Rear wheel bearings: do I really need to drop the rear control arm?

[Norskie]

I'm replacing the rear wheel bearings. The lower triple square bolts are partially blocked by the lower control arm. Do I really need to drop the control arm to get a tool on them?

[Norskie]

I found my answer: Yes. And that means the rear spring needs to come out, which means dropping the rear subframe, and then having an alignment to put it all back together again when done. What a PITA. Typical Audi; what should be a simple 1-2 hour job turns into 12 hours, $150 in parts, and $140 for an alignment.

[20vturbo]

I found my answer: Yes. And that means the rear spring needs to come out, which means dropping the rear subframe, and then having an alignment to put it all back together again when done. What a PITA. Typical Audi; what should be a simple 1-2 hour job turns into 12 hours, $150 in parts, and $140 for an alignment.

This is so stupid. There is no way to get in there with a swivel and a long extension? Wheel bearings go often on these cars, they are retards for this, dropping the subframe is a nightmare

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[Norskie]

This is so stupid. There is no way to get in there with a swivel and a long extension? Wheel bearings go often on these cars, they are retards for this, dropping the subframe is a nightmare

I ended up not dropping the subframe, but I did take the spring pressure off the lower control arm. I probably didn't have to do that either.

I wish I could paste a photo here, but can't, so I'll just describe.

The bearing carrier is held to the hub with four bolts, which come in from the back. The two bottom ones are blocked by an aluminum spacer on a long bolt on the lower transverse link. That bolt and spacer need to come out, and to take pressure off that bolt requires (according to the manual) removing the spring.

What I did instead was to use this spring compressor to pull the spring away from the body of the car: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0028QGT...roduct_details

And then I could remove the interfering bolt and spacer to get out the bottom two bearing bolts.

Unfortunately, Audi specifies that $42 bolt should not be re-used, and if loosened, perform a rear axle alignment.

So $100 for the bearing and bolts, $42 bolt, $140 alignment. Add new tools I bought: $90 breaker bar to tighten the axle bolt and $38 for the spring compressor. I'm not sure I saved much money, but next time I won't have to buy the tools.

[20vturbo]

I ended up not dropping the subframe, but I did take the spring pressure off the lower control arm. I probably didn't have to do that either.

I wish I could paste a photo here, but can't, so I'll just describe.

The bearing carrier is held to the hub with four bolts, which come in from the back. The two bottom ones are blocked by an aluminum spacer on a long bolt on the lower transverse link. That bolt and spacer need to come out, and to take pressure off that bolt requires (according to the manual) removing the spring.

What I did instead was to use this spring compressor to pull the spring away from the body of the car: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0028QGT...roduct_details

And then I could remove the interfering bolt and spacer to get out the bottom two bearing bolts.

Unfortunately, Audi specifies that $42 bolt should not be re-used, and if loosened, perform a rear axle alignment.

So $100 for the bearing and bolts, $42 bolt, $140 alignment. Add new tools I bought: $90 breaker bar to tighten the axle bolt and $38 for the spring compressor. I'm not sure I saved much money, but next time I won't have to buy the tools.

The axle bolt is ridiculous, what is it like 500lbs of torque? I had a big fight with audi a year ago, i had a wheel bearing in the front and i have extended warranty, they told me the back ones are covered but not the front, i'm like where is the logic...beside the fact that my wife barely drives the car and a wheel bearing should not break on a car with 100k kms, in the end they did it but i went to a different dealer....watch those front calipers, they are aluminium and not painted,on the inside the blocs that the pad rests on, because the winters and salt etc etc, it eats the aluminium, and this car i bought used but i imagined they serviced it at the dealer, they never put any lubricant there, i had to buy new calipers, and did some powdercoat...also the front of the disk was ok, the inside not so good, the pad was resting on the rotor and was all finnished.IMG_20221115_162503.jpg

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[Norskie]

The axle bolt is ridiculous, what is it like 500lbs of torque? I had a big fight with audi a year ago, i had a wheel bearing in the front and i have extended warranty, they told me the back ones are covered but not the front, i'm like where is the logic...beside the fact that my wife barely drives the car and a wheel bearing should not break on a car with 100k kms, in the end they did it but i went to a different dealer....watch those front calipers, they are aluminium and not painted,on the inside the blocs that the pad rests on, because the winters and salt etc etc, it eats the aluminium, and this car i bought used but i imagined they serviced it at the dealer, they never put any lubricant there, i had to buy new calipers, and did some powdercoat...also the front of the disk was ok, the inside not so good, the pad was resting on the rotor and was all finnished.IMG_20221115_162503.jpg

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That's all good to know.

The rear axle bolts are 200 NM + 180 degrees. It came out easy with the M18 impact but I needed a 40" breaker bar to tighten.

Yeah, 100k km isn't enough for bearings. I have 90k miles on these. The only other car I've had to do wheel bearings on was a Subaru Outback, they started to go around 100k miles. Subaru knew they had a problem batch of bearings and replaced them all at no cost, the final one around 120k miles.