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Anti-Roll Bar Droplink Replacement

Good man Simon - I love it when people are willing to give things a go an learn something new! :)

Yes, these are specified to be torqued to 39NM however unless you have a special tool that can facilitate the allen key in the middle you can't do this. What I done was tighten the nut to it was nice and solid by hand. Then checked the force using a torque wrench. If all is good the bolt won't spin and it will lock.

Now, in all honesty when I done the back, I didn't bother! :blush: Seriously once these are good and tight the rust/sieze will ensure that they won't come loose. Even if you over tighten these you are only tightening to the anti-roll bar - it doesn't affect the movement of the droplink. So make sure they are good and tight using your hand tools and you'll be fine.
 
jayok said:
Good man Simon - I love it when people are willing to give things a go an learn something new! :)

Yes, these are specified to be torqued to 39NM however unless you have a special tool that can facilitate the allen key in the middle you can't do this. What I done was tighten the nut to it was nice and solid by hand. Then checked the force using a torque wrench. If all is good the bolt won't spin and it will lock.

Now, in all honesty when I done the back, I didn't bother! :blush: Seriously once these are good and tight the rust/sieze will ensure that they won't come loose. Even if you over tighten these you are only tightening to the anti-roll bar - it doesn't affect the movement of the droplink. So make sure they are good and tight using your hand tools and you'll be fine.
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Brilliant, and thank you!
 
Hi Guys,

Well finally got around to replacing the links this am following the guide....had to get the hack saw involved on one side but the second simply unbolted!

Gotta be honest felt a little nervous as I'm no mechanic :blush: ...but pleased I gave it a go seems all fine after a test drive and no annoying knocking which is quite a relief ;)

I'm going to give the old girl a good wash now as a treat....but will grease the threads to that the job's a bit easier if I ever have to do it again.... :D

Thanks for the encouragement guys really feels good to get this job done....
 
Well done Simon!! It always feel good to try something new and succeed.
 
A thousand thanks to jayok for this first rate DIY.

Having had an intermittent clonking from the back end for many months (which I tried to convince myself was just the spare wheel needing securing) I bit the bullet and got the spanners out. I had intended to do a 'Tourer-rears' specific DIY, and even took all the photos, but Jason really has this one sewn up. There's nothing to add!

I removed the first drop link 'properly' using an allen key and ring spanner. By undoing 1/4 a turn, tightening 1/8 turn, rinsing with penetrating oil and repeating I eventually got the nuts off clean, but it took forever :(

HexAndRing_zpsd780cab2.jpg


Seeing as I had no intention of re-fitting the old parts, the other side got the hacksaw and Mole Grips treatment. A LOT quicker :)

As I couldn't pin down the exact source of the clonking I opted to changed the anti roll bar bushes at the same time (only another 12 quid for Genuine Honda parts) to try and bottom it in one go. There's not a lot to say about this. With the drop link disconnected it's just two bolts (12mm socket) to easily swap out the old bush.

ARB_Bush_zpsf0a064e6.jpg


Not liking the price of Honda's drop links I went for the Meyle HD parts (eBay). These look (though might not actually be) more substantial and have a 4 year guarantee to back them up. Unlike OEM, they have the advantage of flats that enable a spanner to stop them spinning during ***embly / removal.

MeyleSpanner_zpse8c8cf35.jpg


When the links were delivered I Googled the numbers on the box ( Meyle Part number 15-16 060 0001/HD; Ref No 60625029; Barcode 4040074488263 ). Curiously they come up as Alfa Romeo fitment.

MeyleLabel_zpsc0cc64dc.jpg


I contacted the seller, and whilst evading the Alfa question he claimed they were absolutely definitely the right ones. Perhaps they are coincidentally the same size as the Alfa, or they (both?) ended up in the wrong boxes. Either way, they fit just fine.

Both links and bushes took about two hours and fifty quid all told -that wouldn't have covered the labour if I'd got a garage to do it. A test drive confirmed the clonking has been cured!

Just hope it stays that way…

NewOld_zps453d5834.jpg
 
Thanks for a great addition to the topic Matt.

It's possible to diagnose this issue by getting hold of each ball joint on the link in turn while the car is on the ground and moving it about firmly. If the joint has gone you can feel the movement in it.

I'll be doing one of mine when the weather turns but I'm going to cheat and use the Rothenberger plumber's torch.
 
snapping the tabs off on the back and ripping the plastic cover off and clamping the ball joint with mole grips is the best method ever! saves so much more time than hacking away at it in the tight space! I never knew they were only held on by them measly plastic tabs!! I got the drop links off in a quarter of the time than sawing them off, with a lot less frustration too! fantastic write up!
 
Sorry to ignite an old thread but I didn't see the point in starting a new one.

I've successfully replaced 3 drop links, but on the last one left rear on the last nut (top) I have fully tightened it but it will not tighten like the rest, it is just spinning.

I have a spanner on the other side, and the thread isn't spinning, it is just the nut, I can't remove it either. I tried putting another nut onto the thread behind it but it still won't tighten up.

Yes, when I drive now I can hear horrid clunking from the back, is the drop link knackered or is it just the nut? I can't see a way of removing the nut without using an angle grinder, but using one on the top nut is a real pain.
 
Hi Leon, have you tried locking the 2 nuts together and use the top nut to remove both?

Or perhaps a nut splitter?
 
Roranora said:
Sorry to ignite an old thread but I didn't see the point in starting a new one.

I've successfully replaced 3 drop links, but on the last one left rear on the last nut (top) I have fully tightened it but it will not tighten like the rest, it is just spinning.

I have a spanner on the other side, and the thread isn't spinning, it is just the nut, I can't remove it either. I tried putting another nut onto the thread behind it but it still won't tighten up.

Yes, when I drive now I can hear horrid clunking from the back, is the drop link knackered or is it just the nut? I can't see a way of removing the nut without using an angle grinder, but using one on the top nut is a real pain.
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Not sure model this is, but my drop links all have the means to prevent the ball turning whilst doing up the nut... either the allen key socket on the originals, or a pair of flats on the protruding side of the joint so that a thin spanner can be used as the nut is tightened on the Meyle ones I fitted. Are you sure you haven't overlooked these flats?

From memory the drop links have no taper to lock against, so without some in-built means of preventing the ball turning you did well in getting three of them tightened up. What make are they?
 
Angle grinder removes everything.

Pop the droplink joint apart with a lever, then introduce the leftovers to a cutting disc.
 
Maybe it's a dud link - with not enough thread cut for the nut to go as far as it needs to.

Not worth messing about - replace it.
 
Cliffordski said:
Maybe it's a dud link - with not enough thread cut for the nut to go as far as it needs to.

Not worth the messing about - replace it.
Click to expand...
Good point about the thread, but a washer or two would sort that out.
 
I still can't understand how the manufacturer expects the fitter to correctly torque up the nuts without any means of stopping the ball rotating. These must be some really cheap droplinks?
 
Jon_G said:
I still can't understand how the manufacturer expects the fitter to correctly torque up the nuts without any means of stopping the ball rotating. These must be some really cheap droplinks?
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Looks that way.

And isn't it liberating to be able to make a comment like that without prompting diatribe about genuine parts.
 
I finally removed it with the angle grinder, I have put the new rear ones on again but I still have the knocking/clunking when driving, does anyone know why this is?

The rear right one, top nut I can fully tighten, the rear left it will fully tighten but then it will just keep spinning, even if I have a spanner on the other side? Surely I can't have got two defects in a row? :D

Also when I changed the fronts I did drop the weight of the car on some stabilisers before fitting the new ones, should I have done this with the rears as well because I haven't tried that yet.
 
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