Transverse link, rear, casmber bolt frozen

[mtroxel]

Need to get car aligned before winter tires. Left rear camber bolt is rusted to bushing in transverse link. Seems my options are:

1. Cut bolt, change bushing in place. Seems tough to me. Anyone?

2. Remove transverse link.

Bentley says I have to remove subframe to get the inside bolt. Does "remove" mean remove? Or can I just loosen bolts and pry it down?

.

Do I really have to drop the subframe? If you look at these pics, it looks like the bolt might slide forward (once I figure out the size of the nut hiding up there.....is it a 22mm?)

[Denio24]

Dang those rear subframes are always a pain. When i did mine i had to drop the subframe. The outer eccentric i had to use a hack saw because the bushing was seized, and the inner bolt would not budge. I also had to weld the press fit nut on the inner link because it would spin with the bolt.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

[mtroxel]

Thanks for the reply Denio.......I think.

So you didn't just pry the sub-frame down, you dropped it out of the car?

[Okedokey]

Try getting it out, I am pretty sure I did this recently and it does come out without lowering the sub. Just put a jack under the arm so it doesn't prevent the bolt from being able to be removed.

[mtroxel]

I just took a better look at it at my buddy's lift. I see what Denio is saying about welding that nut on the inner bolt. You can't get a socket around it because it's too close to the rest of the sub-frame. Thank you Mr. Audi.

[Denio24]

Yep the rear is truly a pain, but once you get to it, not really that bad. Many people manage to take the inner bolt out with a wrench or at least loosen it so the control arm can move, but alot of times the press fit nut just moves with the bolt. In that case you would have to drop the subframe and just do the necessary repairs. Honestly all you need is a floor jack to drop the subframe. FYI for clarification to anyone else reading: the inner bolt on the upper control arm doesnt adjust camber, only the outer, but when adjusting the camber it helps if both inner and outer bolts are loosened.

I had a writeup from another forum that is no longer running, so I tried posting that go the DIY section here but the mods never approved it. Ill upload to photobucket on this thread and you can use that as a reference.

[mtroxel]

Yep the rear is truly a pain, but once you get to it, not really that bad. Many people manage to take the inner bolt out with a wrench or at least loosen it so the control arm can move, but alot of times the press fit nut just moves with the bolt. In that case you would have to drop the subframe and just do the necessary repairs. Honestly all you need is a floor jack to drop the subframe. FYI for clarification to anyone else reading: the inner bolt on the upper control arm doesnt adjust camber, only the outer, but when adjusting the camber it helps if both inner and outer bolts are loosened.

I had a writeup from another forum that is no longer running, so I tried posting that go the DIY section here but the mods never approved it. Ill upload to photobucket on this thread and you can use that as a reference.

When you talk about the "press fit nut", are you saying the nut on the inner bolt is self-holding? I can't get a good enough look at it (best view I can get is with my cheekbone against the muffler) but that would make some sense. So if I'm lucky, I wouldn't have to hold that nut, just back out the inner bolt?

[Denio24]

It is supposed to be press fit but it rusts out and loosens. There are actually slight straight edges for a socket to hold on to it but usually it is so rusted it is rounded out as well. Some people have tried holding onto it with vise grips with success. I think if you take off the subframe bolts on the side you are working on you may be able to loosen the inner link. Just use some penetrant for the bolt.

[Denio24]

This was the DIY when euroaddiction forum was still up. Original writeup creds go to dougyfresh, I only edited and made it look nice.

[mtroxel]

Thanks Denio. I saw a link to that but couldn't get there. So that's what you mean by a "pressed nut." So it looks like I should soak mine in PB, then try it. If that nut spins, I'm dead.

[mtroxel]

I soaked the threads that stick out of the bolt for a few days. Last night I loosened the bolt a couple turns. Took lots of torque, even after it broke lose but that pressed nut held. So, new traverse arm is on the way and then I'll cut it out and replace.

By the way, I took a closer read on the directions above to remove the rear suspension. I think they left out a very important step. There's nothing about compressing the springs...in fact they aren't even mentioned!!!!!!!!!

[mtroxel]

Tried to remove the inner bolt today after a week of soaking it in PB. The nut turns. So the sub-frame has to come out.

Only thing that looks tough is the springs. If I raise the right front as high as I can, shouldn't I be able to put a compressor tool on the left rear spring and it's compressed enough to remove?

[Denio24]

Tried to remove the inner bolt today after a week of soaking it in PB. The nut turns. So the sub-frame has to come out.

Only thing that looks tough is the springs. If I raise the right front as high as I can, shouldn't I be able to put a compressor tool on the left rear spring and it's compressed enough to remove?

You don't need to compress the springs or anything. When I dropped the subframe I don't worry about the springs I just back out the subframe bolts slowly with a jack and some wood supporting the frame/diff.

[mtroxel]

You don't need to compress the springs or anything. When I dropped the subframe I don't worry about the springs I just back out the subframe bolts slowly with a jack and some wood supporting the frame/diff.

I had kicked that around in my head. But I always imagined a fight to get the suspension jacked back up with the springs in place. It's not a problem?

[Denio24]

I had kicked that around in my head. But I always imagined a fight to get the suspension jacked back up with the springs in place. It's not a problem?

Not really. Just a little bit of going back and forth to set the springs in place and jacking up the frame a little bit more, then going back to see if they are still in place.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

[Tsinsta93]

2020 and this job hasn't gotten any easier. My subframe is lowered but not removed yet. My 18mm socket is digging into the bolt and seems like it wants to round it so waiting on the PB blaster to soak and then probably gonna heat it and hope that nut doesn't spin. Thanks for the info though

[Jayz691]

2020 and this job hasn't gotten any easier. My subframe is lowered but not removed yet. My 18mm socket is digging into the bolt and seems like it wants to round it so waiting on the PB blaster to soak and then probably gonna heat it and hope that nut doesn't spin. Thanks for the info though

Fyi, the nut is gonna spin. Its a press fit nut, not welded in place like some think. I lowered the subframe down a few inches, and got a small pipe wrench on the nut to hold. Make sure to buy new hardware. Loosen opposite side subframe bolts, remove the side your working on, and lower down with a jack. Give yourself room. And should have new subframe bolts. I did all my arms, with all new hardware, nice now

Sent from my LM-G710VM using Audizine Forum mobile app

[Tsinsta93]

Fyi, the nut is gonna spin. Its a press fit nut, not welded in place like some think. I lowered the subframe down a few inches, and got a small pipe wrench on the nut to hold. Make sure to buy new hardware. Loosen opposite side subframe bolts, remove the side your working on, and lower down with a jack. Give yourself room. And should have new subframe bolts. I did all my arms, with all new hardware, nice now

Sent from my LM-G710VM using Audizine Forum mobile app

Yep ordered hardware to replace and also using the unilateral lowering approach. As expected it spun and I think some dirty threads hung it up. Even with a very good hold on the press nut I couldn't turn the bolt any further with a breaker. So I ground through the nut until it finally broke free. One side out, now to remove the other while I wait for the bolts to arrive. I will be glad when this is done!