The bolt is not threaded inside the pinch housings - it's a smooth shaft that's only threaded at the end for the nut. You should have new bolts on hand since pinch bolts are usually destroyed in the removal process. If you can't burn and pound them out uou may be stuck drilling and cutting. We went through that on one bolt - it was a hell I've never experienced before. Took 20 hours and destroyed over $100 worth of cobalt bits and diamond sawzall blades. If it happens again I'll buy a new spindle before I do that again.

I wouldn't try holding a punch against it to hit it - just back the nut off a little and pound the living crap out of it. It won't budge with anything less than pure, unadulterated violence.

 

The bolt is not threaded inside the pinch housings - it's a smooth shaft that's only threaded at the end for the nut. You should have new bolts on hand since pinch bolts are usually destroyed in the removal process. If you can't burn and pound them out uou may be stuck drilling and cutting. We went through that on one bolt - it was a hell I've never experienced before. Took 20 hours and destroyed over $100 worth of cobalt bits and diamond sawzall blades. If it happens again I'll buy a new spindle before I do that again.

I wouldn't try holding a punch against it to hit it - just back the nut off a little and pound the living crap out of it. It won't budge with anything less than pure, unadulterated violence.

 

Yeah, I was thinking that a new wheel bearing housing is a lot less trouble than having to drill and cut the pinch bolt out.

I believe the FCP Groton kit comes with new pinch bolts, so I should be good-to-go. I'm heading down to Advance Auto Parts today to rent the inner tie rod end puller kit, and the ball joint/pitman arm puller kit. Autozone didn't have them.

New inner tie rod boot kits have been ordered from Blauparts and should be here tomorrow, and if Mike from FCP Groton was correct, the control arm kit should arrive today or tomorrow.

Then the fun begins. I'm going to do a DIY for this job. All of the DIY's regarding this job seem to be incomplete in some ways, so I'm going to attempt to do a comprehensive A-Z DIY.

 

that was a good move to get the sledgehammer..

when i did this whole thing it was a ******* nightmare -- my deserted post is up around here somewhere -- but when i finally was able to do the other side i got my hands on a sledgehammer (old one, maybe a 6 inch handle?) and the ball joints popped right out after a bit of wiggling.

as far the pinch bolt you should be fine but i think i did end up using a punch on the first side. the pb blaster will help, i think. also i whacked the steering knuckle itself which freed up some of the garbage.

most of my process (read: struggles) is at this thread:
https://www.audiforums.com/forum/b5-...t-hell-168681/

i hope it runs smooth for you... i meant to do a full DIY on the passenger side but just got so fed up, finished it and forgot about it.

 

also, if yours is anything like mine was, the pinch bolt will be the least of your problems. the lower control arms is where your sledgehammer will come in QUITE handy.

 

Front end service kit makes the lower arms take 5 minutes.. For future reference..

 

Yeah, it was reading about your experience which almost scared me away from trying this myself. But then IanWPB suggested the front end service, which is exactly what you needed for your job.

So, I should thank you as well, because due to your experience I ordered this front end kit. Should make my lower control arms a snap, literally.

 

Well crap. I just got off the phone with FCP Groton and discovered that the control arm kit won't be delivered until Monday. So much for my weekend plans!

 

Sucks man.. I had the same problem. I ordered a TB kit and CA's and the TB took about a week, CA's 2 weeks.

 

Pinch bolts are out! No problemo. With multiple days of soaking with PB Blaster and shocking the spindle with a 4lb sledge hammer, the 16mm nut came off very easily. Then, judicious implementation of the sledge hammer got the bolt moving, and I finished it off by using a punch to get it through the spindle.

I have run into a different problem, though. The side bolt for the tie rod assembly broke in half level with the spindle when I tried to loosen the 16mm nut. What are my options, now? I assume that I'm not going to get the outer tie rod end out with this bolt still stuck in the spindle, correct?

If this is going to require drilling out the bolt, can I drive on it like it is and have my mechanic do that? I don't feel up to trying to drill it out.

I'm a little confused about getting the cv joint out of the wheel bearing housing. I lightly tapped on the 17mm screw, then turn the screw a few times, then tapped again, until the cv joint was far enough out of the housing where the screw could no longer hit the cv joint. I can't seem to pull the joint out of the housing, though. Seems like there is something preventing it. Any ideas? It's the same on both sides.