ball joint connector bolt

TVonaStone · 04-22-2012, 08:32 AM

i am trying to remove the lower control arm ball joint that is connected to the wheel hub. i have already removed the pinch bolt(the horizontal bolt and nut). all that is left is a vertical bolt that goes through the lowest part of the wheel hub and then through the ball joint. also this bolt has a completely round head and a dimple in the middle of the head. I have tried prying it off as i dont think it has threads. and dont want to deform the head (using the method to take out rounded bolts that were previously hex head bolts)to get it removed. Does anyone know how to remove this stubborn bolt so that i could move the wheel hub away. This is for C4 '98 A6 avant by the way. Any help or ideas would be helpful. thanks in advance!

also, I thought about a ball joint removal tool but I didnt want to break the ball joint boot cuz the the control arm looks good.

A6Gary · 04-22-2012, 10:00 PM

If you removed the pinch bolt, then the only part that is holding the ball joint in the hub is the tapered stud on the ball joint, which can be loosened with a ball joint removal tool (I think you're referencing a "pickle fork", which can damage the rubber boot). Looking at ETKA, I do not see any other nut that you are mentioning.

TVonaStone · 04-23-2012, 07:47 AM

[IMG]

[/IMG]

1.ball joint connector bolt
2.control arm
3.where the pinch bolt and nut was placed
4.back of the wheel hub

5.the sway bar(rusty pipe connected to the subframe and control arm that doesnt look like it moves) connector

[IMG]

[/IMG]

6.the ball joint

all i wanted was to remove the wheel hub to get an inch more access to reinstall my cv axle and now i have to mess a lot with the suspension

. I just cant afford to break anything thats why i want to move the least amount of stuff. but i think now i have to disconnect the sway bar from the control arm too. if that is necessary could someone let me know the size of the sway bar to control arm bolt and nut(cuz its bigger than anything i have). and if i also have to remove the control arm from the subframe to do this job? thanks for the help!

upallnight · 04-23-2012, 01:38 PM

1 is the top of the ball joint, there are no more nuts holding the ball joint to the strut.

The suspension is in tension because there is no weight on the suspension. You will need to carefully place a jack under the wheels stud and jack the suspension a little to remove some of the tension in the suspension. A long pry bar or 2x4 with the 4 dimension vertical will be used to push the control arm down and away from the strut. The ball joint should come out. Getting it back in is another story.

TVonaStone · 04-23-2012, 02:38 PM

I would really love to know that other story

but in the meantime I dont understand this procedure "A long pry bar or 2x4 with the 4 dimension vertical will be used to push the control arm down and away from the strut". The control arm is still connected to the subframe and kinda want it to stay that way. Thanks for the help!

TVonaStone · 04-23-2012, 02:41 PM

wanted to know if I most likely will ruin the bushings or boot of the control arm if I keep the opposite side to the ball joint still connected.

upallnight · 04-23-2012, 03:02 PM

The control arm is still connected to the sub frame, but you wanted to pop the ball joint out, so when you push the control arm down, it will pivot at the sub-frame connection and pop the ball joint from the strut. You want to use the side of a 2 x 4 that will bend less when you go to it as a pry bar so the 4" side will bend less compare with the 2" side.

Go to a home depot or lowes and grab a 8' 2 x 4 and see which side is the easier to flex.

TVonaStone · 04-23-2012, 03:26 PM

thanks for clearing that up. I've got a pry bar but i just didnt know if it was safe to be pushing down on the control arm close to the ball joint. but i guess i gotta take my chances. Also when I jacked the wheel stud up the the rotor would just continue to circle around. so I just lifted from the place where the axle would be. also how far up do i need to jack approximately?

sorry for being so naive but u gotta start off some place

upallnight · 04-24-2012, 02:20 PM

I hope the rest of the car is on decent jack stands and not another jack. When I did my CV boot I used a hydraulic jack to raise the suspension and the car was sitting on two decent jackstands. If you don't have the car properly supported, stop what you are doing and get a decent set of jack stands. I raise the suspension up to the point where the car was just lifting off the jackstands. I lowered the suspension so that the car would be sitting on jackstands before prying the ball joint free from the strut.

Seeing that picture with the scissor jack is really scary. As a safety precaution throw the wheel under the car in case the car fall.

