DIY - Front Axles - Most pre-B8 cars

DIY/TECH/INFORMATIVE
#1

Why: 1. CV boots leak
2. Required to be removed for other repairs

Other Step required after certain steps:

  1. Remove the front and rear belly pans: http://audirevolution.net/forum/index.php?topic=2922.0

Parts Required:

  1. Axle
  2. Large 17mm allen shoulder bolt that screws into the outer CV joint because it is a stretch bolt
  3. Blue locktite
  4. CV boot - if replacing

Torque Specs:

  1. 17 mm lug bolts - 120 Nm or 90 ft-lbs
  2. large 17 mm allen axle shoulder bolt - must be replaced because it is a stretch bolt - usually 200 Nm + 180 degree turn or 200 Nm + 90 degree turn + 90 degree turn
  3. 10 mm triple square bolts that hold the inner CV joint to the transmission flange - 40 Nm
  4. 6 mm allen bolts that hold the axle heat shield on - 23 Nm

Tools Required:

  1. long 1/2" breaker bar
  2. 1/2" extensions
  3. 17mm 1/2" drive socket
  4. 17mm allen 1/2" drive socket
  5. 3 pound hammer - a smaller hammer might work
  6. 10 mm 3/8" drive triple square socket - preferably a long socket
  7. 3/8" extensions
  8. 3/8" ratchet
  9. x2 16 mm wrenches or a 16 mm wrench and a 16 mm 3/8" socket
  10. x2 18 mm wrenches or a 18 mm wrench and a 18 mm 3/8" socket
  11. 13 mm wrench or socket
  12. long prybar
  13. long ball end 6 mm allen 3/8" socket
  14. 1/2" impact gun - very helpful to have
  15. 1/2" torque wrench
  16. 6-8 feet long length of pipe - for a cheaper bar
  17. small 90 degree pick
  18. flat head screwdriver
  19. floor jack
  20. jack stand
  21. set of ramps to drive the car up on

Steps:

  1. Park the car on a level surface with the transmission parked in Park for an Automatic or in First gear for a manual. Also set the parking brake.
  2. Remove the center cap of the wheel if you wheels have center caps.

If you have the stock Avus wheels then there is a small hole that you can use a pick to pull the cap off with.

http://c1552172.r72.cf0.rackcdn.com/219894_x600.jpg

If you have aftermarket wheels with center caps then you probably have to loosen lug bolts, jack up the car so that the wheel is off the ground, remove the wheel, pop the center cap out by hitting it from the back, then bolt the wheel back on, and then lower the car back down.

http://c1552172.r72.cf0.rackcdn.com/469477_x600.jpg

  1. Hammer the 17 mm allen 1/2 socket into the big axle bolt through the hole in the middle of the center cap opening. You want to get the socket all the way into the bolt because these bolts are on tight. Once the socket is in there, attach enough 1/2" extensions so that your 1/2" breaker bar will clear the body of the car. Then loosen the big axle bolt - remember that to loosen most bolts, they are turned counter-clockwise. I know that the picture below shows the other way so I wanted to point this out. You may need to put the length of pipe over the breaker bar and then stand on it to get enough torque to get the bolt loosened. In the past I have had to have three people stand on the pipe to break the bolt free because it was so badly rusted. You don’t want to remove the big axle bolt but just loosen it enough so that it can spin freely.


http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/IMG_06571_zps03d7f098.jpg

http://www.audiworld.com/tech/pics/wheel58_img_0385.jpg

  1. Use the 17 mm 1/2" socket, 1/2" extensions, and 1/2" breaker bar to loosen the lug bolts. Just loosen them and do not remove them yet.

  2. Jack up the front of the car and put a jack stand under the pinch welds on the side or subframe. Leave the floor jack under the car as an additional support just in case.

  3. Remove the lug bolts, remove the wheel/tire, thread the lug bolts back in a few turns.

  4. Remove the belly pans front and rear. http://audirevolution.net/forum/index.php?topic=2922.0

  5. Remove the axle heat shield on the side of the transmission. There are three 6 mm allen bolts that hold the axle heat shield on. Then you can remove the heat shields by sliding them to the side over the axle shaft. I use the long ball end 6 mm allen socket, some extensions, and a 3/8 drive ratchet to remove those bolts.

Front bolt on the driver’s side:

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/20140903_113746_resized_zps1a00fde2.jpg

Middle/top bolt hole on the driver’s side. This bolt was already removed by the owner. Pro-tip: do not put this bolt back in on either side since it is such a pain in the ass to get in/out.

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/20140903_113720_resized_zpse4a28afb.jpg

Rear bolt on the driver’s side:

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/20140903_113657_resized_zps4fd8b38f.jpg

The passenger side is basically the same but the bolts are in a slightly different place.

This is how I slide the heat shields out:

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/20140903_114800_resized_zps1ed9698e.jpg


http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/20140903_114812_resized_zps4f97cbde.jpg


http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/20140903_114823_resized_zps328c1bab.jpg

  1. Stick the flat head screwdriver into the fins of the brake rotor to hold the axle in place against the brake caliper. It is also possible to loosen the big axle bolt with the wheel off by doing this too but it is not recommended.


http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/20140903_113858_resized_zps0202067b.jpg

  1. Remove all six 10 mm triple square bolts that hold the inner CV joint to the transmission flange. You should be able to rotate the axle to get a better angle on some of the bolts. Use a hammer to tap the inner CV joint to knock it free from the transmission flange.


http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/20140903_113812_resized_zps3b0d8e18.jpg

  1. Now that the axle is mostly loose to move there are a few different options of removing the front axles from the car.

A. The upward route. This route requires disconnecting the front upper suspension and tie rods. The problem with this route is corrosion typically makes certain parts hard to get out. It can be very frustrating if you live in a salt state or Canada.

