Give this man a raise. Even a rube like me got this done with no hydrolic lift. Yes it takes time, but this is hands down the best step by step I've ever seen.
We really appreciate your kind words Joe! Our team does our best to put out informative quality content for the euro car community, glad to see it paying off.
So I actually attempted this on my 2011 A4 Quattro 6-speed, was successful, however when I went to get an alignment, even though the parts were brand new with less than 5 miles on them, they double checked I had torqued everything down correctly and showed me that they had concerns with the actual bushings. I purchased the Meyle HD upper and lower control arms with ball joints, all bolts included. everything went fairly smooth with the install, save for needing to run down the street on my bicycle several times to rent the Mcpherson strut compressor. I did the work about 6 months ago, and hadn't been driving it at all for the past 3 months. I knew it still needed an alignment so i finally got around to scheduling one, and they called me 30 min after it had been dropped off, asking me to come down to look at something going on with the bushings on the parts I had very recently installed. The owner of the shop, a very reputable local tire and brake shop, advised me that he saw no issues with how things had been installed, in fact he said it looked great, and asked if I'd made sure to do the final torque after lowering my car to ground level, which I confirmed I had done. He then proceeded to point out all of the bushings in every control arm, focusing on how the bolts securing them in place were tight, but he could literally grab the control arms with his bare hands and wiggle them around. He then explained how much further damage this would cause, which I immediately understood and agreed that parts needed to be replaced ASAP. I will be installing the 034 Motorsports upper and lower with their upgraded bushings. I expect this to solve the problem. Just like I expected the Meyle HD parts to actually be HD. Not ineptly soft. So FYI...
This was a great video! Thanks for the good explanations, stable video, and nice angles. I just wrapped up this project on my '12 Q5 at home, and this was my principle guide. Used the exact Meyle kit shown. I'm a pretty fearless DIYer, but this turned out to be about a 15-hour job for all 10 arms in the front (one on each side were not included in the video), even with the upper pinch bolts coming straight off. Proceed with patience and caution if doing this yourself, and don't be on a deadline. The most important tool on this job was the floor jack, which I used not only for raising the car and loading the suspension, but also to lift the lower arms into place while I aligned the bolt holes. Thanks, guys, for the clear instructions!
FCP Euro is the absolute best auto parts distributor around. Unbeatable warranty, solid service, huge selection AND YOU EVEN MAKE DIY VIDEOS! Y’all are the reason thousands of beat German cars will still be on the road in 20 years.
Great video thanks! For UK owners be aware that the steering column can be a pain by restricting access to the front lower rear arm inner bolt and the heat shield on the driver's side is a pain to remove and refit. Also, in the UK if you have the facelift B8.5 you could have the upgraded ball joint on the front lower front arm from M12 (18mm) to M14 (21mm) and the torque is uprated from 110Nm to 140Nm.
Great Video!! Thanks....My comments below (Bought everything from FCP) 2011 A4 B8 Avant Q Wagon 1. Replaced the struts at the same time. Was able to get the uppers off/on easy and pre set them on how they came off. Wasn't perfect, but it ended up at about the same as if the suspension was loaded. 2. The ball joint separator I bought from FCP needed a little grinding of the inner forks to fit right. They are casted a little too narrow...slightly...but just enough for it not to fit correctly. After which, the tool worked perfect. 3. I had one upper pinch bolt come right out, and one that didn't. Did what the video said....heat, pounded the end which got mushroomed, cut the mushroomed end off, used a punch and air hammer when the bolt was inside the non-threaded sleeve of the wheel bearing housing and used heat, PB blaster, and persuasion until it came out. Took 30 minutes or so. Fun fun!! Thinking back, I might have just saved a little time and cut the bolt end off after I determined it was stuck, and begin the air hammering/punch hammering/heat/PB blaster craziness!! Where was the celebration horn when mine came out?!?!?! 4. I used 5/6/7mm hex key and turned halfway to use spread the pinch bolt areas. I didn't buy a special tool. (Nerd tool or strut spreader tool) 5. I didn't have a passthru socket for the strut top nut. I used a socket with a hex key thru it and a pipe wrench on the socket and I tighten the nut down until it stopped before I released the coil compressor. It worked great. 6. At the end of the day it was all worth it. No creaks or noises anymore. Back to normal. Thanks FCP!! My Wagon Lives On!! 200,000 miles.
Dude how did you get that bolt out so easily without removing the steering tie rod at 12:30 . The tie rod on my car is in the way of the M12 bolt and had to be lifted to remove that bolt.
Wow this has got to be the best video I have ever seen anyone give so clear the guy was so detailed in his explaining everything he did and I'm a girl so I appreciated him... Now I just got to find someone to do it for me
Thanks for the great video. A couple of things to keep in mind: 1) my 2014 audi a4 quattro did not allow the triple square bolts to come out from the lower front control arms, like in the video. There was not enough clearance due to the inner tie rod arm. Therefore, I had to cut the bolt heads off just to get them out and them reinstall them from the other direction. 2) the upper control arms were difficult to torque using a torque wrench. Had to play with various combinations of universal joints and lengths. The pinch bolts came out using a pneumatic impact wrench. After removing the nuts, i would use the impact gun on the bolt to get it to spin in place, and them hammer out with 5lb hammer. 3) be careful with the heat shield. In removing mine, i bent it quite a bit. After reinstall, I heard a grinding noise during the test drive that turned out to be the drive axle rubbing against the bent section of heat shield.
You may want to check your tie rod boots because they are prone to rubbing on the nut if installed backwards, like you mentioned in (1). This can cause a hole puncture in the boot. The bolt was installed specifically in that direction due to the close proximity to the tie rod boot.
