Still looking for advice on my current challenges above.

 

You're talking about the tie rod pinch bolt right? The one that has the head on the inboard side and the nut on the outboard side. That's just like the big pinch bolt - only threaded at the end. On the side toward the rear of the car, pry the pinch open and drive the bolt out with a hammer and punch. Same technique you used on the other one. I wouldn't drive on it that way just because weighting it with the car and suspension load could loosen it enough to come loose.

As for removing the axle from the hub assembly, I always found it easier to remove the six 12-point bolts at the other end of the axle, removing the inner cv from the diff cup, and pulling the outer cv out of the hub by angling the axle forward and up, and pulling it toward the center of the car.

 

I suggest you go this route. I did a front outer CV joint on my car a few weekends before the last Bing meet, but did it without removing the axle from the car. This is a big pain in the dick and I don't recommend it. I had to turn the steering wheel to the right lock, then put a jack under the spindle and jack it up in order to get the axle away from the spindle and get the joint off. It was dirty, time consuming, and a little bit scary, as there's a lot of energy being stored by the spring in that situation that could very easily be unleashed on your man bits should you get caught sitting in the wrong position and the jack slips....

EDIT: All that aside, should be easy if you've got the spindle disconnected from all the control arms

 

Silly me, for some reason I thought I read in one of the DIY's that that was a self tapping bolt, and there wasn't another bolt head on the inside of the spindle. But after reading your answer, and looking at the diagram in Bentley, I now see that there is. That's great news, I wasn't looking forward to having to purchase a new spindle.

Btw, that MAPP gas torch I purchased came in handy on the nut on the driver's side shock support. That bugger was rusted on there, but generous application of some mapp heat allowed me to break it free. Pretty cool to see that actually work.

 

Thanks, I'll take yours and Devil's suggestion and give that a try.

 

It should work fine. If you have either both upper or both lower arms undo e, you should be able to get enough play to get it out of there. If you remove the 12-pt bolts at the inner cv joint, use a 12-pt bit. You can fit a torx in there but guys have been known to tear the points out of the bolt head trying that.

 

All passenger side control arms are removed, but I can't break the outer tie rod end from the 18mm adjustment nut. Since I've got the full assembly coming, can I just leave the outer tie rod end on and remove the whole assembly at the inner tie rod?

Holy crap, that passenger side lower rear control arm bolt was a beyotch to get out. Had to unbolt the subframe bolt, use a crow bar to lower it down a bit, and unclip those three fuel line hoses from the frame and move them out of the way.

The engineer who designed that must've been the same sadistic bastard who engineered those one-use hose clamps.

 

LoL! I went through the same thing... I came to the conclusion that only evil Germans design Audi suspensions.

As for the tie rods, I did just that, took out the inner and outer together. Mine were absolutely fused together and with one end being solid rubber there was no way to break it free (as the rubber just twisted absorbing any force, quick or slow that was applied). I ended up buying a short arm 32" adjustable wrench, turning the steering wheel the opposite way for clearance and going for it. Worked like a charm! Just take off the inner boot.

 

All control arms are out, and my new FCP Groton kit has arrived.

Back to the last major hurdle - the frozen side bolt for the driver's side tie rod end. As you'll recall, the head snapped off even with the spindle, and my attempts to heat & beat with the spindle on the car has done nothing.

The options that I can think of are as follows:

1) Take the whole spindle out so that I can heat & beat on the bolt using a punch and my 4lb sledge hammer.

2) Drill the bolt out. I have never attempted anything like this before, so I would need some help in understanding the proper method. I have a good electric drill(non-impact) handy.

3) Remove the spindle and take it to a local shop to have it drilled out.

4) Order a used spindle from Shokan or somewhere that sells used parts.

All suggestions/votes are appreciated.

 

Let someone else drill it out if it comes to that. Those pinch bolts are hard as hell and you're in for the mother of all fights. Drilling out a CA pinch bolt once, we destroyed over $100 of cobalt bits and diamond-tipped bimetal sawzall blades, along with literally about 4500 blows with a sledge over a 22-working-hour period. It was an almighty sonofabitch. Let someone else deal with it. You'll be ready to throw the spindle through the windshield and follow it with a Molotov Cocktail.