Stoopid specialist bolts

[mik]

As mentioned in another thread - I was taking a look at the front pads on mrs mik's E-Tron the other week as the pad wear indicator is sporadically triggering. It's a heavy car with a decent amount of shove, so it's probably good that the fronts are massive 375mm discs, with similarly chunky 6-pot callipers.

Whilst confirming that there is no desperate rush - still some life left on both inner and outer pads - I spotted that Audi opted to fit weird bolts to hold the caliper in place. At first glance I thought they had male Torx heads, but then realised non. Weird 7-point design instead. You might be forgiven for suspecting that this is purely to frustrate / put off home mechanics.... the arseholes.

Checked the etron forum and nobody seemed to be aware - so I had to revert to my calibrated eyes to order one. Which thankfully fits. Only cost me £14, but it's such an unneccessary spend. (Particularly since - after I ordered one - another forum user advised "these look the same as the Q7 calipers - for which there is no need to remove these bolts - you can remove the calipers by pulling the standard-hex 22mm caliper-carrier-to-hub bolts instead).



image of a library

[Jobbo]

Was the advice that you don't need to undo them correct?

[mik]

I haven't done the job yet, but I suspect it's correct.

This vid is sped up, but you can of course slow it down. Looks like he removes the carrier bolts in preference to these ones at approx 15 seconds in.

[Carlos]

I watched the latest Matt Armstrong bid last night and similarly Merc have used a starfish shaped wheel bolts which is ridiculous!

In true HWBT style he just wizzes them off with a standard 17mm socket and dugga gun as it was close enough

[integrale_evo]

I haven't done the job yet, but I suspect it's correct.

This vid is sped up, but you can of course slow it down. Looks like he removes the carrier bolts in preference to these ones at approx 15 seconds in.

Probably.

Most brembos use radial mounting bolts, but if they’re attached to a car with more humble origins there’s usually an adapter bracket which bolts to the hub where the calliper mounts on lower spec models, then the fancy calliper bolts to that. Ie on a 911 they probably bolt directly to the hub. On my mito I had to get both callipers and brackets from a QV model to bolt them on.