Fantastic Video! we did my sons Audi A4 and that upper control arm bolt is no Joke! We got it out Without heat but it took hours! both sides.....I also had to call in a professional mechanic friend with a turbo socket to grip on to the bolt head that we stripped. He used lots of lubricant, worked very slow and used two wrenches to get more leverage. We keep that bolt on our work bench, that sucker is now a trophy! lol
Great video. In place of a strut speader i put a piece of flat steel in the gap and threaded the bolt in from the opposite side to remove the lower front control arm.
You guys are the best instructional video for these Audi models. I have a 2014 RS5 and was able to do it, without a lift also. It was tough but followed the steps and got it done, and including all the torques! Can't say enough, thanks!
Great video! Little advice for next time on the upper pinch bolt. Break off the bolt head, remove the nut and put some washers on the bolt before putting the nut back on and tightening. That way you can push the bolt out :)
Thank you for this video X 100! Replaced right rear lower control arm last night. Took you 4.5 minutes in the video, and it took me 90 minutes...but that's the story of my life. I ordered the Lemdorfer control arm from FCP (OE for Audi at 1/4th the cost) and new upper bolt/nut from Audi. I had to futz around with using the balljoint spreader (rented for free at local auto parts chain). It needs to be positioned exactly as in video so the that the head of the tightening bolt is under the control arm. As you tighten the bolt the head of the bolt bumps up against the bottom of the control arm which is what keeps the balljoint spreader from slipping off....and shooting across the garage. My advice is never to stand in front of the balljoint spreader when tightening. Stand to the side. After tightening and tightening I eventually tapped it with the hammer as in the video. Worked like a charm! Thanks again!
Such a great job explaining this repair. I will be doing it soon on my own A4. It is especially great you included a clip of what the sounds you could be hearing are like. My favorite part is how you actually include proper torque specs. It's as though you've seen many bad "how to" examples and decided to do things right. FCP clearly takes pride in the work they do. Not only did you show that here, but you also show it with every order you send out. Thank you all for what you do!
This is the video I was looking for, because my car is making the same exact noise. I bought all the control arms I even bought struts, and I noticed my CV axle on the passenger side was ripped so I'm doing wheel bearings and CV axles so my car is getting a full front end rebuild. I really appreciate your video. The passenger pinch bolt is stuck as well lol wish me luck
GREAT video. Very helpful. I was confident working on my old Nissan Maxima. I now have a '14 Q5 and I'm a little nervous. This looks a bit tough, especially since I don't have a lift, but I will attempt. Thank you!
Glad you like the video, BK! You should be able to do all of this with the car on jack stands! Don't be nervous, just take your time and follow the steps! Let us know how it goes, we are always happy to help!
Can you please tell me the size of the opening on that Ball Joint Separator (doesn't say so in the link)? The separator I have has a 19mm opening and is too small for this job (and for the tie rod end as well).
I did this on my 2013 Q5. Very helpful video... thanks. The big difference between the car in the video and the Q5 is the inner bolt for the lower front control arm. It has to go in from the front or the tie rod end boot will get wrecked over time. The tie rod is very close to that bolt (it's far in the video) and can't be pushed by hand past the tie rod boot. The head of the bolt is rounded to not rip the boot. I was unable to get the bolt to go in and temporarily put it in reversed, then had a shop fix it up for me during the subsequent alignment. I asked if the tie rod had to be removed from the steering knuckle, which requires a special tool I don't have. He said he just puts a drift on it and hits it with a hammer. Not something I want to see. Btw, this job took me 2 full days just to do the lower arms, as I don't have a lift (but I do all my own repairs and have done many struts and control arms in my life) . I lost a lot of time on those bolts mentioned above. Torquing at ride height is a pain, but very important... it takes a while with 2 floor jacks. Godspeed to anyone doing this with floor jacks. I should have paid the shop and saved my back (and 2 days of my life).
the trick to get the bolt on past the streering boot is to turn the wheel all the way towards the other side, then the rod moves inward compressing the boot and leaving you more room. I did have to lightly tap the bolt to get it in.
I did rear low arm and front low arm but just replaced bushing. Even with kit from amazon to push bushings out I had a misery to push the rear low bushing. It was huge 3" 1/8 and no tool to use to push it out. I had to make one from the spiral stairs. Front low arm went out easy but my suspension moved 3-4 inch forward. Spent 2 hours trying to put arm back but couldn't push suspension back in position to screw to arm. Finally I had to disconnect sway bar end link from suspension and then I was able to put all back. Start your work in the morning, you never know how long it's gonna take.
Just did the uppers today. Head straight for an air chisel. If you don’t have one it will be more than tough with just a hammer Also, I just air chiseled the arms out of the knuckle. Way easier than hitting with hammer
I just bought this kit from you guys! Going to finish the job this weekend. 1 of pinch bolts came out no problem. Haven't tried the other one yet! Fingers crossed 🤞
Brilliant video. Aaron you the man! Did the upper control arms a few weeks ago and yep that bolt was stuck pretty damn tight. Living in the UK obviously with our climate (salt etc) was expecting it. Used lots of heat (mapp gas), 4lb hammer and same size bolt to pound at threaded end. Once it started to move, soaked it with gas plus spray & worked it out eventually. Thanks for sharing the video guys!!
How long do these last in the UK? I had one replaced at an independent VAG specialist 6 months ago and they charged £400 - (£220 for the part and 1.5 hours labour). They now say the whole front needs done - both lower front and 4 upper front? Haven't given me a quote but said it will be over a thousand £ of work. I've just looked at a previous service only 2-3 years ago from another VAG specialist albeit in a cheaper part of the country and they replaced one front control arm, charging £80+VAT for the arm. So 1.) Does £200+ an arm sound ridiculous? 2.) Surely now I've noticed one front was replaced only 25k miles ago, surely they should last longer than that? I'm concerned I'm being taken for a mug both on them needing done and cost. There is no abnormal suspension noise but he said one may fail on next MOT. Any advice would be appreciated.
