Zumkopf

This is one of those problems that seems simple and yet I can't for the life of me figure it out. I'm in the process of removing the main hydraulic line from the power steering pump to the steering rack. The banjo fittings at both ends came off easily enough. The problem is in the middle, directly behind the left front strut, there is a retention band, metal with a rubber liner to protect the lines. The band has two 10mm nuts, above and below the lines. However, the nuts also seem to have rubber mounts of some kind. I can't figure out how to remove them to remove the band to remove the line. They simply won't unscrew. They move OK, but that seems to be nothing but flexing of their mounts. They don't loosen and they don't come off. Before I go Barbarian Mechanic and simply cut them off, is there some trick to removing them? Thanks, Z

1998 Audi A8Q (D2) 138k

90SQ

Aren't those just plastic covers to protect the actual nuts underneath ?!?