S4 Seized Camber Adjuster

[Dr_Rick]

So two different alignment guys have failed to get a camber adjuster to move. I have an 09 S4 saloon and the nearside rear upper camber adjuster is seized and can't be slackened off to adjust it.

I have a replacement bolt, eccentric washer and nut from Audi and I have a colleague at work bringing suitable breaker bars and sockets to have a go. THe last alignment guy tried an induction heater on the nut to get it to loosen off, to no avail.

To avoid (if possible), the several hundred pounds required to drop the subframe and have at the nut at a local indie, I'm tempted to have a go myself.

My question; should I go purchase a nut splitter to at least remove one offending component? Then I can at least have a go with a drift to get the bolt out.

[Dr G]

I've seen a few of those get stuck and extraction is often brute force related.

The only thing to be mindful of with a DIY is accidentally leaving the car immobile and then needing to pay for recovery on top of the repair.

[Dr_Rick]

Dr G said:

I've seen a few of those get stuck and extraction is often brute force related.

The only thing to be mindful of with a DIY is accidentally leaving the car immobile and then needing to pay for recovery on top of the repair.

The garage that has quoted me is approx 200m down the road and is an Audi/VW specialist. I nipped out at lunch and bought the nut splitter and with the breaker bar as a first attempt at least the nut will give up somehow.

If after that the bolt is still seized, at least the wheel can go on and it can make its way down the road to be properly looked at. After all, I can 'technically' work from home.

[Dr G]

Fair; seems silly not to have a go yourself then.

Also buying big new tools is fun

[hman]

check out how rusty your rear subframe is whilst you are in there - they seem to be made of some kind of rust-tatstic metal!

[Dr_Rick]

hman said:

check out how rusty your rear subframe is whilst you are in there - they seem to be made of some kind of rust-tatstic metal!

Check .. Although I had a poke around when it was on the ramp and it just seems to be awesome surface rust and not going through. But it certainly stood out against other decidedly unrusty bits of the same age.