Opie

So I spent another night messing in the garage with the CV boot r/r. First I carefully scrubbed and cleaned the inboard triple square bolts. 5 came loose, not easily, but with lots of cleaning and carefully applied force. Sadly, the 6th was stripped before I got there. Stripped so bad that my 8mm bit turned loosely inside the triple square bolt by itself. No amount of cleaning or tapping it in harder was going to change it. I've got a rounded triple square.. on the 6th bolt.

Murphy's Law anyone?

So I went back to the stuck ball joint and with some finagling, it eventually slipped out. I turned the hub inward (wheel to the left) and it literally fell right out by itself. In my hands, free at last, was the axle.

So I removed the large clamp with a screw driver and cut away the boot. I then used Katman's trick with vice grips and a sledge hammer to hold the axle in place while I attempted to remove the CV joint with a hammer.

Despite many attempts at hammering it off (on the outer edge, not the cage), I realized that I just couldn't swing the hammer far enough to make a difference. The CV joint is still on the axle. The axle is still in the car. ARRRGH!!!

Tomorrow, I'll probably be driving my wife's 4runner to work and pondering what to do next. I guess I'll have to drill out the stripped triple square (buy a set of replacements at the stealer) and take the axle to a friend's place with a bench vice.

I suppose it's not all bad news. I've never gone this deep into the front end of a car before. Seeing how it's all put together has been interesting. Pics forthcoming...

For those of you searching how to do this in the archives in the future, Here's <a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/4000/msgs/145262.phtml">part I</a>
Here's <a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/4000/msgs/145499.phtml">part II</a>

NJRoadFan

I had a heck of a time getting that CV joint off with a wimpy claw hammer or a ball peen hammer. Once I upgraded to a lump hammer with a solid metal block of a head and a short handle (weighed about 5 lbs., handle about 6 inches long) it popped right off.

You might be able to get that last triple square bolt off with vise grips. The bolts SHOULD be
replaced even if their heads aren't stripped, cheap insurance if you have to do this again.

BTW, you are only two nuts away from removing the strut housing. Its only being held on by the tie rod and top nut. You are lucky the axle fell out of the hub, its quite obvious someone had that car apart before.

Opie

That's what I've got. Wimpy claw hammer.

I just read <a href="https://www.audiworld.com/tech/misc27.shtml"> another writeup</a> where the author used a drift to remove the cv joint. I don't have any drifts but I do have a modified steel punch with a flat tip. I'm tempted to try it but wonder if I'll damage the joint as it's obviously not as soft as brass. Then again, where the author hits the cv joint doesn't look like a critical area for smoothness. I'm not sure how vice grips will help the stripped triple square bolt. How will I turn the vice grips once I get the mouth clamped on the bolt head?

NJRoadFan

<center><img src="http://www.kvquattro.com/13may2006/DSCF0007.JPG"></center><p>Brass is softer so it won't damage the cages. I'd still recommend a BFH similar to the one in the photo, its a must when dealing with these cars. Newer vehicles are somewhat nicer to work on, the strut mount and hub are separate parts held together with bolts. Usually you don't have to mess with a ball joint on those.

Sallad

Just a few days ago I had the exact same problem. So I took a grinder and started removing the head. Once the head was gone it just slid right off.

Jretal

and get a 2lb shot peen filled hammer. I got one from sears w/ a rubber side and a metal side and it's worked wonders on both my A4 and the 4000 (though it's gotten more use on the 4000 :-P)

I bet you 2-3 good whacks w/ that and the CV is coming off in your hand.

As for the rounded bolt. If you can get a grip on it w/ vise grips, go that route. If not, take a 12 point socket slightly smaller than the head of the bolt and hammer it onto the bolt (2lb hammer will be useful here ). Should bite into it enough and then use that to back the bolt out. OR get a dremel tool and put a slot in it and use a screwdriver OR do the Sallad method and just cut the head off all together :-P

Lots'o'options there

Katman

Once you grind (or drill) the head of the bad bolt off, the inner Cv should come right off.

Once the inner CV is out the way, with no load of the bolt, and lots of meat to get visegrips on, easy to get the stub out.

Trying to drill the skidded bolt out (unless just drilling the head off) would probably be a frustrating experience.. :-)

Katman

If you want to undo the bolt (in place) with the vise grips, you just get teh bolt in the jaws of the visegrip, and turn.

Oh.. But the driveshaft turns too?

Ok.. Drop the other side of the car down on the ground (or apply brakes) with the car in gear (careful about the side brakes, if that's apart already) That should stop the driveshaft from turning. ALl you have to do is 'crack' the bolt loose. IF it's only 'partially' stripped, try using both the VGrips AND the triple sqyare at the same time. Sort of spreads the load around (And that'w what I do when I'm undoing GOOD triple square bolts! I don't want them to skid. No way!)

(See why I rather just take the joint off the end of the driveshaft? You shoudl be able to hit on the very inner face of the inner part of the CV joint with the drift without worry. Nothing there that matters. Just don't be slipping and hitting the ***** or the groves. :-)

Good luck!
(Soon you too will be an expert. The next one goes WAY quicker.)

Driveanhourfixfor4

....like inverted easy-outs. You can get'em at Sears too. Size is critical. Too small=they won't fit over the bolt head, too big=they just shave off metal. That said, they've been life savers on a several occasions.<ul><li><a href="http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/VIS-394001.html">http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/VIS-394001.html</a</li></ul>

Opie

Thanks for all the help guys.

I'm going to swing over to Home Depot. Given the likely lack of service (my experience at the Home Despot), what size do you think I should buy?

I can probably borrow a BFH. I'll try that first, but at this point I'm only 1 triple square (rounded) from pulling the axle.