KW V3 Install with photos

[Aronis]

KW V3 Installation: Front Drivers Side....

Two Top Bolts (remove rubber grommets) Drivers side has Brake Line is in the way. 13 mm socket.



Top Control Arms - Bentley says "never use screw driver or chisel", but mine was so beat up that I know someone used a chisel. And to think they have the right special tools. 16 mm wrench



Press out (exact right tool would be great, otherwise make due)



Track Control - clip



Bottom Control Arm (Audi has special tool, longer than mine, DAM) 18 mm socket, there is a mount plate for the bottom control arm which can be loosened (13mm and 18mm), this gives some more play.

Disconnect the two mounts for the torsion bar, this makes getting the strut out and back in MUCH easier. Too bad I only figured this out after getting the old strut out, I used a strut compressor to shorten the strut. But letting the Torsion bar down is MUCH easier.



THE CHECK VALVE IS RIGHT ON THE STRUT. I took a careful look at the fittings and the spot where KW tells you to place the plug IS NOT A CHECK VALVE. Once you unscrew the bottom bolt on the fitting which enters the bottom of the strut, some fluid drains form the strut but not from the rest of the system. I left this tubing in place pending draining the rest of the system once the two fronts are in place. Then you lossen the nut on top and the fitting at the plug spot comes out of the bracket. THEN you can put a wrench on it more easily (20 mm) to disconnect the fitting. I could not be bothered removing all the lines and the central valves, I'll plug as shown by KW.

New Strut In

Forgot to photo the old strut and the mount. To get the old strut apart I used an alen wrench and an 18 mm spark plug socket which has a nut on top so you can use a wrench on it and still put the alen wrench down the sock to hold the strut shaft.

Reassembling the new strut was a bit difference, used a 19 mm deep regular socket and turned it with a vise grip. The inner staft is held with a 9mm sock on an extension which fit down the middle of the 19 mm socket. Torque? Not sure how to do that, just bottommed out the nut.



Bottom Link In place, I will torque that once the other side is done and I have the torsion bar back in place so I can drive up on a set of ramps. 19 mm socket and wrench





Torque it up



Hang caliper, don't want do pull on the brake line

[Aronis]

One More Photo..



Yes, I will remove that tubing at some point.

Mike

[Aronis]

Assembling the new strut was actually much easier than taking the Audi strut apart. The coil compresses with just body weight, due to that short secondary coil. I must say the KW coil is much smaller than the stock coil. I thought the car would be much stiffer (certainly stiffer to the quick push) but not as stiff as I thought. Oh well, I'll have to wait for the drive.

[speedtrapped]

Nice write up

[snoopra]

Nice write up, what strut settings did you settle on using?

[Aronis]

I used the recommended settings via KW.

[MaxRS6]

Nice pics and writup- Thanks for the effort and welcome to the KW club!

[Aronis]

I should have bought these sooner...

Ordered...

To remove nut from top of rear strut.



Special tool to press out ball joint.



If there was a special tool for the top two links I would have ordered that too.

[hahnmgh63]

I could have sent you them for the price of shipping. The strut tool is fairly common, usually available at Schuck's, Kragens, Autozone. The ball joint tool from a quality manufacturer, either Snap-on or Germany, Hazet...) is a must.

[Aronis]

When I was fishing for an 18 mm socket with a nut head (aka a spark plug socket), Autozone did not have such an animal. I told them exactly what I was looking for and for what, but no dice. Sears had an 18mm spark plug socket which worked perfectly.

Yes that ball joint tool will be very helpful. As in the photo I could get one of the smaller tools on ONE of the upper link fittings, but the other required a c-clamp with a small 4mm socket as a pusher LOL. worked great. The prior mechanics have been wedging the space in the stearing arm, a no-no for sure. I'm looking forward to having the right tool for the ball joint. The other side will be much easier as I have learned how! Taking down the mounts for the torsion bar is KEY. Draining the shock first will also save much time as I screwed around with the fitting I was supposted to cap. Thank God I did not open that fitting because the full pressure of the DRC leftover would have sprayed out! Perhaps after I drain the system I will be able to look inside that fitting to figure out if there is a check valve somehow in side there but I doubt it.

Mike

[Aronis]

Passenger side 50% done. Just need the T40010.

One bolt on top is not a straight shot due to a rigid line right about it. A/C tubing I think. I need a 1/4 offset

Mike

[Aronis]

Boy that T40010 is just great! I finished the passenger side in a total of about 2 1/2 hours (between two nights).

I drove it after torquing the lower bolts for the strut. No problems with stearing that I can tell at least at low speed on my bumpy road. No noises, lock to lock turning.

Front may be too low, I bottomed out coming in my driveway (was going very slow since I suspected that my happen). It may be because the rear is still sitting much higher than the front.

The front is low enough that I could not drive up on my low profile ramps LOL. I'll see if when the rear is done I will be able to drive on the ramps, otherwise I'll get some 2x10's to put the ramps on so I can drive up onto the 2x10's first and get enough clearance.

Yes, it is drivable with the rear undone. Yes it is loose and bouncy, just like the day I drove it into the Audi Dealership four years ago when the DRC first failed. I was driving it like that on the highway...not fun... but since I have a rental this week that is an HHR, the bouncing RS6 still handles better than that 1/2 truck 1/2 car thing.

Mike

[V8weight]

Good work Mike! What are your "B" measurements in the front right now? Keep in mind they'll settle around another 1/4" after few weeks.

[Aronis]

I set them to 305 mm in front and 195 mm in the rear. I may have to raise the front, but need to wait until the rear is done. I hope the rear goes quicker than the front. I'm disconnecting the struts at the check valve in the strut, so once I'm done and the car is driveable I'll do the messy deed of emptying the DRC and capping the ends.

I am going to get the car corner balanced and aligned at some point.

[Brav]

I started wit those measurements too. I found the rear was too high. Either that or I measured poorly..

[LIRS6]

Nice work. I did the faux-pas screwdriver trick. Did u replace all bolts/self-tightening nuts with new as suggested by Bentley? Didn't appear so, just curious

[Aronis]

Drivers side no. I used all old hardware. Had time to start project but the parts did not arrive soon enough.

Passenger side new nuts, new strut mount and new spring seat.

I plan on swapping out the old nuts on the drivers side.

Rear passenger side done tonight. New strut mount, old bolts. Took me 3 hours.

Rear looks too high as set. I may have to drop it a 1/8 inch or so.

Tomorrow I'll get the last one done. Test drive, then tackle removing the DRC tubing and capping the lines.

I plan on draining it from the rear as the tubing is longer and I think I can capture more of the fluid.

Mike

[Aronis]

Done!

Drives very nicely! Steering is unaffected. I'll watch for uneven wear.

Need to drop rear height a bit. Need to drain DRC and cap.