collar bolt on axle possibly stripped.
Site Moderator
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 9,004
From: Nor Cal
RE: collar bolt on axle possibly stripped.
ORIGINAL: hiwords
o ya. if u do indeed strip it. see if u can sumhow weld the allen socket to it and then u'll get it out for sure
o ya. if u do indeed strip it. see if u can sumhow weld the allen socket to it and then u'll get it out for sure
2nd Gear
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 512
From:
RE: collar bolt on axle possibly stripped.
I am pretty sure heat is the only way to get that out. I'm about to do my front two wheel bearing soon, but I did a rear one about a month ago. The heads of my bolts are so rusted that once I cleaned them out the allensocket was sloppy, eventually rounding it out. I took the next couple sizes up allen socket and ground it off until it just fit inside the bolt. Then I heated the bolt (and only the bolt) with a torch until it was red hot. I was able to put the ground down allen socket in the head of the bolt and took it out by hand. There is lock tight on the last 1/2" of the bolt (and the bolt is 3" long) so you really got to heat it up good. You're not going to warp the hub and I really doubt it hurts the bearing much, but in my opinion if you are going to have it this far apart and the car has a lot of miles on it I'd just do the bearing while you're there. It's save you the agervation of having them go bad a month later and have to take it all apart and have it aligned again. Two bearing will only cost ya $100.
Site Moderator
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 9,004
From: Nor Cal
RE: collar bolt on axle possibly stripped.
ORIGINAL: 99A4NOW
I am pretty sure heat is the only way to get that out. I'm about to do my front two wheel bearing soon, but I did a rear one about a month ago. The heads of my bolts are so rusted that once I cleaned them out the allensocket was sloppy, eventually rounding it out. I took the next couple sizes up allen socket and ground it off until it just fit inside the bolt. Then I heated the bolt (and only the bolt) with a torch until it was red hot. I was able to put the ground down allen socket in the head of the bolt and took it out by hand. There is lock tight on the last 1/2" of the bolt (and the bolt is 3" long) so you really got to heat it up good. You're not going to warp the hub and I really doubt it hurts the bearing much, but in my opinion if you are going to have it this far apart and the car has a lot of miles on it I'd just do the bearing while you're there. It's save you the agervation of having them go bad a month later and have to take it all apart and have it aligned again. Two bearing will only cost ya $100.
I am pretty sure heat is the only way to get that out. I'm about to do my front two wheel bearing soon, but I did a rear one about a month ago. The heads of my bolts are so rusted that once I cleaned them out the allensocket was sloppy, eventually rounding it out. I took the next couple sizes up allen socket and ground it off until it just fit inside the bolt. Then I heated the bolt (and only the bolt) with a torch until it was red hot. I was able to put the ground down allen socket in the head of the bolt and took it out by hand. There is lock tight on the last 1/2" of the bolt (and the bolt is 3" long) so you really got to heat it up good. You're not going to warp the hub and I really doubt it hurts the bearing much, but in my opinion if you are going to have it this far apart and the car has a lot of miles on it I'd just do the bearing while you're there. It's save you the agervation of having them go bad a month later and have to take it all apart and have it aligned again. Two bearing will only cost ya $100.
Thread Starter
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Junior Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 15
RE: collar bolt on axle possibly stripped.
i've read two different writeups. one says its a 14 and one says 17. the 14 seems like its pretty close, it just rotated out. which one is it? i drive a 99.5 A4 Avant (quattro). if i get new bolts, im thinking about taking it to the dealership and seeing if they can just break them loose for me to put on the new ones.
5th Gear
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 7,728
From: noob from NY
RE: collar bolt on axle possibly stripped.
if the dealership is nice they will but most of them aren't nice lol. i forgot wut i used when i did mine. i think it might have been the 17. well get a 17 and try it. or if u can find a 17mm bolt, put it in there and see if it fits. i think the lugs are 17. it should be that hard to remove though. spray some penetrant on it. also break the bolt tight and then try to break it loose