SiRay6
12-16-2017, 12:19 AM
Hi, sorry if this is not the appropriate place to share this. This is my first Audi and I could not for the life of me find anything for the B9. I took some pics and hope this can help others who prefer to see images before tackling an install. Personally, I prefer to know what I'm getting into before starting an install but obviously that didn't happen this time around.
With my busy schedule and the fact that we just had our second child 3-4 months ago, I only installed the fronts last night. I will try to finish the rears this weekend and update the thread. I did not do this install because of budget reasons, I enjoy working on cars and I'm picky about adjusting my coilovers (example: I orient the set screw at the same spot for both sides, I spend a lot of time measuring the height making sure the two sides match exactly).
This is more to share information for those curious, I am not responsible for any damage you do to your cars, if you don't have the experience or confidence, pay to have a professional do it for you. With that said, this was one of the easiest installs I have done. Nothing was overly tight, no nuts/bolts were stripped, everything went smoothly and everything was done with only hand tools. Now that I have done this and know which nuts/bolts were removed, I will go to the dealer to identify which hardware needs to be replaced with new (stretch bolts?).
Below is the order which I personally feel is the easiest so that the install flows well; each step helps with the next step. The goal is the remove the shock/spring assembly from the car so it can be broken down for spring install or to install a complete coilover setup. Get the car up on jack stands and remove the wheels before you begin.
1. Loosen the top three bolts from the upper shock tower area. I used 13mm sockets and a wrench for the one closest to the strut tower brace.
https://i.imgur.com/ez5UN2lh.jpg
2. Remove the upper cap that covers the plug which controls the different damper settings (comfort, auto, dynamic, individual...forget what Audi calls this). You just lift up on the black cap.
https://i.imgur.com/JiLY2Alh.jpg
3. Unplug the wire connector by pulling up on the light colored "clip" first and then carefully unplug the wire connector by wiggling and pulling it up. If you struggle with pulling this off with your fingers, I gently used a box wrench of the appropriate size to help lift up the connect AFTER i lift up the light beige colored "clip" which secures/locks the wire connect down. sorry this is difficult to explain but you will understand when you are doing it.
https://i.imgur.com/0RwWJSVh.jpg
4. Now go to the lower control arm and find the headlight auto leveler arm. Unbolt the nut and swing this aside in a safe location so you don't damage this.
Rear view of the auto leveling arm, the nut is on the front side of the lower control arm.
https://i.imgur.com/J5DJTprh.jpg
Front View - the nut that needs to be removed.
https://i.imgur.com/jxQY9hFh.jpg
6. Find the sway bar endlink (plastic piece that looks like a dog bone and connects the sway bar to the lower shock support). You will need to loosen and remove the upper endlink nut but you don't have to completely remove the bolt until after step 7 since it will be easier after step 7. You will also need to loosen the bottom endlink nut, but you don't have to remove the nut, just loosen it.
https://i.imgur.com/I1In2qhh.jpg
View of endlink disconnected from lower shock support. Notice only the top nut is removed and the bottom part of the endlink is still attached to the sway bar
https://i.imgur.com/FbAlGzPh.jpg
7. Loosen and remove the nut/bolt that connects the lower shock support to the lower control arm. Since you loosened the three upper shock bolts in step 1, and the endlink in step 6, this will allow you to move the suspension up/down to easily pull out the bolt without damaging the threads. I pushed/lifted on the brake rotor hub part. You should not need to use much effort to pull this bolt out.
https://i.imgur.com/GRgBWzPh.jpg
View once the nut/bolt is complete removed.
https://i.imgur.com/LGamRzlh.jpg
8. Loosen and remove the pinch bolt that clamps the lower shock support to the shock. This is located to the rear of the shock.
https://i.imgur.com/Vxvr89lh.jpg
9. In this next step we need to pry the lower shock support wider apart because despite removing the pinch bolt in step 8, there is still a lot of force on the shock where you are unable to remove the shock from the lower shock support. There is a tool you can buy or what I did was use a 1/4" ratcheting wrench and placed it in the opening and turned it half way to pry the opening just enough to remove/separate the shock from the lower shock support.
