Omfg, Sodding rust.

[Alex]

Went to change my droplinks today, Started at 1 thinking it's only a couple bolts so will be quick.

Top one had a small hex type hole so i plum in a bit with ratchet and get a spanner on the nut.

After a few turns the hex decides to round it self off :wacko: so out comes the drill, fortunately the nut was near the end and manged to drill it off.

Now on to the lower (omfg), Tried to get it loose, nope that didn't work.
Couldn't seem to get a hex bit in the end so had to cut off the rubber seal to try and get some clamp style pliers in.

After about an hour of struggling with my dad, a breaker bar and the clamps we managed to ease it off.

So after about 2 hours i've managed to get the old one off and now need a special spanner to get the new one on :wall:

Rant over? (we shall see when i try to fit the new one and still have the other side todo).

[swampy]

Special spanner for drop links?

[J222JRA]

I ended up cutting mine off once with a slitting disk in an angle grinder.

[Alex]

Need a thin spanner to get in between the droplink and the arb/strut.

[Predator_R32]

Grinder is the tool of the trade :)

[AlexR]

I've undone some factory ones with just a spanner ;)

Wire brush the rust off the thread, run a thread cleaner/tap over the thread, put copper grease on thread. Undones easily every single time ;)

[titchster]

Droplinks are generally bastards. Think about their position though, absolutely no protection from the crap off the road.


Although my last set were straight forward luckily.

[KrisB]

I always clean them up with a wire brush type drill bit.

[VTRelite]

Air gun ftw :p

Mine came off fine yesterday if you wanted to know that :D lol

[KrisB]

^^^ And that, 18v snapon impact gun. Does the job a treat once you've cleaned off the rust and added a squirt of the old WD40

[VTRelite]

I didn't have to spray or clean anythig. Just took the air gun out and they came off no problem. Strange how every car is completely different.

[KrisB]

Thats true, they're all different.

As i said though, my most common routine is to clean up the threads, oil then gun off. Is goood :D

[gouldy87]

i feel your pain with rust, except mine is cosmetic, i went through a drive through car wash with all the roller brushes inside a few monts ago and its actually taken some of the paint off both wings. with the winter weather its has rusted quite severely and now my car looks a right state. another random note i had an incident with a van on which my rear bumper is now fucked and it makes the car look like a right shed.

[Jordysport]

Tried mine the other day (two days ago) fired up the compressor, air gun nope no luck even when levering the drop link (to compress the ball against the casing).

so then wire brushed the thread put another nut on to clean the thread. wd 40 let it soak. then copper ease. cleaned the Alan key in the centre had one person on the alan key (connected to a Tbar) and then a spanner on the nut, was fine untill i got to the end where it got tight and the centre rounded. :bump: .

Angle grinder tommorow ftw.

[MikeCracknell]

And you moan about Fords?????? ;)

[KINGVTS]

i find if you wire brush and oil it the night before, it helps

then undo the bolt a tiny bit, then back up, oil and wire brush again

keep doing this over and over it helps

also a quality pair of mole grips, not some cheap pair

[KrisB]

Monkey grips around whats left on the otherside of the bracket usually works (where the 'special' spanner would go).

[Sean_VTS]

Had the same problem!

Trip to B&Q for an angle grinder was ftw that day!

[Mr_P]

Second the ratchet slipped I just cracked out the angle grinder. lol!

No dicking about!

[Alex]

lol, at least I'm not the only one struggling.
Will be soaking the other before trying to remove.

[Sean_VTS]

Whatever you do dont slip whist your trying to get the bastard thing off, my knuckles will never forgive me!

[LSOfreak]

one of mine was a complete bastard. the hex hole crumbled and rounded away quickly. took an angle grinder to it in the end

[Sparco_Tom]

air gun has never failed me :) or i would clamp it and just wind them off with a ratchet

[vts836]

angle grinder ftw !!