I am faced with the problem of both upper control arm ball joints being worn and loose on my front drivers side 99 A4 Avant. Without tearing it all apart and having to ride my bike everywhere, are these joints replaceable? The control arms and inner buschings are in perfect shape, so it would be a shame to have to replace the entire unit. I would think these joints are held in by some type of snap ring and think either that is worn or the whole joint needs to be pressed out and replaced. If anyone has any experience with this, please let me know, cause I am not one to get reamed by a dealer and prefer to make my own repairs. Thanks.

 

its a complete unit

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecommerc...ch_Results.asp
this is just a guide on price, the company is who I use in the UK

 

yep they dont sell just the boot. it can be a tough job but its really straight forward. but the whole strut needs to be pulled out to remove them. www.ecstuning.com sells them in a kit for a reasonable price. $300



some have problems with the pinch bolt, it has a tendency to rust in place. i personally didnt have this problem though.
heres a write up that didnt help much but it will give you an idea of what all needs to be done.

http://www.customperf.com/Installation_fauca.htm

 

It's much easier to take the whole shock assembly and bearing housing out and use a 4 foot breaker bar to take the pinch bolt out.

 

since your putting new bolts in no problem on the pinch bolt



[IMG]local://upfiles/12092/0D07FC0140ED47D1B2A6B0C5A08723A3.jpg[/IMG]

 

I've got a set of tierod ends for sale too.