Inner Tie rod joint replacement.

[quattrokid]

I have had a knock and at times a rattling noise fromt my front N/S for some time. I checked all the steering arm joints about 6 months ago and coudn't find anything. I was thinking I would maybe just replace them anyway in teh spring but I haven't bought any parts yet. It is slighty worse now so I thought it was time to have another look. There is a bit of play in th inner tie rod joint and I think that's what the problem has been all along. I have done some searching around, on You Tube etc about doing the job and it seems fairly straght forward. Strangely I have never really had to do anything in relation to power steering before (must be quite reliable) so I am not sure if I should be draining the fluid first? A video I watched, no specific car mentioned, didn't mention anything and when the boot was removed nothing seemed to run out. There was a locking pin that needed drifted out before teh tie rod could be unscrewed but looking at Audi diagrms I don't see this. Has anhyone done the job or able to direct me to where I might fnd better more specific Audi information?

[quattrokid]

OK did this today, no major surprises, raxl was fine, N/S inner joint wasn't. Swapped it over, no more knocking, no more rattling, just need to get my allignment done now and happy days. Lived with that noise for 6 months, one garage said it was the brake pads, others said suspension arms, so, so much for their diagnoses. I would say to anyone now that has the same symptoms as me, i.e. knocking on bumps, sometimes sounding like a rattle from behind the dash to check the inner balljoints. Considering where the rack sits, below the plenum chamber and behind the dash, it makes perfect sense, just wish I had found it and fixed it sooner :)