How do those of you without a lift raise the suspension to ride height for torquing?

[badger.]

Just curious to see how others solve this problem. I don't have Audi's special little tool to raise it or compress the top links into the knuckle.

Generally when I do this the car is on jack stands at the normal jack points on the side rails. When it is time to tighten anything on the suspension it is required to have it at "ride height" which involves compressing the suspension/strut and raising the assembly enough to simulate vehicle weight.

How do you all do this safely and reliably?

I usually use a floor jack under the side of the steering knuckle but it always seems very sketchy as there is no good spot because of the lower control arms. Also it always wants to pivot out or around since the upper control arms aren't connected yet... making it damn near impossible to get them into the knuckle. It is always a frustrating and sketchy time and I'm nervous getting in there to tighten things because it feels so haphazardly supported.

Any tips or tricks? I'm currently in a situation even more complicated now because I replaced the axles and bearings and don't want to jack it up at the hub at all since the axle bolt is not tight.

[ottocycle]

Edited due to lack of reading comprehension. Didn't realize what the OP was originally asking till I reread it.

[MacFady]

I was going to suggest measuring center hub to fender at ride height then using a jack as you suggest to compress the suspension to this point before torquing. I'm not sure what's sketchy about that situation if the rest of the car is on jack stands. If you've only changed axles and bearings this time, when doing axles I've just tightened everything up snug, remounted the wheels, dropped the car down until the wheels are touching to torque the axle bolt some more, and then just did the final torque on the bolt with the wheels on and the car sitting normally on the ground. I've not done bearings, but on a B6 A4 you don't need to touch the suspension to change out axles, just the axle bolt and the inner flange bolts.

Ottocycle, I'm not sure how the wheel cribs would help in this situation unless you are planning on resting the car on the hubs in the wheel cribs, pretty hard to fully access anything suspension wise with the wheels mounted.

[Audibot]

I was going to suggest measuring center hub to fender at ride height then using a jack as you suggest to compress the suspension to this point before torquing. I'm not sure what's sketchy about that situation if the rest of the car is on jack stands. If you've only changed axles and bearings this time, when doing axles I've just tightened everything up snug, remounted the wheels, dropped the car down until the wheels are touching to torque the axle bolt some more, and then just did the final torque on the bolt with the wheels on and the car sitting normally on the ground. I've not done bearings, but on a B6 A4 you don't need to touch the suspension to change out axles, just the axle bolt and the inner flange bolts.

Ottocycle, I'm not sure how the wheel cribs would help in this situation unless you are planning on resting the car on the hubs in the wheel cribs, pretty hard to fully access anything suspension wise with the wheels mounted.

I've done this before with no ill effects. Heck, I've done it using concrete blocks in lieu of jack stands because I did not have any. It works, just is a pain.

[jakeoboy67]

I've used a bottle jack with a socket on the lower control arm nut, I find it a bit less sketchy since the bottle jack lifts straight up and not in an arc motion.

( if the floor jack wheels get stuck, the jack will usually try to "pull" the car to the side while lifting)

[badger.]

https://raceramps.com/car-ramps/gara...s/wheel-cribs/

Buy yourself a set of these

I don't see how these will help, the wheels are not mounted yet.

I was going to suggest measuring center hub to fender at ride height then using a jack as you suggest to compress the suspension to this point before torquing. I'm not sure what's sketchy about that situation if the rest of the car is on jack stands. If you've only changed axles and bearings this time, when doing axles I've just tightened everything up snug, remounted the wheels, dropped the car down until the wheels are touching to torque the axle bolt some more, and then just did the final torque on the bolt with the wheels on and the car sitting normally on the ground. I've not done bearings, but on a B6 A4 you don't need to touch the suspension to change out axles, just the axle bolt and the inner flange bolts.

Ottocycle, I'm not sure how the wheel cribs would help in this situation unless you are planning on resting the car on the hubs in the wheel cribs, pretty hard to fully access anything suspension wise with the wheels mounted.

I do measure before and after to know how high to go, that is easy enough. Regarding the sketchy part, I'm not worried about the car itself falling, more just the jack kicking out or the knuckle suddenly deciding it will kick one way or another and smash my hand in between the CA and strut or something. It is hard to get it jacked up in the just right spot to keep it straight both in left/right and twisting when not all the CAs are connected yet.

Once the lower and upper links are all installed it is much easier to jack it up and it stays straight and can't kick unexpectedly. I'm more asking about how to get it to height to get the upper links installed.

I've used a bottle jack with a socket on the lower control arm nut, I find it a bit less sketchy since the bottle jack lifts straight up and not in an arc motion.

