Rear subframe removal

[steve briance]

I've not read the whole thread but I suspect you think it is more complicated than it actually is.

Undo 6 propshaft bolts before taking the handbrake cable off. This way at least you have some way of locking the rear axle from turning while you undo those bolts. If your handbrake isn't strong enough come up with another plan. These bolts were INCREDIBLY tight in my car and this was the biggest struggle of the whole job.

Undo the ball joints into the rear Hub carrier and disconnect the suspension from the wishbone.

Undo rear track arm at either end depending on what tools you have.

Disconnect roll bar drop link from suspension strut

Unhook the handbrake cable from their bracket on the subframe. If the route your cables take is underneath something then the will need disconnecting from caliper.

Leave calipers where they are.

Jack up trolley jack under the diff and support. (here will be about right to balance it the whole assembly)

Undo the 4 subframe bolts and lower it all down on the jack.

There is no need to undo the exhaust it goes over the top of the subframe and stays in place.

[mllen89]

what steve said, i like to take out driveshafts to, undo center bolt before you remove brake cabels. also remember to undo hoses on diff vacumbox+ sensor cable back off your diff,

i normally put a piece off wood under the diff when i jack it up. an lower it

good luck.

[steve briance]

Haha yes forgot driveshafts!

[larsaskogstad]

Thank you good people for the good tips. The driveshaft/bolts regarding handbrake was quite smart actually.
Now I feel a bit more confident dling the job thanks

[steve briance]

If your handbrake doesn't hold it and you have a helper - stand by car rather than sitting it (makes me nervous if off the ground on stands) and put foot on footbrake will be stronger. If no helper available like me most of the time, it might be worth refitting the wheel and then holding that. If it is near enough to the ground you can use chocks or blocks of wood to wedge under and stop it turning. You will have more 'leverage' being able to hold the wheel still.

Good luck.

[larsaskogstad]

The propshaft/to the diff is over my exhaust. Will this be a problem?

[larsaskogstad]

rear_subframe_1.jpg

[larsaskogstad]

So it was more easy than I first thought.

The problem that haunted me most was the ABS sensors.. Which someone on S2forum facebook told me to loosen inside That made the day so much easier haha. And that I thought the propshaft/driveshaft or what its called was stuck, it just needed a tiny slap with a rubber hammer while my friend pulled the jack againgst him.

Didn't have one rounded bolt/destroyed bolt. Lubed it up yesterday before starting taking it off.

Thanks for the guidance everyone. Appreciate it a lot

Time to shine the subframe, changing everything to verkline poly's street+track

[mllen89]

cool just had mine done, build with bigger axels,Cvs + whiteline swaybar

[larsaskogstad]

Looking good mate
What kind of axles are those? Was considering something like whiteline myself. Is it worth it? For a regular street car?
I guess you can provoke some more oversteer with it?

May I ask what you used for paint or what you did to the subframe? I read someone talked about powdercoating but they also said everything should be galvanized before you do that.

Was thinking of just scrubbing mine down, trying to get it sandblasted and just paint it with some normal paint or hammerite stuff.

- Lars

[steve briance]

Well done getting it off OK!

It's a heavy piece isn't it?!

If you paint / blast / powder coat the outside it will look lovely but, the inside will continue to rust.

Mine (and the wishbines) were stripped of rust with a chemical dip and then galvanised and sprayed with black epoxy paint. You don't need to paint them, I only did to make them look right under the car. The plus side of galvanising is that someone else does the work and just hands you back great look parts to bolt back on.

I don't expect them to come off the car ever again! If they are in good order then it's worth keeping them that way as spares are getting hard to find OR very expensive.

[mllen89]

thanks axels is from audrius bagdonavicius, dont know his name in here.

havent tryed it yet, but others told me that, its one of the best upgrade you can do

all my parts front + rear. Blasted, zinc an then powercoated

[larsaskogstad]

I was thinking about using this rust gel I see some youtubers use when they restore stuff or fix chassi on cars.

Bilt-Hamber
Bilt-Hamber products, Rust-gel and this Hydrate 80 to seal/stop rust.. not sure how good of a product it is but I see it now and then in videos.


To be honest I didnt think it was that heavy hmm, I thought I was gonna struggle a bit but found out it was quite okay actually.
But I had help when taking it out, the last part. rolling it backwards from driveshaft.

[larsaskogstad]

I'm trying to do as much as I can myself since I spent a bit on parts and saving for some other parts later on.
Got the car quite cheap (at least in Norwegian kroner.. .. or.. cheap here).

I would like to not take it off again if possible

[larsaskogstad]

thanks axels is from audrius bagdonavicius, dont know his name in here.
havent tryed it yet, but others told me that, its one of the best upgrade you can do
all my parts front + rear. Blasted, zinc an then powercoated

Custom made axles or from another Audi or?