Front control arm replacement - new bolts?

[dan4280]

I need to replace both front control arms and I've opted to buy the ones with built in ball joints. For the other 2 points of contact, do I need new bolts as well? A friend had mentioned single use stretch bolts but I'm not sure how many per side I would need, if at all?

[rum4mo]

Well at least VW do recommend replacing all the bolts and nuts, so that means:-

 

a long horizontal bolt for each side,  a slightly shorter bolt and nut for the rear mounting for each side, and a nut for the ball joint on both sides - that was for a VW Polo 6C so same for your Rapid.

 

I keep meaning to do this job, though I'm only replacing the rear mountings, made up a "kit of bits" but now waiting for a "time slot" in car usage - and some enthusiasm! 

 

Edit:- remember to raise the hub up to its normal position before tightening the big (M12) bolts.

 

Another edit:- according to the official VW Polo 6C workshop manual, if the car has a DSG box, the engine-gearbox needs moving away a bit to give enough room to remove the front (horizontal) bolt from the car. If the car has a manual box this is not required, although in the past, cars with certain engines needed the engine to be raised slightly so the the long bolt on the engine side could clear the edge of the sump.

 

I'll confess to not checking what the situation is wrt these bolts clearing the engine sump when I serviced that car a few weeks ago!

Edited 28 August, 2023 by rum4mo

[dan4280]

Thanks for this info. I will see if I can source the bolts. I still maintain they should provide them with a new control arm......

[rum4mo]

Some of the aftermarket parts suppliers do offer a "support" parts kit and reference this in their online catalogue - well Lemforder do anyway, but, their kit of bits for this task includes what to me, seems like a couple of extra bolts which going by the picture of the kit are a couple of subframe fixing bolts - though it could be that on some Fabia/Polo/Ibiza/A1/etc variants/ages these extra bolts are required. Also, they offer the same extra bolts for the cars with the earlier version of TCA.

[dan4280]

I ended up going to a skoda main dealer parts desk. 2 bolts and one nut exactly as you described. The ball joint came supplied with a nut.

 

No issues with access regarding sump or gearbox. Toughest bit was the corroded ball joint nut removal as you can't get a socket on them with drive shafts in place.

[rum4mo]

Yes, seems like most people use an OE spanner to get that nut off, also VW say that it is okay to crosswire inserts if you end up damaging the thread in the captive nut for the front bolt. I’ve got PB blaster and PlusGas to try to avoid ending up with that happening.