Majestic Epic Fail !!!

[Majestic]

this is kind of a continuation from when LIRS6 posted like 2 weeks ago.
I said I was having trouble taking off my tire because it was larger than standard, so someone suggested I go to auto zone and get a 4 way tire iron.

Well I went and got a 4 way tire iron and went through and finally one fit on the bolt so I twisted and then i heard a crack, I then took it off to take a look, I thought ok maybe it was just some sand or dirt that was making that sound so then i twisted again and crack, it came loose. I look and see that these were plastic caps for the bolts to make the tire look pretty. Since I cracked off one I went to the trunk to see if the old tire iron that was supplied with the car fit, and sure enough it fits.

It was pitch black at 9 pm so I will change the tire tomorrow.
The Epic Fail of the week goes to me for being a retard.
Does anyone know where to get an extra plastic cap for the one that I broke?

Also how do i take off the plastic caps? I tried to take it off with my fingers but it wont come out I dont want to crack them all off.
Do I just get a screwdriver and just pluck them out?
Its really dark and drizzling rain out there so I dont want to play around too much.

Thanks for all that reply.

[ZCD2.7T]

That's pretty funny, but I'm sure you're not the only one to have done that. You're probably one of the few who would admit it, though!

Those "modesty covers" over the lug bolts are really more trouble than they're worth. There should be a small tool packed in with your jack that is specifically designed to remove those covers easily - check it out.

And, once they're off, my suggestion is to leave them off. They serve no functional purpose, and nobody's likely to realize that they're gone if you didn't specifically mention it.

[ben916]

I don't know how to take them off but I remember seeing these caps on my least favorite of Audi websites: ECS.
Also, when/if you retorque the bolts back on, IIRC they are spec-ed at 90-92ft/lb.
I know Wade was giggling his ass off when I was either attempting to remove the bolts and/or torquing them down..
165lb isn't much to work with...

[marklar182]

What type of wheels do you have? US RS6 will probably not have the tool since the US wheels had the 1 piece lug cover.

My A4 used the covers and cover removal tool (8D0012244A)

Are the covers grey (321601173AZ37)or black (321601173A01C)?

Tool;

[V8weight]

Don't feel bad, my wheel failure this weekend was 10 times more epic than yours, like $800 epic, plus time and materials.............

[ben916]

Don't feel bad, my wheel failure this weekend was 10 times more epic than yours, like $800 epic, plus time and materials.............

Is there a new thread coming????

Is it along the lines of "DPE dropped from 6' up?" or "don't use your dishwasher for your DPE's"??? I am reaching here...

[SAF]

I probably have one or two of those pullers here somewhere from other Audi tool kits. Thank you for admitting your adventure though, that's a funny one.

[V8weight]

Is there a new thread coming????

Is it along the lines of "DPE dropped from 6' up?" or "don't use your dishwasher for your DPE's"??? I am reaching here...

Long story, still an open wound so to speak. I decided to refinish my DPE's with spring pending, as the chrome on the outer lips was starting to lift. I dismounted the tires, then dissembled the wheels. I tried sanding the chrome off the outer wheel halves, not working. I tried grinding it off with a 36 grit Roloc disk, not working. I then decided I would remove the chrome in an amateur electrolytic bath. I filled a plastic tote with 20 gallons of water and muriatic acid, then dropped a ground lead into the tote, and attached a 12 volt 10amp cable to my wheel halves and suspended them in the tub of doom. The chrome flaked right off, then the acid proceeded to maliciously attack the aluminum where the chrome had already flaked. My outer rim halves are junk.....toast. I had to order new halves from Forgeline this morning to the tune of $800. Not only that, but I now have 20 gallons of toxic waste in a tote that I have no idea what to do with. Oh well.

[ben916]

Long story, still an open wound so to speak. I decided to refinish my DPE's with spring pending, as the chrome on the outer lips was starting to lift. I dismounted the tires, then dissembled the wheels. I tried sanding the chrome off the outer wheel halves, not working. I tried grinding it off with a 36 grit Roloc disk, not working. I then decided I would remove the chrome in an amateur electrolytic bath. I filled a plastic tote with 20 gallons of water and muriatic acid, then dropped a ground lead into the tote, and attached a 12 volt 10amp cable to my wheel halves and suspended them in the tub of doom. The chrome flaked right off, then the acid proceeded to maliciously attack the aluminum where the chrome had already flaked. My outer rim halves are junk.....toast. I had to order new halves from Forgeline this morning to the tune of $800. Not only that, but I now have 20 gallons of toxic waste in a tote that I have no idea what to do with. Oh well.

Send it to the governor...

Sorry to hear about that!

[JSRS6]

You could neutralize it with a base, such as baking soda. Sorry to hear about the rims Pat.

[V8weight]

Thanks guys, not a big deal, my rim refinish just turned out to be a little more expensive than I had planned. I don't know if tossing baking soda in the tub is safe at this point. I threw a little bit at it, and it caused a rather large reaction and gave off a lot of gas. I guess I may end up just carefully transferring it to jugs and using it to clean the garage floor over time.

[JSRS6]

Correct, that would be a good use for it. For future reference, you shouldn't throw the baking soda directly into the acid, rather make a solution with water and slowly mix it in.

[V8weight]

Now this is how you F&#% up a wheel. Feels good to talk about it.....

[skribe]

I'm sorry for laughing, Pat. But damn that was funny. I've done worse. I once tried to move a small building on my property with block & tackle, rollers, and a twelve pack of miller lite.

It did not end well

[vitalian]

I'm sorry for laughing, Pat. But damn that was funny. I've done worse. I once tried to move a small building on my property with block & tackle, rollers, and a twelve pack of miller lite.

It did not end well

But it seemed like a good idea at the time, right?

[Born2be]

Also, when/if you retorque the bolts back on, IIRC they are spec-ed at 90-92ft/lb.
I know Wade was giggling his ass off when I was either attempting to remove the bolts and/or torquing them down..
165lb isn't much to work with...

Only because the 8 year old little girl next door finally came over and torqued it down for him....

W>

[Majestic]

Ok I finally got the spare tire on but umm.... I think its flat.

I am so tired of this tire thing I am just going to drive to the dealer on the spare with it flat because I am tired of this nonsense.
Lucky for me the dealer is 1 mile away and its all local, I will just not take the main roads.

[ben916]

Ok I finally got the spare tire on but umm.... I think its flat.

I am so tired of this tire thing I am just going to drive to the dealer on the spare with it flat because I am tired of this nonsense.
Lucky for me the dealer is 1 mile away and its all local, I will just not take the main roads.

Is it that compressed OEM RS6 spare tire?
If so, it has be inflated.
There was a thread about these inflato-flat-spares on AZ where the tread folded inwards towards the control arms...