If anyone's reading, never use "pickle fork" on good joints. Especially in this application you can go from the bottom with a small punch. The stud on the joint of the arm is even indented for the punch to fit good.
Can you get the strut and spring assembly out without removing the upper control arms? Like, since they're not connected to the strut is there enough room to finagle the strut assembly with removing them? I hear that pinch bolt can be a real nightmare. That's a gamble I would like to try and avoid...
if you are a magician, perhaps. but i wouldn't waste the time to even try it. Even with UCA removed you STILL have to pry down the assembly to get the strut and spring out. The pinch bolt isn't bad, you just have to use a wedge to pound it open and slide the bolt out. It doesn't hurt it one bit. After figuring out that trick, that part of removal took me about 2min.
@@clayd7442 Dont say "the pinch bolt isn't so bad" depending on the years and usage. I needed nearly 5h to remove my right one with an hammer, air hammer, decisive, drilled them out for a bit and heated the arm (fucked joints guaranteed 'the rubber') LOOK OUT for the gaps in the arm if the bold is to stuck then you can brake the sides of the arm (expensive joke) make sure to sand every hole in the arm to remove the corrosion! use grease (Loctite 8060 for alu or some kind) Try to hit the control arms with an decisive on the underside and don't use a fork if you don't have new one's the one's in the vid are fucked (no offence)
Yes, you just need to support the spindle from the top to take pressure off of the upper control arms and then remove the outer tie rod. That's the procedure in the factory service manual.
Update: thanks for the advice everyone. It appears I am a magician then lol. It came out with no problem without having to remove the upper control arms. Remove the pinch bolt for the strut mounting arm and the other side where it bolts to the lower control arm, push down on the lower control arm and it wiggles right out. Peace of cake. Thanks everyone for the input!
My bolt was/is fully stuck. The nut came off fine and easy, no matter how much I hammered, wd40’d, the bolt didn’t budge. In fact the end of the bolt ended up squashing and the thread mashed together 🙄. Managed to get the nut back on in the end and called it a day before I ran out of day light. Will try again another day without removing the upper control arms.
Excellent video, can I get advice from you please? I had replacement 2weeks ago I have done 300miles. My wheel arche is 5finger from tyre. Car is extremely high now. Garage saying they got correct shocks. What do you think?
Good video but i would cut out the pickle fork. All you need to do is grab that same jack you have and the suspension to ride height slowly as you raise the suspension just pull them upward. If you can take the bolt out with your hands, then you can just give gentle bumps with your palm upward and they will easily pop off. If it doesnt then that means is time to replace them
This replacement didn’t affect my Comfort Control function. For the $300 to DIY this, you would still be ahead even if you did have to get a dealer to calibrate.
Thank you. You know what if it was me id fu.... edit the part your tore the boot of top cnt arm but you didn't and one learns a lot from such mistake. Thanks
your upper arms are fucked now... the grease is coming out and the rubber is fucked. And you don't need a c clamp you can just slide them back in... You have to sand or file the holes from the upper control arms and pinch bolt. And use anti corrosion grease like Loctite 8060 on the upper control arm ends en the pinch bolt (best te replace the old bolts to) the pinch bolt is 40Nm.
oofff only thing those separators are good for is destroying your balljoint boots. Now ya gotta replace those aswell. Those forks are a LAST resort only
If anyone's reading, never use "pickle fork" on good joints. Especially in this application you can go from the bottom with a small punch. The stud on the joint of the arm is even indented for the punch to fit good.
And if you do use a pickle fork- be warned that your ball joints will still function fine years later.
@@clayd7442 not with a torn boot - they won't. And that surely will happen when you put a "pickle fork" on a ball joint.
Very nice. I do appreciate a non-silence video of yours.
Awesome work Clay, thanks for saving me $$$
That’s why I made the video! Happy to help!
