Hi just a quick one..... i am attempting to remove the nearside strut from my audi a3 2008 it seems i have to remove the driveshaft bolt to enable me to lift the bottom of the strut out.....is there any other way of removing the strut without removing the bolt as its the tightest bolt ive ever come across.....any ideas will be greatly welcome....thanks

Yes you need to remove the driveshaft bolt. You’ll need minimum 1/2” breaker bar and possibly extension to get leverage. Better still a 3/4” bar, but you’ll need the 12 point triple square socket.

Always use a new bolt. These are torque to yield bolts, so 200NM initial torque + 180 degrees.

After strut replacement, only torque with wheel on the ground.

done it with great difficulty without loosening driveshaft.....was difficult tho....turned out the spring wasnt broke.....day wasted lol.....got a spare spring and droplink now.

 

 

1 hour ago, hellsfire said:

done it with great difficulty without loosening driveshaft.....was difficult tho....turned out the spring wasnt broke.....day wasted lol.....got a spare spring and droplink now.

 

 

Good for you. Hang on to the spring. Roads are in tatters, so only a matter of time. I change droplinks all the time. They are inexpensive in the scale of things, but a quick fix for tell tale clunks.

On 3/7/2026 at 9:38 PM, spartacus 68 said:

Good for you. Hang on to the spring. Roads are in tatters, so only a matter of time. I change droplinks all the time. They are inexpensive in the scale of things, but a quick fix for tell tale clunks.

droplink cost under £8......thought might as well buy it for that price as normally gotta cut the bleedin thing off anyway.