New arms- well, one today at least 🤭
Lower Control Arm Replacement – Audi RS4 (B7)
Today’s task was to replace the front lower control arms on the RS4, part of a larger suspension refresh. Everything started smoothly — wheels off, undertray removed, and all the fasteners cracked loose without too much drama. However, once we got to separating the lower control arm ball joint from the hub carrier, the job came to a standstill.
The joint was completely seized in the hub — not just tight, but fused. Years of exposure and galvanic corrosion had essentially welded the two components together. Even after removing the pinch bolt and soaking the area in penetrating oil, there was zero movement. We tried a proper ball joint separator, heat on the knuckle, and a dead blow hammer, but the taper wouldn’t release.
Eventually, a combination of more sustained heat, a few sharp impacts with a drift, and some careful prying finally broke it loose. Once the joint was free, the rest of the install went as expected — torque specs followed, bushings preloaded at ride height, and everything reassembled cleanly. What should’ve been a quick control arm swap ended up taking several extra hours due to the seized joint, but that’s the reality of working on older performance cars: sometimes the toughest part is just getting the old hardware to let go.
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