@@ln5747 That is ridiculous..they are trying to rinse you. Look online for Meyle HD (can buy as a kit) or individual arms & do it yourself..easy job if the pinch bolt turns. Garage shouldn't charge more than £50/£60 in labour per arm. As to how long they should last well that depends on the quality of the part fitted & installation...should be properly torqued with the suspension under load otherwise the bushings will fail quickly.
@@seat786 yes I can't quite get over the cost really. It's in the West Midlands so not like it's London prices. They also seemed to be very expensive for other work. They seem to charge £70+vat for labour and charged around 1.5 hours for one control arm. The control arm was £198+vat. Now he's saying 4 more need done (perhaps some arms are cheaper I don't know) but ideally he said I should have the whole suspension done at the same time. I almost laughed, it's a £5k 2011 A4. Isn't there 16 control arms!? I think I will try a non VAG specialist local garage for a quote as I can't imagine they will charge that nor need to be a VAG specialist. The previous VAG specialist I used was in Belfast and they charged £85+vat for the arm, which seems more reasonable. I just can't imagine doing it myself as I have no tools nor never worked on cars so I'm concerned I wouldn't get it exactly right. Thanks for the advice anyway 👍🏻
@@ln5747 Very hard to find honest garages that don't charge you a arm (no pun intended) & a leg.. I'm in Brum myself & don't mind having a look at it for you if your local enough. Like I've said if the pinch bolt is loose & not seized it's a easy job for the 2 upper control arms.
Very well done video just one point: preloading the suspension should be done both wheels at a time, or with the sway bar disconnected. Preloading the suspension on one side only with the sway bar connected will yield a preloaded ride height that will be 1-3 inches off of static weight on wheels ride height. Also whenever you are working on suspension components, it’s always easiest to have a jack under the steering knuckle to be able to position the suspension in different ride heights to assist in removing and installing bushing bolts. I do not recommend hammering new suspension bolts through their eyelets thus damaging/deforming threads and making future removal much more difficult. They should go in smoothly by hand.
When you say pre load the suspension before torquing should I test the weight of the vehicle down on it? Like put the wheels on if I’m doing this at home??
Great tutorial FCP! Another good tip is to measure from the center of the axle bolt up to the fender before you lift the car and start your project. Then you know how far to jack up when doing the final torque. Huge FCP fan! I've purchased a ton of parts from them and they've never done me wrong. Great company 👏👏🙏
Super glad the video helped you out with your control arm install Nastasa Cosmin! We dont have a DIY shot for the rear yet but it is on our to do list for the near future!
Just did mine today on my S4, what a difference. The pinch bolt came right out with ease and wasn't the problem, granted I hit it everything with PB blaster 2x a week for 3 weeks. The problem was the damn ball joint on the lower rearward arm. Even with the ball joint separator she wouldn't budge without some heat.
Dealing with the same exact situation on my A6... Hoping that the Schwaben ball joint separator will be big enough to do the job. Maybe I'll look into using some heat application as well, I'm just so worried about that damn sleeve coming out.
Same here on A6 C7 same suspension as B8, pinch bolt came right out but the lower rearward control arm ball joint is seized… I’ve tried pickle fork with air hammer no luck. Two types of ball joint separators keep slipping out. Do i really need to resort to heat?
@@saz-646 Sure did. None of the commonly recommended separators did it for me so I got a bigger 32mm separator from Amazon that popped em out like it should.
My 2010 audi s5 looks.very different from yours to access the front lower rearward inner arm bolt. Mine has some sort of plate even, not allowing to even put my wrench through. Any ideas?
More 'real life situation' videos like this please. I fucking hate the picture perfect videos, no hassle installs people do. struggles, stress, time eating hold ups etc are always a part of any install. I'm no mechanic but due to people like you i've learned far more than ever before. Also, dong it yourself means you know it was dne correctly and no hidden secrets to later discover. Respect.
Same here, glad I found the video but I will probably fall into the same situation of snapping off the head of the bolt as in the video with how rusted on everything is on my car. Not a chance I’m trying this lol.
it is not difficult to DIY, anyone could have similar problem either you are a mechanic or you do it yourself at home, corrosion doesn’t now are you a mechanic or not
Unbelievable explaining to demonstration and ease of understanding everything from tools to parts. Can you please tell me what to say to the Audi service department if I want my 2022 Q5 45 sline to become as stiff as it was in the beginning. It got too soft after 15k miles driving spiritedly everyday almost
Replaced the arms and the knuckle thanks to your video. Not too bad at all just getting a torque wrench on those upper arms isn't easy. Great kit from fcp also
2 pinch bolts took me 3 days/afternoons without heat, and 1 day with heat and blood blisters a cold and elevated stress levels but those bolts strengthened my determination real good
Brilliant video, I'm doing my 2010 B8 A4 Avants arms soon and I plan on soaking the pinch bolt area a few months before with PB blaster to hopefully give me more of a chance.
@@fcpeuro Have you tried an induction heater on the pinch bolt? I am interested of buying one for this project, if it would be some help of course, otherwise I will skip it!
Good job ! I'll soon get à S4 B8 from 2011 with 170000 kms so I think i've got to go through this job also. ( many thanks from France ;) I like your channel
OMG! Thank you for giving us the down-and-dirty for removing that bolt. Otherwise this is a straight-forward job. I definitly will NOT be doing this without my brother.
Do you guys recommend 034 over Meyle HD? I hear 034 has some vibrations when driving? Seems absurd that new control arms would be designed to have some vibrations. Is this true? I’m looking to get rid of the steering wheel vibrations at high speed.
Hey guys, good video. I am actually working on a 2002 Audi A8 Quattro. Had the same pinch bolt issues on both sides. In the end I reverted to taking the whole suspension out. Biggest PITA is the bolt for the link arms, I had to drop the subframe at the rear to do this.
We were about 10 minutes from dropping the entire steering knuckle as well to press it out... hail mary saved us on this one. It is an atrocity of a bolt to get out, glad you were able to get it!
