.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mickmerr62]

That sucks, I'm sorry you're having continued hassle.

The shop that has my car outsourced it to a local machine shop who told my guy they had done 5 already this year.

Penalty of living in New England methinks.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

[b6s4avantMBCA]

My friend has a method that's worked on so many pinch bolts... here in Canada with our winter and salt on the roads basically welds the bolt to the upright.

I'd go as far as if I ever buy a new audi I'd remove the bolt the day I bought it and put some anti seize on it and take it out yearly lol

You can get it out with an air hammer, pb blaster and having the nut on the end... just have someone tightening it while it's being hammered out, and torch it with minimum MAPP gas. You'll have to replace the upper control arms too. We kept cutting off threads as the bolt comes out so we diddn't get it stuck on the upright. Make sure that shop puts antiseize on the new bolt.

[Mickmerr62]

Thank you for this very helpful advice. Much appreciated.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

[2010A6]

My friend has a method that's worked on so many pinch bolts... here in Canada with our winter and salt on the roads basically welds the bolt to the upright.

I'd go as far as if I ever buy a new audi I'd remove the bolt the day I bought it and put some anti seize on it and take it out yearly lol

You can get it out with an air hammer, pb blaster and having the nut on the end... just have someone tightening it while it's being hammered out, and torch it with minimum MAPP gas. You'll have to replace the upper control arms too. We kept cutting off threads as the bolt comes out so we diddn't get it stuck on the upright. Make sure that shop puts antiseize on the new bolt.

Pretty much what I tried but I damaged the threads when I took the nut off. It got very messy lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[b6s4avantMBCA]

Pretty much what I tried but I damaged the threads when I took the nut off. It got very messy lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

yeah I could see that. They are a huge pain in the a$$. Good news is now that they are out it's much easier going forward. If the shop didn't put antiseize on it, you should when you get it back.