Stuck pinch bolts and my extractor tool set!

B6/7 S4/RS4
#1

Someone local to me wanted me to replace their upper control arms because the bushings were shot. Here look:

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/PinchBoltsRemovalpictures1_zpsdf655a07.jpg

Well the pinch bolts were stuck. The driver’s side was so stuck that it was going to break if I tried to use more force from either an impact gun or a breaker bar. The passenger side would spin slowly with a impact gun but it wouldn’t come out. We tried using penetrating oil for a week and all sorts of other ways of trying to get the stubborn bolts out. Later on I did some searching and found a company in Germany that sells an extractor kit for these pinch bolts. After six weeks this is what I got:

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/PinchBoltsRemovalpictures8_zpsf943ad18.jpg

Here is the first part of the tool set hooked on to the pinch bolt and wheel bearing housing. The extractor was already run down when I took this picture.

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/PinchBoltsRemovalpictures2_zpsa1b6fb29.jpg

That pulled the bolt out this far:

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/PinchBoltsRemovalpictures3_zps62c69a73.jpg

Then I put this piece on to pull the bolt out farther.

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/PinchBoltsRemovalpictures4_zps625a5d6e.jpg

That got the bolt pulled out a little farther.

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/PinchBoltsRemovalpictures5_zps9762e9c1.jpg

Finally I used a set of locking pliers and a hammer to tap the bolt the rest of the way out.

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/PinchBoltsRemovalpictures6_zpsf6921b5b.jpg

The pinch bolt was bent when I got it out but who cares since we were replacing the bolts and nuts anyways.

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/PinchBoltsRemovalpictures9_zpseabee6cc.jpg

Here is a shot of how the first part of the tool works.

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/PinchBoltsRemovalpictures11_zpsb6fd22ef.jpg

It pulls the bolt out by driving the extractor into the wheel bearing housing.

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/PinchBoltsRemovalpictures10_zpsa1b88b01.jpg

Hopefully you guys enjoyed the pictures and the cool tool set because I know a lot of you guys have had to fight pinch bolts to get them out like me. By the way this tool set is not a dealership tool and I had never seen something like this until I started searching the internet and emailed some people.

#2

Great find Jimmy, got a link? I wish I had this last year when I did all of my control arms. I ended up pulling out the whole knuckle on both sides to take them to a local shop after spending 3 days soaking it in oil and spending hours with a torch, pnuematic hammer, and a vice grips. It ended up taking the shop about 2 hours to finish the job. Apparently I was using a torch that wasn’t hot enough and an air compressor that wasn’t strong enough. Either way, that was a terrible 3 day stretch.

#3

I do have a link but it is outrageously expensive. Most people are not going to buy it because of the price and the long wait. The company that I got the tool through said they weren’t sure if this tool has ever been sold in the USA before.

#4

I love specialty tools. Thanks for sharing.

#5

I fucking hate pinch bolts! Very cool tool. Good stuff Jimmy.

#6

lol, awesome. I love random tools that work great though. Thanks for sharing the pictures and experience. It looks like a pretty high quality set there though.