Hit a curb a few days ago got my Audi checked out front and rear suspension is tight arms and bushings were checked everything very tight and good was told.. also got an alignment done. But Still their is a lot of play in the steering. Any ideas ??
Hello just want to say thanks for this video ... my questions is ... are the lower control arms fit for a M12 ball joint I tried to buy those arms but when the seller ask for the vin number said is not control arm Mach to my vin number..I tried just the part number but I don’t know if the any ball joint going to fit on that control arm or are control arms specific to ball joint different M12 or other
Dang bruh this guy literally just saved me a headache of work trying to figure it out fr way cheaper job and easy to do by myself this guy literally saved me 2k from what the Audi agency wanted me to charge (3.5k to replace this sh naa scam)
Hi, Rob. You can preload the suspension by jacking up the corner you are working on until you get all the droop out of the strut and it just begins to compress.
My mechanic installed TRW and FEBI or MOOG I forget but in pairs of left and right for all upper and lowers and I just got an alignment The car rides very different, kinda more docile, much smoother and not as planted. Can aftermarket’s which are suppose to be OE end up being not as stiff and less than equal to OEM ? I feel like I should switch them out for OEM. I’m really disappointed and wish I had my old control arms back in. Is lemforder stiff as stock control arms ?
Great guide guys - really useful. Just had the nightmare experience with the upper pinch bolt. Snapped the head off then wound it out from the other end using the nut and various spacers. Poor show Audi!!!
Good video. That pickle fork works best when you hammer it into the ball joint, that's why it's shaped like a wedge. Hit it hard with a real sledge hammer, not that wimpy dead head hammer. I use a 3-5lb hammer. It only takes a couple of hits in most cases, but I've not removed these arms before so don't know what it will take, but you did it the hard way IMO. Also, heat the bolt, not the arm, the arm is a huge heat sink esp. being aluminum. And I use MAPP with oxygen (2 bottles) as it's got more BTUs, and gives a more controlled flame, and it's hotter. My guess is that would work faster. Overall your video is likely very helpful, but as others have stated, those torque to yield bolts must be replaced, it's dangerous to reuse them as you don't know when they'll break.
I had to do the old heat and beat to replace my upper control arms. I slathered the new Bitch Bolt with anti seize and take it out and reapply it every year. Makes my life a whole lot easier or the next guy that has to take it apart next.
The shop is a double edged sword, amazing space to work in, lots of tools, but also lots of people to make fun of you for being stuck on a pinch bolt for hours on end 😂
![How to change front suspension arm / front control arm on Audi A4 B8 Saloon [TUTORIAL AUTODOC]](/img/n.gif)
Give this man a raise. Even a rube like me got this done with no hydrolic lift. Yes it takes time, but this is hands down the best step by step I've ever seen.
How long does it take when all the equipment are gathered?
@@MHL1528About two hours per side, if you’re focused and undisturbed..
i second this question. would be good to know the estimated time. @@MHL1528
@@MHL1528can be done in a day if all goes smoothly. But if you have a ball joint that is seized or a pinch bolt then, good luck 🥲
😊
This is the only evidence of the "rubber creak" I've heard so clearly. Great step-by-step. Wish me luck...
how did it go
@@slow_season went amazing! Not too much trouble at all! Hardest thing was the crawling around on the floor lol. I need a lift…
I don't comment on videos ever but this was one of the most constructive, well made, quality tutorial videos I've ever seen👍 nice work man
We really appreciate your kind words Joe! Our team does our best to put out informative quality content for the euro car community, glad to see it paying off.
@fcpeuro is there written tutorial on this job I can download?
So I actually attempted this on my 2011 A4 Quattro 6-speed, was successful, however when I went to get an alignment, even though the parts were brand new with less than 5 miles on them, they double checked I had torqued everything down correctly and showed me that they had concerns with the actual bushings. I purchased the Meyle HD upper and lower control arms with ball joints, all bolts included. everything went fairly smooth with the install, save for needing to run down the street on my bicycle several times to rent the Mcpherson strut compressor.
I did the work about 6 months ago, and hadn't been driving it at all for the past 3 months. I knew it still needed an alignment so i finally got around to scheduling one, and they called me 30 min after it had been dropped off, asking me to come down to look at something going on with the bushings on the parts I had very recently installed. The owner of the shop, a very reputable local tire and brake shop, advised me that he saw no issues with how things had been installed, in fact he said it looked great, and asked if I'd made sure to do the final torque after lowering my car to ground level, which I confirmed I had done. He then proceeded to point out all of the bushings in every control arm, focusing on how the bolts securing them in place were tight, but he could literally grab the control arms with his bare hands and wiggle them around. He then explained how much further damage this would cause, which I immediately understood and agreed that parts needed to be replaced ASAP. I will be installing the 034 Motorsports upper and lower with their upgraded bushings. I expect this to solve the problem. Just like I expected the Meyle HD parts to actually be HD. Not ineptly soft. So FYI...
This was a great video! Thanks for the good explanations, stable video, and nice angles. I just wrapped up this project on my '12 Q5 at home, and this was my principle guide. Used the exact Meyle kit shown. I'm a pretty fearless DIYer, but this turned out to be about a 15-hour job for all 10 arms in the front (one on each side were not included in the video), even with the upper pinch bolts coming straight off. Proceed with patience and caution if doing this yourself, and don't be on a deadline. The most important tool on this job was the floor jack, which I used not only for raising the car and loading the suspension, but also to lift the lower arms into place while I aligned the bolt holes. Thanks, guys, for the clear instructions!
FCP Euro is the absolute best auto parts distributor around. Unbeatable warranty, solid service, huge selection AND YOU EVEN MAKE DIY VIDEOS! Y’all are the reason thousands of beat German cars will still be on the road in 20 years.
Thank you so much for the kind words, Taylor, and thank you for your support!
Thanks. 2009 Q5. Now i know to just pay the shop and save my back (no lift avail).