Can you get the strut and spring assembly out without removing the upper control arms? Like, since they're not connected to the strut is there enough room to finagle the strut assembly with removing them? I hear that pinch bolt can be a real nightmare. That's a gamble I would like to try and avoid...
if you are a magician, perhaps. but i wouldn't waste the time to even try it. Even with UCA removed you STILL have to pry down the assembly to get the strut and spring out. The pinch bolt isn't bad, you just have to use a wedge to pound it open and slide the bolt out. It doesn't hurt it one bit. After figuring out that trick, that part of removal took me about 2min.
@@clayd7442 Dont say "the pinch bolt isn't so bad" depending on the years and usage.
I needed nearly 5h to remove my right one with an hammer, air hammer, decisive, drilled them out for a bit and heated the arm (fucked joints guaranteed 'the rubber')
LOOK OUT for the gaps in the arm if the bold is to stuck then you can brake the sides of the arm (expensive joke)
make sure to sand every hole in the arm to remove the corrosion! use grease (Loctite 8060 for alu or some kind)
Try to hit the control arms with an decisive on the underside and don't use a fork if you don't have new one's the one's in the vid are fucked (no offence)
Yes, you just need to support the spindle from the top to take pressure off of the upper control arms and then remove the outer tie rod. That's the procedure in the factory service manual.
Update: thanks for the advice everyone. It appears I am a magician then lol. It came out with no problem without having to remove the upper control arms. Remove the pinch bolt for the strut mounting arm and the other side where it bolts to the lower control arm, push down on the lower control arm and it wiggles right out. Peace of cake. Thanks everyone for the input!
My bolt was/is fully stuck. The nut came off fine and easy, no matter how much I hammered, wd40’d, the bolt didn’t budge. In fact the end of the bolt ended up squashing and the thread mashed together 🙄. Managed to get the nut back on in the end and called it a day before I ran out of day light. Will try again another day without removing the upper control arms.
Excellent video, can I get advice from you please? I had replacement 2weeks ago I have done 300miles. My wheel arche is 5finger from tyre. Car is extremely high now. Garage saying they got correct shocks. What do you think?
What part of Tennessee are you in?? I need Audi a6 2.0t suspension issues
Good video but i would cut out the pickle fork. All you need to do is grab that same jack you have and the suspension to ride height slowly as you raise the suspension just pull them upward. If you can take the bolt out with your hands, then you can just give gentle bumps with your palm upward and they will easily pop off.
If it doesnt then that means is time to replace them
Will replacing the shock absorbers mess with the “ACC” ? I wouldn’t want to have to pay 600$ to recalibrate the system.
This replacement didn’t affect my Comfort Control function. For the $300 to DIY this, you would still be ahead even if you did have to get a dealer to calibrate.
Could you share the link or exact name of that special tool kit? Thx
@junoon Winmax Tools on Amazon “39 piece Strut Shock Tool Kit Removal Nut Socket Set Absorber’s Top Lid”
Long weird name but hopefully that helps.
@junoon 39pc Strut Shock Installation... www.amazon.com/dp/B07X9KHQNY?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Great video thanks.
Thank you. You know what if it was me id fu.... edit the part your tore the boot of top cnt arm but you didn't and one learns a lot from such mistake. Thanks
Lessons learned! It’s still doing great with no issues despite a full winter of salty roads!
your upper arms are fucked now... the grease is coming out and the rubber is fucked.
And you don't need a c clamp you can just slide them back in...
You have to sand or file the holes from the upper control arms and pinch bolt.
And use anti corrosion grease like Loctite 8060 on the upper control arm ends en the pinch bolt (best te replace the old bolts to) the pinch bolt is 40Nm.
@snippii they’re still working great. Still greased, still working, no noise. Years later. So..
oofff only thing those separators are good for is destroying your balljoint boots. Now ya gotta replace those aswell. Those forks are a LAST resort only
Been through lots of salt and weather, still greased and still working! I know they got a tad beat up but still doing the job!
Lol tool spec " big ass hammer"