https://i.imgur.com/2BMQ0UQh.jpg
10. We are almost able to pull the shock/spring assembly out of the car. Loosen and remove the long bolt that secures the two upper arms. My terminology is not accurate so refer to the picture below.
https://i.imgur.com/luOmWMCh.jpg
This is what it looks like once the nut/bolt is pulled out. The entire hub drops down and separates itself from the two upper arms.
https://i.imgur.com/YpLOPT4h.jpg
11. Now you can completely remove the three upper shock bolts which you loosened in step 1 and the shock/spring can be removed from the car.
12. Pull off the plastic cap that is on top of the upper shock mount.
https://i.imgur.com/xLTzIyTh.jpg
13. Compress the spring to unload the shock before loosening and removing the top nut.
https://i.imgur.com/BmKYWCUh.jpg
14. I struggled to remove the upper shock nut because I didn't have the right tools, I still got the job done, but you will need a 21mm offset wrench and a M9 triple square bit.
https://i.imgur.com/njFGUrHh.jpg
For those curious how I did it, I normally use a socket and a vice grip wrench and an allen/triple square bit, but my triple square set was too short so it didn't work. I ended up using a box wrench of the perfect size/width to hold the nut securely in place while i use the M9 triple square socket to turn the shaft. Normally the approach is the hold the shock shaft (m9 triple square socket) secure and turn the nut, I just reversed it by holding the nut secured and turning the shock shaft (m9 triple square socket) in the opposite direction. I obviously don't recommend this way, I simply didn't have the right tools.
https://i.imgur.com/CYRvWqlh.jpg
15. Separate the top hat from the shock.
https://i.imgur.com/MF2eiNyh.jpg
16. Install your springs and reverse the removal process to reinstall the shock. Please don't forget to put the plastic cap onto the shock before installing it back into the car...I forgot this step and the cap cannot be put on once the shock is installed in the car.
https://i.imgur.com/xLTzIyTh.jpg
17. Please note the orientation when reinstalling the shock, the tab circled faces toward the engine and there is a hole in the shock tower that accommodates this tab.
https://i.imgur.com/6vLevEJh.jpg
With my busy schedule and the fact that we just had our second child 3-4 months ago, I only installed the fronts last night. I will try to finish the rears this weekend and update the thread. I did not do this install because of budget reasons, I enjoy working on cars and I'm picky about adjusting my coilovers (example: I orient the set screw at the same spot for both sides, I spend a lot of time measuring the height making sure the two sides match exactly).
This is more to share information for those curious, I am not responsible for any damage you do to your cars, if you don't have the experience or confidence, pay to have a professional do it for you. With that said, this was one of the easiest installs I have done. Nothing was overly tight, no nuts/bolts were stripped, everything went smoothly and everything was done with only hand tools. Now that I have done this and know which nuts/bolts were removed, I will go to the dealer to identify which hardware needs to be replaced with new (stretch bolts?).
Below is the order which I personally feel is the easiest so that the install flows well; each step helps with the next step. The goal is the remove the shock/spring assembly from the car so it can be broken down for spring install or to install a complete coilover setup. Get the car up on jack stands and remove the wheels before you begin.
1. Loosen the top three bolts from the upper shock tower area. I used 13mm sockets and a wrench for the one closest to the strut tower brace.
https://i.imgur.com/ez5UN2lh.jpg
2. Remove the upper cap that covers the plug which controls the different damper settings (comfort, auto, dynamic, individual...forget what Audi calls this). You just lift up on the black cap.
https://i.imgur.com/JiLY2Alh.jpg
3. Unplug the wire connector by pulling up on the light colored "clip" first and then carefully unplug the wire connector by wiggling and pulling it up. If you struggle with pulling this off with your fingers, I gently used a box wrench of the appropriate size to help lift up the connect AFTER i lift up the light beige colored "clip" which secures/locks the wire connect down. sorry this is difficult to explain but you will understand when you are doing it.
https://i.imgur.com/0RwWJSVh.jpg
4. Now go to the lower control arm and find the headlight auto leveler arm. Unbolt the nut and swing this aside in a safe location so you don't damage this.