Great video thanks! For UK owners be aware that the steering column can be a pain by restricting access to the front lower rear arm inner bolt and the heat shield on the driver's side is a pain to remove and refit. Also, in the UK if you have the facelift B8.5 you could have the upgraded ball joint on the front lower front arm from M12 (18mm) to M14 (21mm) and the torque is uprated from 110Nm to 140Nm.
Hi, how did u go about refitting the heatshield on the drivers side? - im having some trouble with it 🤣
I'm glad to see you guys hv a sense of humor.
An A4 w a V8 must b a monster. Didn't know they came from factory like that.
Great Video!! Thanks....My comments below (Bought everything from FCP) 2011 A4 B8 Avant Q Wagon
1. Replaced the struts at the same time. Was able to get the uppers off/on easy and pre set them on how they came off. Wasn't perfect, but it ended up at about the same as if the suspension was loaded.
2. The ball joint separator I bought from FCP needed a little grinding of the inner forks to fit right. They are casted a little too narrow...slightly...but just enough for it not to fit correctly. After which, the tool worked perfect.
3. I had one upper pinch bolt come right out, and one that didn't. Did what the video said....heat, pounded the end which got mushroomed, cut the mushroomed end off, used a punch and air hammer when the bolt was inside the non-threaded sleeve of the wheel bearing housing and used heat, PB blaster, and persuasion until it came out. Took 30 minutes or so. Fun fun!! Thinking back, I might have just saved a little time and cut the bolt end off after I determined it was stuck, and begin the air hammering/punch hammering/heat/PB blaster craziness!! Where was the celebration horn when mine came out?!?!?!
4. I used 5/6/7mm hex key and turned halfway to use spread the pinch bolt areas. I didn't buy a special tool. (Nerd tool or strut spreader tool)
5. I didn't have a passthru socket for the strut top nut. I used a socket with a hex key thru it and a pipe wrench on the socket and I tighten the nut down until it stopped before I released the coil compressor. It worked great.
6. At the end of the day it was all worth it. No creaks or noises anymore. Back to normal. Thanks FCP!!
My Wagon Lives On!! 200,000 miles.
Dude how did you get that bolt out so easily without removing the steering tie rod at 12:30 . The tie rod on my car is in the way of the M12 bolt and had to be lifted to remove that bolt.
Wow this has got to be the best video I have ever seen anyone give so clear the guy was so detailed in his explaining everything he did and I'm a girl so I appreciated him... Now I just got to find someone to do it for me
You Can Do it Girll" I'm gonna try& I'm a dude😅.just Pray & be patient...
Thanks for the great video. A couple of things to keep in mind:
1) my 2014 audi a4 quattro did not allow the triple square bolts to come out from the lower front control arms, like in the video. There was not enough clearance due to the inner tie rod arm. Therefore, I had to cut the bolt heads off just to get them out and them reinstall them from the other direction.
2) the upper control arms were difficult to torque using a torque wrench. Had to play with various combinations of universal joints and lengths. The pinch bolts came out using a pneumatic impact wrench. After removing the nuts, i would use the impact gun on the bolt to get it to spin in place, and them hammer out with 5lb hammer.
3) be careful with the heat shield. In removing mine, i bent it quite a bit. After reinstall, I heard a grinding noise during the test drive that turned out to be the drive axle rubbing against the bent section of heat shield.
You may want to check your tie rod boots because they are prone to rubbing on the nut if installed backwards, like you mentioned in (1). This can cause a hole puncture in the boot. The bolt was installed specifically in that direction due to the close proximity to the tie rod boot.
Fantastic Video! we did my sons Audi A4 and that upper control arm bolt is no Joke! We got it out Without heat but it took hours! both sides.....I also had to call in a professional mechanic friend with a turbo socket to grip on to the bolt head that we stripped. He used lots of lubricant, worked very slow and used two wrenches to get more leverage. We keep that bolt on our work bench, that sucker is now a trophy! lol
Great video.
In place of a strut speader i put a piece of flat steel in the gap and threaded the bolt in from the opposite side to remove the lower front control arm.
Damn this is a well made video. Thanks guys
Thanks for watching Luis, glad you enjoyed it!
You guys are the best instructional video for these Audi models. I have a 2014 RS5 and was able to do it, without a lift also. It was tough but followed the steps and got it done, and including all the torques! Can't say enough, thanks!
How difficult did it end up being
Great video! Little advice for next time on the upper pinch bolt. Break off the bolt head, remove the nut and put some washers on the bolt before putting the nut back on and tightening. That way you can push the bolt out :)
Thank you for this video X 100! Replaced right rear lower control arm last night. Took you 4.5 minutes in the video, and it took me 90 minutes...but that's the story of my life. I ordered the Lemdorfer control arm from FCP (OE for Audi at 1/4th the cost) and new upper bolt/nut from Audi. I had to futz around with using the balljoint spreader (rented for free at local auto parts chain). It needs to be positioned exactly as in video so the that the head of the tightening bolt is under the control arm. As you tighten the bolt the head of the bolt bumps up against the bottom of the control arm which is what keeps the balljoint spreader from slipping off....and shooting across the garage. My advice is never to stand in front of the balljoint spreader when tightening. Stand to the side. After tightening and tightening I eventually tapped it with the hammer as in the video. Worked like a charm! Thanks again!
just ordered a set for my 2013 Audi A7! for every like i get the pinch bolt will be that much easier to get out!!!
Such a great job explaining this repair. I will be doing it soon on my own A4. It is especially great you included a clip of what the sounds you could be hearing are like. My favorite part is how you actually include proper torque specs. It's as though you've seen many bad "how to" examples and decided to do things right. FCP clearly takes pride in the work they do. Not only did you show that here, but you also show it with every order you send out. Thank you all for what you do!
By all means the BEST step by step Ive ever seen!
