I have excessive wear on the inside of the front left drivers side tire. There is also a slight pull to the left (drivers side). This car has multiple drivers, so no telling what kind of tramma it may have seen.

I'll be buying 4 tires and getting an alignment as soon as the budget allows, but is there anything I can check or adjust until then?

Could this be too little toe-in?

Thanks,
TurboLag
1999.5 A4 1.8TQ.

 

Got the front off the ground. The drivers side wheel has some play in it, rocking about 2-3mm measured at the rim.

So is there a progression of joints to check? Its hard to see which joint has the play in it. Seems like maybe the lower ball joints. Is that common?

Thanks

 

With the wheel off it is pretty obvious that the tie rod joint is bad.

Tlag

 

If you hold the rim and rock it up and down this will check for play in the control arm. Left to right shows play in the tie rod, if it is the tie rod, check to see if its the tie rod end or the inner tie rod joint. Might as well buy a complete tie rod assembly if they are available.

 

It was the outer tie-rod end. I picked up a new one but now I'm having a hard time removing the pinch bolt to get the old one off.

The new end has a grove/notch where I assume the pinch bolt locks in. So I assume the old one does too, and thats why it won't drop out with the pinch bolt just loose.

Can anyone confirm that the pinch bolt does have to come out? And any tricks to getting it out?

I've been tapping it, with the nut run out to the end to keep from peening the threads.

The end is loose, but only drops about an 1/8 inch, and seems to hanging on the pinch bolt.

Do I just need a big German hammer?

 

Hah, yes you need to completely remove the pinch bolt. They are notorious for being a pain and typically are suggested to be replaced when replacing the tie rod ends. I would suggest using a oxyacetylene torch to heat up the aluminum around the bolt and use some pb blast for your best chances on getting that bad boy out without replacing it. Good luck, your going to need an alignment after as well.

 

Problem solved. Pictures below.

You're right AudiRPM, I had to used a torch to heat up the housing around the pinch bolt. I only have a handheld (14 oz) tank top Propane torch, but it worked fine.

I had tried heating it up twice before, but this time I heated the housing until the bolt started to have a red glow. I wasn’t even trying to heat the bolt, but that alloy housing transferred the heat to the bolt. I tapped on the bolt (with nut run out to the end) and it popped out.

I had to tap the pinch bolt back in place so I could remove the nut, then tap out the bolt using a punch. I had already sprayed it with a multi-purpose spray lub.

After finally removing the pinch bolt, and top bolt, I still needed the punch to finish pushing the tie rod stud out of the housing.

I used an 18mm flare-nut wrench to hold the tie rod collar so I could unscrew the end. Even after brushing off the threaded hex collar where the tie rod end screws in, I couldn't fit an 18mm Craftsman raised-panel open end wrench over the collar. I tried a 19mm open end, but it slipped. I had to back off the jam-nut on the tie rod end enough to get the 18mm Craftsman polished flare-nut wrench over collar. It actually fit easily.

For my own information, I measured both wrenches and the raised-panel was .710 (.709 in = 18mm), the flare-nut wrench measured .720, or about .1 inch (1/10) over sized.

I moved the jam-nut back in place, to keep track of the position of the tie rod end bolt to the tie rod.

I slipped the flare-nut wrench between rows on the coil spring to help keep it (and collar) from turning, while I used vice-grips to unscrew the tie rod end from the tie rod. This was also hard to do. I had to clamp on the bolt threads to get it free, because there is too much flex in the mount where the bolt connects the tie rod end. After getting it free, I moved the vice grip to the end piece and finished removing it. Be careful not to lose count of the turns or let the collar spin while wrestling with the vice grips.

I counted the revolutions, so I could put the new tie rod end in as close as possible to the previous setting. It still needs an alignment, but this hopefully gets it close enough to drive temporarily.

I wish I had thought to counted the number of turns on the top bolt when I removed it. This bolt actually sets toe-in curve by controlling how far the stud goes in to the housing. I looked at the other front wheel setup, and tried to match it.

Tools and Torque specs: (Outer tie rod end only)
Jack and jack-stand(s). (I jacked up both front wheels)
17mm socket to remove stock wheel lugs (120 Nm / 89 ft.lbs).
22mm open-end or flare-nut wrench to remove jam-nut. I guess you’ll need a 22mm crows foot if you are going to set the torque (40Nm / 30 ft. lbs).
13mm socket to remove top bolt (7 Nm /62 in lbs).
16mm socket to remove pinch bolt nut (45 NM / 33 ft lbs).
18mm flare-nut wrench to hold tie rod collar.
8oz stubby ball peen hammer.
2lb sledge with 10" handle.
Torch to heat pinch bolt.
8-9” Vicegrips or other tool to unscrew outer from tie rod.
Punch (or old bolt) to push out pinch bolt.
Torque wrench to install pinch bolt nut and lugs (new bolt recommended).

 

I forgot to picture the big Vicegrip / locking pliers.