Rear view of the auto leveling arm, the nut is on the front side of the lower control arm.
https://i.imgur.com/J5DJTprh.jpg
Front View - the nut that needs to be removed.
https://i.imgur.com/jxQY9hFh.jpg
6. Find the sway bar endlink (plastic piece that looks like a dog bone and connects the sway bar to the lower shock support). You will need to loosen and remove the upper endlink nut but you don't have to completely remove the bolt until after step 7 since it will be easier after step 7. You will also need to loosen the bottom endlink nut, but you don't have to remove the nut, just loosen it.
https://i.imgur.com/I1In2qhh.jpg
View of endlink disconnected from lower shock support. Notice only the top nut is removed and the bottom part of the endlink is still attached to the sway bar
https://i.imgur.com/FbAlGzPh.jpg
7. Loosen and remove the nut/bolt that connects the lower shock support to the lower control arm. Since you loosened the three upper shock bolts in step 1, and the endlink in step 6, this will allow you to move the suspension up/down to easily pull out the bolt without damaging the threads. I pushed/lifted on the brake rotor hub part. You should not need to use much effort to pull this bolt out.
https://i.imgur.com/GRgBWzPh.jpg
View once the nut/bolt is complete removed.
https://i.imgur.com/LGamRzlh.jpg
8. Loosen and remove the pinch bolt that clamps the lower shock support to the shock. This is located to the rear of the shock.
https://i.imgur.com/Vxvr89lh.jpg
9. In this next step we need to pry the lower shock support wider apart because despite removing the pinch bolt in step 8, there is still a lot of force on the shock where you are unable to remove the shock from the lower shock support. There is a tool you can buy or what I did was use a 1/4" ratcheting wrench and placed it in the opening and turned it half way to pry the opening just enough to remove/separate the shock from the lower shock support.
https://i.imgur.com/2BMQ0UQh.jpg
10. We are almost able to pull the shock/spring assembly out of the car. Loosen and remove the long bolt that secures the two upper arms. My terminology is not accurate so refer to the picture below.
https://i.imgur.com/luOmWMCh.jpg
This is what it looks like once the nut/bolt is pulled out. The entire hub drops down and separates itself from the two upper arms.
https://i.imgur.com/YpLOPT4h.jpg
11. Now you can completely remove the three upper shock bolts which you loosened in step 1 and the shock/spring can be removed from the car.
12. Pull off the plastic cap that is on top of the upper shock mount.
https://i.imgur.com/xLTzIyTh.jpg
13. Compress the spring to unload the shock before loosening and removing the top nut.
https://i.imgur.com/BmKYWCUh.jpg
14. I struggled to remove the upper shock nut because I didn't have the right tools, I still got the job done, but you will need a 21mm offset wrench and a M9 triple square bit.
https://i.imgur.com/njFGUrHh.jpg
For those curious how I did it, I normally use a socket and a vice grip wrench and an allen/triple square bit, but my triple square set was too short so it didn't work. I ended up using a box wrench of the perfect size/width to hold the nut securely in place while i use the M9 triple square socket to turn the shaft. Normally the approach is the hold the shock shaft (m9 triple square socket) secure and turn the nut, I just reversed it by holding the nut secured and turning the shock shaft (m9 triple square socket) in the opposite direction. I obviously don't recommend this way, I simply didn't have the right tools.
https://i.imgur.com/CYRvWqlh.jpg
15. Separate the top hat from the shock.
https://i.imgur.com/MF2eiNyh.jpg
16. Install your springs and reverse the removal process to reinstall the shock. Please don't forget to put the plastic cap onto the shock before installing it back into the car...I forgot this step and the cap cannot be put on once the shock is installed in the car.
https://i.imgur.com/xLTzIyTh.jpg
17. Please note the orientation when reinstalling the shock, the tab circled faces toward the engine and there is a hole in the shock tower that accommodates this tab.
https://i.imgur.com/6vLevEJh.jpg