This is the video I was looking for, because my car is making the same exact noise. I bought all the control arms I even bought struts, and I noticed my CV axle on the passenger side was ripped so I'm doing wheel bearings and CV axles so my car is getting a full front end rebuild. I really appreciate your video. The passenger pinch bolt is stuck as well lol wish me luck
GREAT video. Very helpful. I was confident working on my old Nissan Maxima. I now have a '14 Q5 and I'm a little nervous. This looks a bit tough, especially since I don't have a lift, but I will attempt. Thank you!
Glad you like the video, BK! You should be able to do all of this with the car on jack stands! Don't be nervous, just take your time and follow the steps! Let us know how it goes, we are always happy to help!
Can you please tell me the size of the opening on that Ball Joint Separator (doesn't say so in the link)?
The separator I have has a 19mm opening and is too small for this job (and for the tie rod end as well).
Ok, such a real video and shows exactly what to expect when tackling this job. Really great job guys!
I did this on my 2013 Q5. Very helpful video... thanks. The big difference between the car in the video and the Q5 is the inner bolt for the lower front control arm. It has to go in from the front or the tie rod end boot will get wrecked over time. The tie rod is very close to that bolt (it's far in the video) and can't be pushed by hand past the tie rod boot. The head of the bolt is rounded to not rip the boot. I was unable to get the bolt to go in and temporarily put it in reversed, then had a shop fix it up for me during the subsequent alignment. I asked if the tie rod had to be removed from the steering knuckle, which requires a special tool I don't have. He said he just puts a drift on it and hits it with a hammer. Not something I want to see.
Btw, this job took me 2 full days just to do the lower arms, as I don't have a lift (but I do all my own repairs and have done many struts and control arms in my life) . I lost a lot of time on those bolts mentioned above. Torquing at ride height is a pain, but very important... it takes a while with 2 floor jacks. Godspeed to anyone doing this with floor jacks. I should have paid the shop and saved my back (and 2 days of my life).
the trick to get the bolt on past the streering boot is to turn the wheel all the way towards the other side, then the rod moves inward compressing the boot and leaving you more room. I did have to lightly tap the bolt to get it in.
I did rear low arm and front low arm but just replaced bushing. Even with kit from amazon to push bushings out I had a misery to push the rear low bushing. It was huge 3" 1/8 and no tool to use to push it out. I had to make one from the spiral stairs. Front low arm went out easy but my suspension moved 3-4 inch forward. Spent 2 hours trying to put arm back but couldn't push suspension back in position to screw to arm. Finally I had to disconnect sway bar end link from suspension and then I was able to put all back. Start your work in the morning, you never know how long it's gonna take.
Going through the same exact situation with my A6... I'm really hoping the Schwaben ball joint separator will be big enough for the job.
Just did the uppers today. Head straight for an air chisel. If you don’t have one it will be more than tough with just a hammer
Also, I just air chiseled the arms out of the knuckle. Way easier than hitting with hammer
😅
This is a fantastic tutorial. Makes the whole job a breeze.
I just bought this kit from you guys! Going to finish the job this weekend. 1 of pinch bolts came out no problem. Haven't tried the other one yet! Fingers crossed 🤞
Let’s hope that second one does the same!!!
@fcpeuro you guys are the best. Used to purchase from ECS tuning but your prices are better and the DIY videos are amazing!
@@Holycow723 well we really appreciate the support - and happy we can help!
Brilliant video. Aaron you the man! Did the upper control arms a few weeks ago and yep that bolt was stuck pretty damn tight. Living in the UK obviously with our climate (salt etc) was expecting it. Used lots of heat (mapp gas), 4lb hammer and same size bolt to pound at threaded end. Once it started to move, soaked it with gas plus spray & worked it out eventually. Thanks for sharing the video guys!!
That bolt can really be a pain, huh! Glad you were able to get it done!
How long do these last in the UK? I had one replaced at an independent VAG specialist 6 months ago and they charged £400 - (£220 for the part and 1.5 hours labour). They now say the whole front needs done - both lower front and 4 upper front? Haven't given me a quote but said it will be over a thousand £ of work. I've just looked at a previous service only 2-3 years ago from another VAG specialist albeit in a cheaper part of the country and they replaced one front control arm, charging £80+VAT for the arm. So 1.) Does £200+ an arm sound ridiculous? 2.) Surely now I've noticed one front was replaced only 25k miles ago, surely they should last longer than that? I'm concerned I'm being taken for a mug both on them needing done and cost. There is no abnormal suspension noise but he said one may fail on next MOT. Any advice would be appreciated.
@@ln5747 That is ridiculous..they are trying to rinse you. Look online for Meyle HD (can buy as a kit) or individual arms & do it yourself..easy job if the pinch bolt turns. Garage shouldn't charge more than £50/£60 in labour per arm.
As to how long they should last well that depends on the quality of the part fitted & installation...should be properly torqued with the suspension under load otherwise the bushings will fail quickly.
@@seat786 yes I can't quite get over the cost really. It's in the West Midlands so not like it's London prices. They also seemed to be very expensive for other work. They seem to charge £70+vat for labour and charged around 1.5 hours for one control arm. The control arm was £198+vat. Now he's saying 4 more need done (perhaps some arms are cheaper I don't know) but ideally he said I should have the whole suspension done at the same time. I almost laughed, it's a £5k 2011 A4. Isn't there 16 control arms!? I think I will try a non VAG specialist local garage for a quote as I can't imagine they will charge that nor need to be a VAG specialist. The previous VAG specialist I used was in Belfast and they charged £85+vat for the arm, which seems more reasonable. I just can't imagine doing it myself as I have no tools nor never worked on cars so I'm concerned I wouldn't get it exactly right. Thanks for the advice anyway 👍🏻
@@ln5747 Very hard to find honest garages that don't charge you a arm (no pun intended) & a leg.. I'm in Brum myself & don't mind having a look at it for you if your local enough. Like I've said if the pinch bolt is loose & not seized it's a easy job for the 2 upper control arms.
