UpstateNYA4
Posts: 2850
Joined: 7/18/2006
From: six zero seven, NY
Status: offline
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My CV joints went bad on me awhile back, and started clicking in turns. No biggie since it's easy enough to drive around the problem. I got my reboot kits and the same day, the right front started clicking in a straight line, not just in a turn. That for me (in my experience with prior cars anynow) is the death knell for an axle, so I parked the car. Time went by, went on vacation, etc, but finally the new axles arrive tomorrow, so tonight a buddy and I went out there to pull the old axles in preparation for the new ones' arrival - that way, it's a fairly quick installation of the new ones and the car is back on the road.
I ramped the car, took out the 12-point bolts that secure each axle to the diff housing, removed the axle end bolts, then jackstanded the car, took the wheels off, and made the decision on which way to go about removing the axles. There are a few options (including that SOB pinch bolt), but one of the tech procedures on AudiWorld.com suggests undoing the lower rear control arm from the upright, as that gives enough clearance to remove the axle inward toward the center of the car with a little manipulation of the diff-end of the axle and pivoting the hub hard forward. Sounded like a good plan.
After removing the nut and whacking the upright a few times with a hammer to un-seize it from the ball joint shaft of the control arm, we got it separated, pivoted the hub, and the axle came out easily. Now I just have to slog through one more workday (and one more day of driving an auto-trans 1.5L Civic), and then I can put my car back together and get back to enjoying driving. Just in time too, for a day trip to Baltimore on Saturday to pick up Audi-related parts. Anyone in the Baltimore area that wants to stop by and join up for lunch somewhere, shoot a PM and I'll send you the route I'm taking and where we're meeting (once it's finalized).
Thank God - you never realize how much you can like driving a particular car until you're deprived of it for a considerable period of time - it's almost Audi time again:)
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Jeremy
99 A4 2.8QM 30v
(a few things to make the car look better, sound better, stop better, and entertain passengers better)
"I want to run 11s - what do I need?"
"A shorter track." (from the Z boards years ago)
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Finally I'm only one step away from driving my A4 again - 
