The Ways to Replace Audi Front Upper Control Arms (3)

For the reassembly I have placed the shock/spring assembly in a bench vise. Note the four holes provided for the two studs on the top of the spring assembly. Use the 8 and 2 o�lock positions for the left-side front suspension, as shown here. The right-side front suspension would use the holes at the 10 and 4 o lock positions.

Attach the upper mount to the top of the assembly with two 13mm nuts - you should use new hardware here. Tighten to 15 ft-lbs.

Attach each control arm in its appropriate position with new hardware. Consult the earlier photos for the correct configuration of the unique control arms. The longer arm is toward the front of the vehicle. The nut and bolt are 16mm. Tighten them just enough to hold the control arms in place in a horizontal position.

The Bentley manual specifies that you measure a drop of 47mm, +/- 2mm, from the tip of the upper mount down to the top surface of the control arms. This is where the arms should be positioned as they are tightened into place. The torque spec is 37 ft-lbs, plus a 1/4 turn-a spec that should be finalized after the car is back on the ground. You may find that it¯ impossible to get a torque wrench onto these bolts at that stage, so get it close for now and then add that 1/4 turn on the ground using a conventional wrench. Alternatively, you could jack up the suspension to where it would be with the car on the ground and then tighten it’s his method would give you better access.

The assembly is ready to go back in the car. Note the new shock absorber from the .

As you put the assembly in place, this body-mounted stud threads through a hole in the upper mount to assist you in aligning mount with the bolt holes in the body.

Replace the three upper mount bolts and their washers.

Position the bottom of the shock so that you can secure it to the lower control arm.

Use a new nut and bolt to secure the shock. Note that I’ll put the bolt to the front side of the arm rather than the rear to make it easier to remove the bolt in the future. On this side its removal won’t be obstructed by the rear control arm.

Tighten the bolt to 74 ft-lbs

Remove the plastic protective caps from the upper control arm ball joints.

Place some anti-seize lubricant on the ball joints to assist in their installation and potential removal later. Note the semi-circular groove around the post of each ball joint. The pinch bolt rests in this groove when it is installed l need to get that groove deep enough into the upright that the pinch bolt can pass through.

Align the ball joints with the holes in the upright. You will need to manipulate the ball joints themselves to get the metal posts of the joints to align perfectly with the holes. Once you get them into position, use a rubber mallet to tap the joints down into the holes in the uprights. It’s a tight space to work in. Your goal is to get the end of the metal post of the ball joint roughly flush with the underside of the hole in the upright to allow the pinch bolt to line up with the semi-circular groove in the ball joint.

Once the ball joints are pushed far enough into the upright, you can pass the pinch bolt through the upright from the rear and secure it with a 16mm nut attached to the front of the upright. Use some anti-seize lubricant and new hardware and torque the nut and bolt to 30 ft-lbs.

As mentioned earlier, it may be easier to perform the final torque application for the upper control arm bolts without the wheel and tire in the way. If you jack the front suspension up to an approximation of the resting ride height, you can access these bolts like so - but you probably won’t be able to get a torque wrench in there.

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