Very well done video just one point: preloading the suspension should be done both wheels at a time, or with the sway bar disconnected. Preloading the suspension on one side only with the sway bar connected will yield a preloaded ride height that will be 1-3 inches off of static weight on wheels ride height. Also whenever you are working on suspension components, it’s always easiest to have a jack under the steering knuckle to be able to position the suspension in different ride heights to assist in removing and installing bushing bolts. I do not recommend hammering new suspension bolts through their eyelets thus damaging/deforming threads and making future removal much more difficult. They should go in smoothly by hand.
They do, actually. The sleeves do go back in. And fairly easily with some lube, block of wood and a c-clamp.
I'm stuck at trying to remove that control arm piece where we need the joint separator tool.
@@shibidi Remember how you ended up getting those front lower rearward ball joints out?
This video mead my day. Now i finaly know wat to do. That’s a lot of wait off my sholders.
I'm a main dealer technician with years of experience and that upper pinch bolt made me want to cry.
When you say pre load the suspension before torquing should I test the weight of the vehicle down on it? Like put the wheels on if I’m doing this at home??
Hi GG, you can use the wheels, or you can use an additional floor jack/screw jack to load the suspension up.
Great tutorial FCP! Another good tip is to measure from the center of the axle bolt up to the fender before you lift the car and start your project. Then you know how far to jack up when doing the final torque. Huge FCP fan! I've purchased a ton of parts from them and they've never done me wrong. Great company 👏👏🙏
Great tip Andy, thank you!
Hy guys. Thanks to this video I managed to change the front arms in the right way.Thanks!
Do you have a video for the back arms?
Super glad the video helped you out with your control arm install Nastasa Cosmin! We dont have a DIY shot for the rear yet but it is on our to do list for the near future!
Just did mine today on my S4, what a difference. The pinch bolt came right out with ease and wasn't the problem, granted I hit it everything with PB blaster 2x a week for 3 weeks. The problem was the damn ball joint on the lower rearward arm. Even with the ball joint separator she wouldn't budge without some heat.
Dealing with the same exact situation on my A6... Hoping that the Schwaben ball joint separator will be big enough to do the job. Maybe I'll look into using some heat application as well, I'm just so worried about that damn sleeve coming out.
Same here on A6 C7 same suspension as B8, pinch bolt came right out but the lower rearward control arm ball joint is seized… I’ve tried pickle fork with air hammer no luck. Two types of ball joint separators keep slipping out. Do i really need to resort to heat?
@@austinmerrival927did the ball joint separator work out for you?
@@saz-646 Sure did. None of the commonly recommended separators did it for me so I got a bigger 32mm separator from Amazon that popped em out like it should.
My 2010 audi s5 looks.very different from yours to access the front lower rearward inner arm bolt. Mine has some sort of plate even, not allowing to even put my wrench through. Any ideas?
Is an alignment needed after replacing these parts?
Yes 100%!
More 'real life situation' videos like this please. I fucking hate the picture perfect videos, no hassle installs people do. struggles, stress, time eating hold ups etc are always a part of any install. I'm no mechanic but due to people like you i've learned far more than ever before. Also, dong it yourself means you know it was dne correctly and no hidden secrets to later discover. Respect.
Thanks for watching and for the kind comment!!
This video has def convinced me not to attempt this diy.. lol
Same here, glad I found the video but I will probably fall into the same situation of snapping off the head of the bolt as in the video with how rusted on everything is on my car. Not a chance I’m trying this lol.
it is not difficult to DIY, anyone could have similar problem either you are a mechanic or you do it yourself at home, corrosion doesn’t now are you a mechanic or not
i literally stared typing the same comment
lmao well you can start there its the first step. If the bolt comes out easy your good, thats the hard part if not take it somewhere.
I think that's the whole point of these series of videos.
Is this the same for Q7?
I remember those old A6s with the steel arms and pinch bolts!
This is such a brilliantly informative program, thanks so much guys...
Just used this video this past weekend, with my FCP Euro parts! Such a great resource!
Great video and angles. The little trick with the hex to remove the lower ball joint was very helpful as well!
What do you recommend for Audi A5 2009 2.0 TDI 120kw coupe?
Unbelievable explaining to demonstration and ease of understanding everything from tools to parts.
Can you please tell me what to say to the Audi service department if I want my 2022 Q5 45 sline to become as stiff as it was in the beginning. It got too soft after 15k miles driving spiritedly everyday almost
Thanks guys! Does this have the bushings in the kit?!
I consider myself pretty handy, I need to replace my 08 Audi joints and after watching this video I will most likely have it professionally done🤣
Replaced the arms and the knuckle thanks to your video. Not too bad at all just getting a torque wrench on those upper arms isn't easy. Great kit from fcp also
Hey, do you guys have any videos on Motor Mount replacement for an 13' A6 c7? thanks in advance
What are the small straight ones I've got in my kit , track rod ends?
I am changing just the upper front controls arms on my Porsche Macan with trw from FCP, just the upper pinch bolt needs to be removed first correct?
Thanks a lot for this vidéo! I’ll start this week end on my A4 B8 2,7 tdi which is now 485 000km…
Ill buy the parts but I ant doing this repair lmao.... and this is coming from someone who will work on anything.
2 pinch bolts took me 3 days/afternoons without heat, and 1 day with heat and blood blisters a cold and elevated stress levels but those bolts strengthened my determination real good
what doesnt kill you makes you stronger right?
thanks for the info. i found on my s5 that i needed to turn the wheel to get some bolts out.
Brilliant video, I'm doing my 2010 B8 A4 Avants arms soon and I plan on soaking the pinch bolt area a few months before with PB blaster to hopefully give me more of a chance.
That's a good idea soaking the pinch bolts with PB Blaster beforehand. Good luck with the repair, Jack!
@@fcpeuro Have you tried an induction heater on the pinch bolt?
