S6 Suspension overhaul.

[Wrath]

Hi
If took is still available I will bay it,need to do my front shockers
If you bay it would you lend it to me I will pay postage etc and return to you when done
Please
Thanks

Maybe i buy more of them as they are avabiable in Sweden looks like there is demand for them hehe...

[Vorsprung durch Technik]

I think I have that tube tool in my garage, never used or Maybe used ones when i dimantled The original shocks and with my bilstein i will never need it, 10 quid + parcel and its yours, its not OEM but it should work...

Hi Wrath,thanks for your offer that's much appreciated.Can i let your know tomorrow. What make is yours,Hazet plus others i can't think of?

[Wrath]

The brand is from a local carparts store er have in Sweden, its like wallmart/homedepot, basicilly its just a metall tubing..

[UrS4boy]

C4 front strut insert replacement DIY

Hi Wrath,thanks for your offer that's much appreciated.Can i let your know tomorrow. What make is yours,Hazet plus others i can't think of?

Mark: I have no idea why you have rejected the "Stilson" pipe wrench solution. It is almost beautiful in the way it works so well. Plus you can do other things with it. In the time you have spent looking for the "proper" wrench, you could have replaced both strut inserts using the Stilson.

C4 Strut cartridge/insert replacement by Zwoobah (an Audi enthusiast):

"1. Jack up car, remove wheels (Edit: loosen nuts with wheels on ground?)

2. place jack under front control arm, and raise it to relieve the tension on the spring.

3. remove center nut on top of upper strut mount, which holds the shock shaft. remove 3 17mm inner nuts which hold the upper strut mount to the lower mount (the outer 3 13mm nuts do not get removed). gently lower jack, allowing spring to fully extend

4. use a big-*** pipe ("Stilson") wrench or the audi special tool to remove the nut holding the shock inside the strut. remove upper strut mount, metal cap below upper strut mount (on shock shaft), and shock (with the nut that holds it in)

5. use two spring compressors to compress the spring as much as possible. now, the strut and spring will hang down *just* enough that you can get your fingers up in there, and manipulate the lower strut mount to get the bearing out from below. remove bearing, noting that the little "tab" that indicates the direction it should be mounted is closest to the engine bay

6. slip the new bearings in place. make sure to get the semicicrular relief cutouts properly aligned so that they match up with the studs that hold the upper mount in place (this will be pretty clear when you do it, a little hard to imagine though)

7. remove spring compressors, making sure the bearing stays properly located and that the spring is located correctly under the upper mount

8. place jack under control arm, raise until strut is vertical under top opening, so you can install the new shocks. install shocks, and metal cap on top of shock shaft, and slide the big strut cap nut down the shaft so you can tighten it later.

9. install new upper strut mounts. put the 17mm nuts on the 3 studs first, then tighten the center 22mm nut, then re-tighten the 3 17mm. attempt to get camber settings similar to old settings when you tighten these bolts.

10. lower jack, allowing the spring to extend again. use big-*** pipe wrench through the spring coils to tighten the strut cap nut. reinstall the rubber dust boot over the lower plastic lip that holds it. check that everything is aligned. reinstall plastic dust caps in engine bay. done"

[Mikes2]

So how do you apply the correct torque using the Stilsons

[Vorsprung durch Technik]

Mark: I have no idea why you have rejected the "Stilson" pipe wrench solution.

Thanks Dave for your 1 - 10 guide using the stilsons.Why don't i want to use stilsons? I have used the stilsons approach before on B4 80's and whilst the stilsons are indeed very good at getting hold of crusty caps and cracking them they leave heavy marks plus you can't re torque. The C3/C4 designers gave us a nice way of undoing these strut caps so i want to use that and be able to torque it down correctly and it's easier. I am not just doing the S6,i also have fully removed the 30v ACK suspension and am stripping the front struts on those too,plus i will be doing this again on the S6 avant eventually.

[UrS4boy]

So how do you apply the correct torque using the Stilsons

Easy. Set the torque on the Stilson to goodandfreakingtight.

[Vorsprung durch Technik]

Easy. Set the torque on the Stilson to goodandfreakingtight.

And coming from the professor that's rather Heath Robinson.

[Wrath]

Using a plumbertool in a car? Thats not my cup of Tea

[Vorsprung durch Technik]

Many thanks for your offer Wrath of a tool and ordinarily i would have snatched you hand off but this afternoon i got luckyish and won a genuine Audi 2069 A tool i have known about for several days. Thanks again Wrath.

[Wrath]

No problem mate, I can store it in The Audi shelf for a rainy day you never know when you need one...

[Vorsprung durch Technik]

Exactly,you never know you might buy another S6 and it could come in handy.

[Mikes2]

surely you want the VAG2069a which has the 33mm hex

[Vorsprung durch Technik]

Well it's arrived this morning as advertised a genuine 2069A Audi Vag 33mm hex tool and fits not just the S6 strut but also the 2.8 ACK C4 strut. It's heavy, weighing almost 4lb.

[spink]

Mark: I have no idea why you have rejected the "Stilson" pipe wrench solution. It is almost beautiful in the way it works so well. Plus you can do other things with it. In the time you have spent looking for the "proper" wrench, you could have replaced both strut inserts using the Stilson.

C4 Strut cartridge/insert replacement by Zwoobah (an Audi enthusiast):

"1. Jack up car, remove wheels (Edit: loosen nuts with wheels on ground?)

2. place jack under front control arm, and raise it to relieve the tension on the spring.

3. remove center nut on top of upper strut mount, which holds the shock shaft. remove 3 17mm inner nuts which hold the upper strut mount to the lower mount (the outer 3 13mm nuts do not get removed). gently lower jack, allowing spring to fully extend

4. use a big-*** pipe ("Stilson") wrench or the audi special tool to remove the nut holding the shock inside the strut. remove upper strut mount, metal cap below upper strut mount (on shock shaft), and shock (with the nut that holds it in)

5. use two spring compressors to compress the spring as much as possible. now, the strut and spring will hang down *just* enough that you can get your fingers up in there, and manipulate the lower strut mount to get the bearing out from below. remove bearing, noting that the little "tab" that indicates the direction it should be mounted is closest to the engine bay

6. slip the new bearings in place. make sure to get the semicicrular relief cutouts properly aligned so that they match up with the studs that hold the upper mount in place (this will be pretty clear when you do it, a little hard to imagine though)

7. remove spring compressors, making sure the bearing stays properly located and that the spring is located correctly under the upper mount

8. place jack under control arm, raise until strut is vertical under top opening, so you can install the new shocks. install shocks, and metal cap on top of shock shaft, and slide the big strut cap nut down the shaft so you can tighten it later.

9. install new upper strut mounts. put the 17mm nuts on the 3 studs first, then tighten the center 22mm nut, then re-tighten the 3 17mm. attempt to get camber settings similar to old settings when you tighten these bolts.

10. lower jack, allowing the spring to extend again. use big-*** pipe wrench through the spring coils to tighten the strut cap nut. reinstall the rubber dust boot over the lower plastic lip that holds it. check that everything is aligned. reinstall plastic dust caps in engine bay. done"

With the proper tool you could have changed both front shockers and cooked a sunday dinner in that time,it really is a sub 5 minute job (unless the shocker is seized into the strut housing then an engine crane attached to the top of the shocker might be needed to dislodge it,the car sometimes lifts off the ground if its seized really badly)