Rear Suspension Arms

[esmyth]

Started to clean up the rear suspension area on my S3 - oh dear -lots of flaking paint, corrosion etc. Looks like a body off job to get it done properly.

Anyway - might be a stupid question but how do you undo the bolts for the top of shock absorber and the outer rear suspension arm. The clearance on both nuts seems to rule out using a socket or even an open-ended spanner. Am I missing something ???

Is the main hub nut 42mm ???

Thanks

[Ralph S3]

Good question.

I have the body off mine at the mo and I still can't see how to get the outer trailing arm bolts undone. Hopefully someone will be able to help.

Ralph

[Le TVR]

I dont remember any particular problems with spanners or sockets when removing the trailing arms (only loss of skin)
The main hub nut is 42 IIRC and I also have a 3/4 drive slide bar + 2m steel tube extension
But dont forget that the hub nuts are handed......

[esmyth]

thanks for this - good point about the handed threads - I had forgotten !!!

The outer rear mounting has a bolt in it inserted through the mounting and arm from the outer edge of the car and a nut obviously on the other end. However I suspect the nut will start turning if I try and undo the bolt. However as the mounting bracket is partially obscured by the shock absorber upright I cannot think how to get spanner on it - do n't really want to use molegrips if possible.

On a another point - sorry - but how is the camber/toe in adjusted - are there shims in the mounting point???

[GreenV8S]

For the top damper mount you need an open ender up from underneath (i.e. in the gap betwen the body of the damper, and the adjacent chassis member). Removal is the easy part. To refit it you need to hold the nut in roughly the right position by finger tips, and then very carefully turn the bolt to engage it. I find it helps to push the bolt in so the tip is protruding by a fraction of a mil on the far side, just enough to feel but not enough to prevent you from sliding the nut over it iyswim.

Camber and toe are nominally not adjustable, but I've adjusted mine by shimming the hubs. At your own risk etc.

[esmyth]

cheers - I suspected I could get to the top mount this way - just went out and bought an open ended spanner for the job. However outer mount on the arm looks even less assessible.
Will try and have a go tonight. Thats interesting about the camber/toe-in. I could n't see any area of adjustment but thought I had read it in a couple of threads about changing the rear arms.