To go this route follow these steps:

  1. You need to loosen up the wiring that goes to the brake caliper for the brake pad wear sensors. Just pop it off the brake caliper so that it is free to move.
  2. Remove the 16 mm pinch bolt and nut that hold the front upper control arms in and knock the ball joints of the front upper control arms out of the wheel bearing housing.
  3. Loosen the 13 mm bolt that screws into the top of the tie rod so that it is just few turns in.
  4. Remove the 16 mm nut and then the oddly shaped bolt that holds the tie rod in.
  5. Tap the tie rod out of the wheel bearing housing with a hammer. I like to start by hitting the 13 mm bolt on top to get it down a little bit, then remove that bolt, and finish off hitting the tie rod out.
  6. Loosen the big axle shoulder bolt so that it is only two to three turns in and hit the bolt so that it pushes the outer CV joint out of the wheel bearing. Once the bolt hits the wheeling bearing stop hitting it and remove the bolt.
  7. Remove the big axle bolt and remove the outer CV joint from the wheel bearing.
  8. Now the axle should just pull right out.

B. The downward route. This route requires disconnecting the lower control arms (bushing ends) from the subframe and the shock. The problem with this route is that the lower control arm bushings need to be tightened with the vehicle weight on the wheels. To do that properly the car should be driven up onto ramps and lowered cars will have issues with that.

To go this route follow these steps:

  1. Use a 16 mm wrench to loosen the lower sway bar end link bolt that holds the end link to the sway bar and then remove the bolt.
  2. Use the 18 mm wrenches or wrench and socket combo to loosen the three 18 mm bolts and nuts for the lower control arms. Remove all three nuts and bolts. This can be fun at times so you may need to hammer the bolts out with a striking prybar or with a hammer and flat head screwdriver.
  3. Disconnect both lower control arms at the bushing ends from the subframe and the frontward lower control has to be freed up from the bottom of the shock.
  4. Loosen the big axle shoulder bolt so that it is only two to three turns in and hit the bolt so that it pushes the outer CV joint out of the wheel bearing. Once the bolt hits the wheeling bearing stop hitting it and remove the bolt.
  5. Remove the big axle bolt and remove the outer CV joint from the wheel bearing.
  6. Now the axle should just pull right out.
  7. Note for reinstall - put the bolts for the lower control arm bushings in loosely and then fully tighten them with the vehicle weight on the tires. Some people cheat by jacking up the front wheel bearing housing until the car starts to come off the jack stand. The better thing to do would be to everything back on, drive the car up onto ramps, and then fully tighten those three nuts and bolts.

C. Sideward route: This route is kind of a hybrid of the previous two. It requires disconnecting the tie rod from the top of the wheel bearing housing, the lower rearward control arm from the subframe, and then turning the wheel bearing housing so that the front of the axle can be pulled out.

To go this route follow these steps:

  1. Loosen the 13 mm bolt that screws into the top of the tie rod so that it is just few turns in.
  2. Remove the 16 mm nut and then the oddly shaped bolt that holds the tie rod in.
  3. Tap the tie rod out of the wheel bearing housing with a hammer. I like to start by hitting the 13 mm bolt on top to get it down a little bit, then remove that bolt, and finish off hitting the tie rod out.
  4. Use the 18 mm wrenches or wrench and socket combo to loosen the 18 mm bolt and nut for the lower rearward curved control arm. Remove the nut and bolt. This can be fun at times so you may need to hammer the bolts out with a striking prybar or with a hammer and flat head screwdriver.
  5. Disconnect lower rearward curved control arm at the bushing end from the subframe.
  6. Loosen the big axle shoulder bolt so that it is only two to three turns in and hit the bolt so that it pushes the outer CV joint out of the wheel bearing. Once the bolt hits the wheeling bearing stop hitting it and remove the bolt.
  7. Remove the big axle bolt and remove the outer CV joint from the wheel bearing. You need to turn the wheel bearing housing towards the front to get the outer CV joint out.
  8. Once the outer CV joint is free the axle should just pull right out.
  9. Note for reinstall - put the bolt and nut for the lower rearward curved control arm in loosely and then fully tighten them with the vehicle weight on the tires. Some people cheat by jacking up the front wheel bearing housing until the car starts to come off the jack stand. The better thing to do would be to everything back on, drive the car up onto ramps, and then fully tighten that nut and bolt.

D. Inward route: This route can only be done after the transmission is removed so it is not for the vast majority of people reading this DIY.

To go this route:

  1. Loosen the big axle shoulder bolt so that it is only two to three turns in and hit the bolt so that it pushes the outer CV joint out of the wheel bearing. Once the bolt hits the wheeling bearing stop hitting it and remove the bolt.

  2. Remove the big axle bolt and remove the outer CV joint from the wheel bearing.

  3. Now the axle should just pull right out into the middle of the car.

  4. Put everything back in reverse order. When tightening the big axle bolt, you want to tighten it with the wheels/tires back on and the car on the ground. I also like to use blue locktite on the threads of the 10 mm triple square bolts that hold the inner CV joint to the transmission flange just to make sure that they stay tight.