corne

It's been 3 years and 70 000 km's, and now I have to replace theboot myself... I have looked in the archives and I now have a few questions.

I see you have to loosen the lower control arm/ball joint, wouldn't that damage the inner rubber of the control arm?(The rubber that holds the control arm in place on the side closest to your inner CV boot)

All way I know is to loosen the whole CV and it's shaft and inner CV. I hope that isn't nessecary.

If you have to loosen the control arm can't you lock the spring of the shock while the car is on the ground then, you loosen the ball joint/control arm nut that holds it to the strut, and take it out then, to limit the stress to the control arm rubber?

I believe if you could lock the spring with a rope or something(LOL) and jack the whole front of the car, it won't be nessecary to use excessive power to get the ball joint out of the strut.

Can you help me? I got the new boot (and the old one) from the Audi agents(The other only holds for 5000kms, then it gets sucked in towars the cv and it tears itself to threads).

Thanks
Corne

DaveInSaltLake

remove axle nut from center of wheel/cv joint

jack up car and remove wheel

remove tie rod end with pitman arm puller (not a pickle fork)

leave all the bolts for the inner CV joint alone

remove the thru bolt for the lower ball joint/control arm. remove thru bolt COMPLETELY or you'll run into big problems.

use a 6-foot metal bar to lever the ball joint down out of the suspension.

The whole suspension will now swing freely off of the CV joint.

remove clamps from CV boot and reboot.

If you notice your CV boots collapsing like they're under vacuum then you can 'ventilate' them by loosening the clamp at the small end and prying it open a bit to let some air in. Replace with new clamp. Ventilation should be done when they're installed to make them look like the shape they are when they're in the box.

Alternatively, you CAN remove the whole axle without removing the lower ball joint, but it tends to stress the flexible part of the brake line unless you remove that (and then bleed the brakes). I have the steel pry bar and prefer that method.

s4stylee

The ball joint is a bitch to get out...

austinado16

Dave isn't there a step where you run that axle bolt back into the CV stub to push off the CV joint?

EDIGREG

Also, you should use a new axle bolt, and torque it with weight on the wheels.

DaveInSaltLake

Yes, if you're removing the cv joint from the axle. shouldn't have to do that just to replace boot

DaveInSaltLake

not with a 6 foot breaker bar... pops right out.

islingtonaudi

once the axle bolt is removed (use a new one to replace btw). With the tie-rod disconnected you can unfasten the 6 inner CV bolts and then manipulate the whole assembly out by turning the wheel all the way over to gain access. Be very careful not to bugger up the ABS sensor.
Once out you can pound off the CV joint with a drift, thoroughly clean and reassemble.

DaveInSaltLake

it will press the joint off the axle with very little effort.

mr sarcastic

the old leverage multiplier. i did this exact job yesterday, and i used my trusty pipe lots.