Rear lower control arm stuck (alignment bolt seized)

[Jack P]

Hi all - anyone have any advice for removing the eccentric bolt for the alignment of the rear lower control arms. The nut on the back is completely seized in there and there is not enough room to get an impact in, or even a breaker bar. The nut is starting to show signs of rounding due to the 18mm spanner slipping so many times. I have the same issue on both sides and it’s the only thing in the way of me fitting new bushings and being able to finally get a rear alignment.

I’ve tried heat, WD40, a hammer, and lots of prying with a spanner - short of pulling so hard that the car falls off of the jacks, the only thing I can think of is a grinder - yet the limited space also presents an issue here. Anyone else had this problem and overcame it? I do have replacement bolts on the way for reassembly.

The picture isn’t great, but the clearance between the nut and the haldex diff is only a few cm, and the other side (the adjustment side with the eccentric washer) has the back box in the way (although the eccentric washer would prevent me from undoing from this side anyway)

Thanks in advance - Jack

2007 3.2L quattro manual TT Coupe - red

[Steve Q]

Hey mate could you try an air chisel or sawsall? 

Also found this link mate: 

https://www.ttforum.co.uk/threads/seized-rear-control-arm-preventing-4-wheel-alignment.180551/ 

I'd also recommend you update the bushes with powerflex ones so you won't have to replace them again. 

[Jack P]

I don’t have an air chisel but a sawsall type tool is what I’ll be looking at as my final option if i don’t get them off by next Saturday 🙂 I’ve ordered some FlowFlex poly bushings to go in, as well as new alignment bolts and I’ll be sure to give it all a good coat of copper grease before tightening down!! In due course I’ll be replacing all the bushings with poly ones, but for now it was just these as a matter of urgency before my trip. May also order some for the outer part of the arm too and do those two in one go 

https://floflex.co.uk/product/audi-tt-mk2-rear-lower-arm-inner-bushes-in-polyurethane/

[Steve Q]

5 minutes ago, Jack P said:

I don’t have an air chisel but a sawsall type tool is what I’ll be looking at as my final option if i don’t get them off by next Saturday 🙂 I’ve ordered some FlowFlex poly bushings to go in, as well as new alignment bolts and I’ll be sure to give it all a good coat of copper grease before tightening down!! In due course I’ll be replacing all the bushings with poly ones, but for now it was just these as a matter of urgency before my trip. May also order some for the outer part of the arm too and do those two in one go 

https://floflex.co.uk/product/audi-tt-mk2-rear-lower-arm-inner-bushes-in-polyurethane/

Other than persistence, a hammer, heat etc im not sure 

[Stevey Y]

21 hours ago, Steve Q said:

Other than persistence, a hammer, heat etc im not sure 

Hi a blowtorch or if you don't fancy that Halfords do a freeze spray that works quite well, just clean the end of the bolt with a wire brush as that allows the penetrating oil to get into the thread, my preferred combination is Plusgas and the Turbo sockets that you tap on they have a sort of spiral grip system that bites into the nut and won't let go, sometimes they destroy the nut but thats ok if you have replacements.

Steve.

[Jack P]

1 hour ago, Stevey Y said:

Hi a blowtorch or if you don't fancy that Halfords do a freeze spray that works quite well, just clean the end of the bolt with a wire brush as that allows the penetrating oil to get into the thread, my preferred combination is Plusgas and the Turbo sockets that you tap on they have a sort of spiral grip system that bites into the nut and won't let go, sometimes they destroy the nut but thats ok if you have replacements.

Steve.

Ah thanks! I’ll have to look into those Turbo sockets - and a bigger blow torch maybe! That freeze spray is something I’ve not come across before so I’ll keep an eye out for it too 🙂 I probably won’t get a chance to try anything else now until Saturday. I was also thinking maybe those small die-grinder things (5cm cutting disks) that go in the end of a dremmel or drill (i have a drill attachment with a cable that is the size of a small dremmel but with all the power of a masonry drill 😂)

Jack

[Stevey Y]

12 hours ago, Jack P said:

Ah thanks! I’ll have to look into those Turbo sockets - and a bigger blow torch maybe! That freeze spray is something I’ve not come across before so I’ll keep an eye out for it too 🙂 I probably won’t get a chance to try anything else now until Saturday. I was also thinking maybe those small die-grinder things (5cm cutting disks) that go in the end of a dremmel or drill (i have a drill attachment with a cable that is the size of a small dremmel but with all the power of a masonry drill 😂)

Jack

Hi Jack the turbo sockets Rock as normally they get the bolt turning as well and the Plusgas is a must especially in the rust eating version, give it a soak overnight for best results, get the car up as high as you can so you can get a extension bar on it and worse ways get a tube on the end of the bar, you only need enough grunt on it to get it started, the problem with the grinder is it cuts the nut off flush so you then have the problem of trying to get the now flush bolt out having looked at the picture again it looks like you could get a nut splitter around it which grips the nut while you wind in the carbon steel blade which splits the nut and releases the tension whilst still leaving the bolt to be bashed through, only other advice is get everything you need around you as once you start there is no going back.

Steve.

[Stevey Y]

3 minutes ago, Stevey Y said:

Hi Jack the turbo sockets Rock as normally they get the bolt turning as well and the Plusgas is a must especially in the rust eating version, give it a soak overnight for best results, get the car up as high as you can so you can get a extension bar on it and worse ways get a tube on the end of the bar, you only need enough grunt on it to get it started, the problem with the grinder is it cuts the nut off flush so you then have the problem of trying to get the now flush bolt out having looked at the picture again it looks like you could get a nut splitter around it which grips the nut while you wind in the carbon steel blade which splits the nut and releases the tension whilst still leaving the bolt to be bashed through, only other advice is get everything you need around you as once you start there is no going back.

Steve.

P.S. when you reassemble the new bolts don't use copper grease as I have found it will eventually go hard and seize again, my weapon of choice these days is Aluminium Anti Seize paste as this never degrades and has a temp rating of 0-2000 degrees thats why they use it on the threads of oxygen sensors etc so they don't rust in.

[Steve Q]

Hey mate, how'd you get on removing the nut?

[Jack P]

14 hours ago, Steve Q said:

Hey mate, how'd you get on removing the nut?

The nut is off, using heat and a lot of leg strength - however the bolt is seized into the bushing and freely moves with the bushing which absorbs all of the impact of any tools i have to remove it - and my angle grinder doesn’t reach into the gap. So the nut will be going back on and I’ll be giving up, taking it to a garage and getting them to do it instead. I don’t like admitting defeat but I have 4 days (where im working all day) before I fly out to Norway, and I need the car working as soon as i return unfortunately, so my time to experiment with removal methods has run out 😅 Will be dropping off at a garage on Tuesday morning hopefully (after the bank holiday)

[Steve Q]

7 hours ago, Jack P said:

The nut is off, using heat and a lot of leg strength - however the bolt is seized into the bushing and freely moves with the bushing which absorbs all of the impact of any tools i have to remove it - and my angle grinder doesn’t reach into the gap. So the nut will be going back on and I’ll be giving up, taking it to a garage and getting them to do it instead. I don’t like admitting defeat but I have 4 days (where im working all day) before I fly out to Norway, and I need the car working as soon as i return unfortunately, so my time to experiment with removal methods has run out 😅 Will be dropping off at a garage on Tuesday morning hopefully (after the bank holiday)

Sorry it didn't come free. !Removed! annoying when that happens. Hopefully the garage can sort it quickly for you 🙂