Hey guys,

Big problem here. I am doing a CV boot job, and have just sheared off the pinch bolt on the nut side. I tried using the lower control arm method first - no dice. Almost broke a ball joint separator in the process.

I was giving the nut on the pinch bolt some force, it felt like it was starting to turn, and *snap*...broke off. The end of the pinch bolt is now about a half inch inside of the housing that the control arms go into.

What are my options to get this out? Obviously it needs to be replaced, so I don't care if I destroy the bolt.

Would a torch help loosen it so I can bang it out? Or am I going to need some kind of pneumatic tool for this?

 

Ok, I've given up. Putting it back together and letting the shop mess with this. I've evidently reached my limit as far as working on this car. When it comes to knocking out frozen pinch bolts - that's across the line.

So - now I have another conundrum: do I drive it to the shop or have it towed? The shop is about 5-10 minutes away, all back roads about 40 mph. Is it safe to drive this far with the nut of the pinch bolt sheared off? Both control arms are locked in there tightly, and as far as I can tell, that pinch bolt is never going anywhere.

Just trying to figure out whether to tow or try driving it down there....

 

Being a safety kind of guy, I would tow it. The bolt could always come loose under the load of the car.

 

I had the same thing happen to me. I spent a few hours giving it a serious PB soaking and drilled it out with a cobalt bit. About halfway through the bolt I got it loose with a good whck from a hammer with the punch on the other side.

 

So....how do the dealerships/indies take it off? Do they have to go through this as well?

 

I bet the dealerships use the special Audi tool shown in the Bentley manual. I was actually considering making one when I did my control arms, but fortunately, the cut-the-head-off-and-use-a-coupling-nut-as-a-puller method worked for both of mine. It looks like they've got a block of steel with the center machined out that fits over the pinch bolt area. There's a tapped hole in one end and I'm guessing there's a hardened, threaded punch that's used to drive the bolt out. I would bet that if you're handy with a Bridgeport, it wouldn't take much to duplicate.

 

Need to located a replacement pinch bolt.
What are the specifications?
Grade 8.8?
Part number?

May local sources (no dealer nearby).