I am interested of buying one for this project, if it would be some help of course, otherwise I will skip it!
Good job ! I'll soon get à S4 B8 from 2011 with 170000 kms so I think i've got to go through this job also. ( many thanks from France ;) I like your channel
Thanks for the love Christophe! Hope this helps make the arm replacement easier
Surprised you didn't change out the front struts while you were at it. Good video overall!
Would not have been a bad idea! I'm sure we will have to make a video for that in the somewhat near future ^.^
@@fcpeuro Want to see this done too
OMG! Thank you for giving us the down-and-dirty for removing that bolt. Otherwise this is a straight-forward job. I definitly will NOT be doing this without my brother.
That 18mm is it preferred with offset or just normal straight to remove the front lower rearward due to the confined space
Thank you all,
I'll need to do this soon... hearing steering knock when going lock to lock.
Copper grease or antiseize are not needed on any of the bolts?
have you ever used stainless steel pinch bolts after you replace the old smashed ones out ?
Great video.. this video works for a8 2011? Thx 👍
Do you guys recommend 034 over Meyle HD? I hear 034 has some vibrations when driving? Seems absurd that new control arms would be designed to have some vibrations. Is this true?
I’m looking to get rid of the steering wheel vibrations at high speed.
Tempted to try this myself. We Will see if the pinch bolt is seized before ordering parts..
Good idea!
Will that spreader work for an 2016 Audi A7
do oyu have good experience with meyle hd? or go better OEM? like lemforder or TRW?
Excellent DIY video. Saved me a ton of money. Thank you guys
Hello dear, great reviews, well done! Are there any difference between Audi a4 b8 and b9 arms?
Great video, I wish you didn’t skip over separating the ball joint and using the tool though, seems to just slips off and won’t tighten.
Hey guys, good video. I am actually working on a 2002 Audi A8 Quattro. Had the same pinch bolt issues on both sides. In the end I reverted to taking the whole suspension out. Biggest PITA is the bolt for the link arms, I had to drop the subframe at the rear to do this.
We were about 10 minutes from dropping the entire steering knuckle as well to press it out... hail mary saved us on this one. It is an atrocity of a bolt to get out, glad you were able to get it!
How can I get my lower rearward ball joint to stop spinning when trying to tighten?
Hit a curb a few days ago got my Audi checked out front and rear suspension is tight arms and bushings were checked everything very tight and good was told.. also got an alignment done.
But Still their is a lot of play in the steering.
Any ideas ??
why no anti seize on the lower arm screws?
Fyi, this was m12 nut, not m14 like you stated in the video. I'm doing all my CAs for my SQ5 (m14) next week, so this video comes in handy.
Thank you for the note!
My vehicle is an a6 c6 3.0TFSI quattro. Is the tightening torque the same in the video? Of course I will buy it as an a6 product.
Do you always need to replace the whole arms or can you just replace the Bushes?
Hello just want to say thanks for this video ... my questions is ... are the lower control arms fit for a M12 ball joint I tried to buy those arms but when the seller ask for the vin number said is not control arm Mach to my vin number..I tried just the part number but I don’t know if the any ball joint going to fit on that control arm or are control arms specific to ball joint different M12 or other
Dang bruh this guy literally just saved me a headache of work trying to figure it out fr way cheaper job and easy to do by myself this guy literally saved me 2k from what the Audi agency wanted me to charge (3.5k to replace this sh naa scam)
They are thieves...
How do you know when to stop using a jack to preload the suspension for final torquing? Do you keep jacking up until the suspension stops raising?
Would love to know the answer to this as well lol
Can you replace just the bushing on the control arm ?
Do you have a shop in new York? I have the same problem
how do you know when the suspension is pre loaded to the proper height? I was taught to load suspension to the factory ride height.
Hi, Rob. You can preload the suspension by jacking up the corner you are working on until you get all the droop out of the strut and it just begins to compress.
My mechanic installed TRW and FEBI or MOOG I forget but in pairs of left and right for all upper and lowers and I just got an alignment The car rides very different, kinda more docile, much smoother and not as planted. Can aftermarket’s which are suppose to be OE end up being not as stiff and less than equal to OEM ? I feel like I should switch them out for OEM. I’m really disappointed and wish I had my old control arms back in. Is lemforder stiff as stock control arms ?
Great guide guys - really useful. Just had the nightmare experience with the upper pinch bolt. Snapped the head off then wound it out from the other end using the nut and various spacers. Poor show Audi!!!
What does torquing mean what you do e.g. 90 + 90? As in you torque the same bolt to 90 then just torque to 180 or?
Will this kit work for a 2013 b8.5?
How long was the socket drive extension you used for torquing?
Good video. That pickle fork works best when you hammer it into the ball joint, that's why it's shaped like a wedge. Hit it hard with a real sledge hammer, not that wimpy dead head hammer. I use a 3-5lb hammer. It only takes a couple of hits in most cases, but I've not removed these arms before so don't know what it will take, but you did it the hard way IMO. Also, heat the bolt, not the arm, the arm is a huge heat sink esp. being aluminum. And I use MAPP with oxygen (2 bottles) as it's got more BTUs, and gives a more controlled flame, and it's hotter. My guess is that would work faster. Overall your video is likely very helpful, but as others have stated, those torque to yield bolts must be replaced, it's dangerous to reuse them as you don't know when they'll break.
Working with y’all seems fun lol hire me 🤣
I had to do the old heat and beat to replace my upper control arms. I slathered the new Bitch Bolt with anti seize and take it out and reapply it every year. Makes my life a whole lot easier or the next guy that has to take it apart next.
Is it too expensive to just replace the knuckle too (or too much extra work?)
dope ass video wish I had a full shop and tools like that
The shop is a double edged sword, amazing space to work in, lots of tools, but also lots of people to make fun of you for being stuck on a pinch bolt for hours on end 😂
@@fcpeuro haha that’s all part of the fun