( if the floor jack wheels get stuck, the jack will usually try to "pull" the car to the side while lifting)

That is a good idea, I can see how that might help, especially with the socket on the nut. I might have to invest in a bottle jack.

[CoreyRS]

I've used a bottle jack with a socket on the lower control arm nut, I find it a bit less sketchy since the bottle jack lifts straight up and not in an arc motion.

( if the floor jack wheels get stuck, the jack will usually try to "pull" the car to the side while lifting)

I read this as you using a bottle of Jack Daniels with a socket on it. That would be a lot more exciting.

[VinnysS4]

When I did my control arms I lowered the knuckle/hub down onto a block of wood and measured with Tire clearance and without Tire clearance and just lowered it down until I got the Hub in the right spot. It got me as close as I feel I need to be. You should be able to have somebody hold the brakes while you torque the axle bolt down. You can also throw screwdriver in the side of the rotor to help hold it in place. I don't really think it's that critical to have the axle bolt tightened at ride height, more the control arm bushings because they will twist as soon as you lower it down if you don't tighten it at ride height. The axle bolt, shouldnt matter if it's at ride Height or in the air

[badger.]

When I did my control arms I lowered the knuckle/hub down onto a block of wood and measured with Tire clearance and without Tire clearance and just lowered it down until I got the Hub in the right spot. It got me as close as I feel I need to be. You should be able to have somebody hold the brakes while you torque the axle bolt down. You can also throw screwdriver in the side of the rotor to help hold it in place. I don't really think it's that critical to have the axle bolt tightened at ride height, more the control arm bushings because they will twist as soon as you lower it down if you don't tighten it at ride height. The axle bolt, shouldnt matter if it's at ride Height or in the air

Rotor and brakes are off. Again, not worried about axle bolt really, I only mentioned it because I didn't want to fab up a bracket to mount to the hub to help stabilize it (similar to the special audi tool) because I don't want to jack from that new bearing without it being locked in yet.

Scenario is:

Took off all rotors, calipers
Took off strut and upper CAs
Took off lower CAs
Disconnected tie rod and axle
Removed steering knuckle
I replaced the wheel bearings and hub with the knuckle off the car. Then
Installed lower CAs
Installed knuckle to lower CAs
Re-inserted axle but can only get that bolt so tight without brakes or a way to hold the axle
Installed strut with upper CAs pre-mounted and tightened at ride height equivalent angles (81/70mm)

Then the challenge is:
Need to raise knuckle + axle + strut + lower CA assembly close to ride height so I can get the upper CAs into the knuckle.

Once they upper links are all connected it is much easier to raise it to exact ride height to tighten everything to spec. BUT that step of trying to push the suspension up enough to get the upper links in is tough because the steering knuckle has no left/right or torsional support when jacking it up from the bottom. Hopefully that makes sense. I can post pictures later, I have to tackle the p. side tonight. Did the driver side last night.

[neilpaku]

I loosened the upper control arms at the inboard end, lowered them down and inserted them into the spindle and installed the bolt (but loose), then put the bottle jack under the spindle and lifted it up, then tightened all three bolts (two inboard, one outboard through-bolt). Seemed to be very easy, although my bushings are a bit flogged so that may have eased it a bit. Must do them one day...

[JayDog747]

You can try using a tire hanger and lowering it on a jack stand. This is how it is described it the Bentley.

Be sure to use a metal one and not the aluminum type.

[jr1415us]

Did you disconnect the sway bar end links? It'll fight you when raising th e suspension.

[badger.]

I loosened the upper control arms at the inboard end, lowered them down and inserted them into the spindle and installed the bolt (but loose), then put the bottle jack under the spindle and lifted it up, then tightened all three bolts (two inboard, one outboard through-bolt). Seemed to be very easy, although my bushings are a bit flogged so that may have eased it a bit. Must do them one day...

Ah there is a difference, I already have the inboard bolts torqued to spec and position/ I'm not sure I could get a wrench in there correctly to torque those inside ones correctly at ride height. I need a crows foot..

You can try using a tire hanger and lowering it on a jack stand. This is how it is described it the Bentley.

Be sure to use a metal one and not the aluminum type.

Good way to go if my hub/bearing was tight but it wasn't yet.

Did you disconnect the sway bar end links? It'll fight you when raising th e suspension.

Yep these were disconnected throughout.


Got through it all last night, nothing a little sweet talking and/or cussing couldn't handle. Still a PITA. Oh well, hopefully I won't need to mess with it for a while.