TVonaStone · 04-25-2012, 04:55 AM

no. thanks for ur concern, but i've got a jackstand on the same side and a wheel under the car.

04-23-2012, 07:47 AM	#3
TVonaStone AudiWorld Newcomer 1998 Audi A6 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: connecticut Posts: 7	pics [IMG][/IMG] 1.ball joint connector bolt 2.control arm 3.where the pinch bolt and nut was placed 4.back of the wheel hub 5.the sway bar(rusty pipe connected to the subframe and control arm that doesnt look like it moves) connector [IMG][/IMG] 6.the ball joint all i wanted was to remove the wheel hub to get an inch more access to reinstall my cv axle and now i have to mess a lot with the suspension . I just cant afford to break anything thats why i want to move the least amount of stuff. but i think now i have to disconnect the sway bar from the control arm too. if that is necessary could someone let me know the size of the sway bar to control arm bolt and nut(cuz its bigger than anything i have). and if i also have to remove the control arm from the subframe to do this job? thanks for the help!

04-24-2012, 02:20 PM	#9
upallnight AudiWorld Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 141	I hope the rest of the car is on decent jack stands and not another jack. When I did my CV boot I used a hydraulic jack to raise the suspension and the car was sitting on two decent jackstands. If you don't have the car properly supported, stop what you are doing and get a decent set of jack stands. I raise the suspension up to the point where the car was just lifting off the jackstands. I lowered the suspension so that the car would be sitting on jackstands before prying the ball joint free from the strut. Seeing that picture with the scissor jack is really scary. As a safety precaution throw the wheel under the car in case the car fall. Last edited by upallnight; 04-24-2012 at 02:23 PM.

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04-22-2012, 10:00 PM	#2
A6Gary AudiWorld Super User Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 5,372	If you removed the pinch bolt, then the only part that is holding the ball joint in the hub is the tapered stud on the ball joint, which can be loosened with a ball joint removal tool (I think you're referencing a "pickle fork", which can damage the rubber boot). Looking at ETKA, I do not see any other nut that you are mentioning.

04-23-2012, 01:38 PM	#4
upallnight AudiWorld Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 141	1 is the top of the ball joint, there are no more nuts holding the ball joint to the strut. The suspension is in tension because there is no weight on the suspension. You will need to carefully place a jack under the wheels stud and jack the suspension a little to remove some of the tension in the suspension. A long pry bar or 2x4 with the 4 dimension vertical will be used to push the control arm down and away from the strut. The ball joint should come out. Getting it back in is another story.

04-23-2012, 02:38 PM	#5
TVonaStone AudiWorld Newcomer 1998 Audi A6 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: connecticut Posts: 7	I would really love to know that other story but in the meantime I dont understand this procedure "A long pry bar or 2x4 with the 4 dimension vertical will be used to push the control arm down and away from the strut". The control arm is still connected to the subframe and kinda want it to stay that way. Thanks for the help!

04-23-2012, 02:41 PM	#6
TVonaStone AudiWorld Newcomer 1998 Audi A6 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: connecticut Posts: 7	wanted to know if I most likely will ruin the bushings or boot of the control arm if I keep the opposite side to the ball joint still connected.

04-23-2012, 03:02 PM	#7
upallnight AudiWorld Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 141	The control arm is still connected to the sub frame, but you wanted to pop the ball joint out, so when you push the control arm down, it will pivot at the sub-frame connection and pop the ball joint from the strut. You want to use the side of a 2 x 4 that will bend less when you go to it as a pry bar so the 4" side will bend less compare with the 2" side. Go to a home depot or lowes and grab a 8' 2 x 4 and see which side is the easier to flex.

04-23-2012, 03:26 PM	#8
TVonaStone AudiWorld Newcomer 1998 Audi A6 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: connecticut Posts: 7	thanks for clearing that up. I've got a pry bar but i just didnt know if it was safe to be pushing down on the control arm close to the ball joint. but i guess i gotta take my chances. Also when I jacked the wheel stud up the the rotor would just continue to circle around. so I just lifted from the place where the axle would be. also how far up do i need to jack approximately? sorry for being so naive but u gotta start off some place

04-25-2012, 04:55 AM	#10
TVonaStone AudiWorld Newcomer 1998 Audi A6 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: connecticut Posts: 7	no. thanks for ur concern, but i've got a jackstand on the same side and a wheel under the car.