Hi, I've seen several posts but there wasn't any that addressed my question as I expected. So I'm going to place this post as detailed as possible and hope that someone out there may help me.

I have a Audi A4 Quattro from 1998 V6 2.8L manual, since I got the car the left rear wheel bearing is messed up (drivers side).

I bought a new one (rear wheel bearing kit) at ecs however when I was trying to replace it I got a major issue with the eccentric bolt. It simply doesn't come out. It's the one on the picture below.

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[/align][align=right](thanks to Marc P @ audiworld 2006)
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Please refer to the next image as a guidance for the part I'm talking about at this location

Link

Ok, I was able to unscrew the locking nut and remove it also I was able to remove the eccentric washer (I marked it before doing so).

After this there was no way I could remove the eccentric bolt, I tried hammering it out, air drill, basically everything I could remember of.

The status at this point is, the bolt rotates but doesn't come out the thread is only at the bottom where the locking nut is so I don't know what is going on.


So, bottom line is: How do I take the bolt out? Can I cut it? And if I do, how do I know if it is going to come out? I mean it might be stuck in the middle (that might be the current issue) and will not come out.

Any help is highly appreciated.

Thank you very much.
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It could be that it's just being held in place by tension from the suspension. I didn't run into that on my car, but I have on other cars, and I used a long metal bar (around 5 feet long), put it through the suspension, and levered the suspension down to unload the pressure on that joint, and was able to have a friend remove the bolt when I did so. Spray it up with PB Blaster to help with any binding (although if it rotates, you probably don't have to worry about that, but still...), try levering the suspension in different directions while someone else works the bolt, and you may be able to get it free that way.

 

Everything was disconnected such that there is no load on the bolt. Any other ideas, short of cutting the bolt itself? Thank you

 

maybe put a jack under the hub and lift it a bit to take the tension off.

 

Hi guys, just want to thank you for your sujestions. I worked on the car this morning, however the f@ck#ng bolt won't come out! (pardon my french)
I literally tried everything following all the stuff I found online, books, sujestions, you name it!
Basically I got a local mechanic that will do the job for $150. Little does he know what he is getting himself into!
Thanks very much once again guys!

 

I did my bearing not long ago and that bolt is just a bolt that should just tap out. If it is rotating it shouldslide out. "Should" can be an irritating word sometimes.There may be a groove worn in the bolt that the suspension arm is sitting in. As others have mentioned, tap it while someone moves the arm around. By the way I hope the brake caliper is not hanging from the hose, the weight can damage the hose inside. B.

 

Heheh, best of luck to him - hope you got that price in writing He may be able to heat it up and get it out though - maybe that'll work.

 

I think I had a simular problem when I did my first wheel bearing... IIRC I just removed the lower control arm with the knuckle and took the whole thing to a shop to have the bearing pressed on. If you did that you could probably have them press the bolt out too so you can puta new one back in. That's what I'd probably do.

 

Ok guys, problem solved. I just want to thank you all for your sujestions and tell you that honestly I tried them all but the damn bolt didn't came out.
I took it to the mechanic I told you guys about and I got the price I told you.
Summary: I bought the wheel bearing and eccentric bolt from ECS Tunning, took that stuff the the car shop and it cost me $151.90US in labor.
Not a bad deal, I'm thinking on going there to take the Devil's bolts in the front upper suspension arms... The guy already said it's perfectly ok for me to buy the parts work on the car and whatever I'm not able to do just get the car to him! Really cool...
If any of you guys need and live on or around Baltimore, MD just send me a PM.
The only problem with this guy is that he doesn't deal with electronics whell, I think you can't get everything...

 

Did he tell you why you couldn't get the bolt out?