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mot fail - rear suspention link

noely02

noely02

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worthing
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1.8 vtec sport
the car failed its mot today and needs according to the report an 'offside rear suspension link'

is this the same as the rear drop links?

and how difficult is this a job to do?

any help here will be greatly appreciated

noel
 
That sounds to me like a rear drop link but the only way to be sure if you cant tell which one is knackered by looking at it is to ask the garage to clarify which one theiy failed it on.
 
Dangerstevie said:
That sounds to me like a rear drop link but the only way to be sure if you cant tell which one is knackered by looking at it is to ask the garage to clarify which one theiy failed it on.
Click to expand...


i called them and they said its called rear suspension link or stabiliser link or anti roll bar, hence the confustion
 
The Droplink/Anti-Rollbar Link/End link is different from the Anti-Roll Bar itself. The droplinks are prone to failure with ball joints to dry out, rubber boots to perish and plastic caps to break off whereas the anti-roll bar is a solid metal bar, that's not to say it can be damaged or corroded.

Here is my rear Anti-Roll Bar off the car, the drop links still attached.
IMAG0333tn_zps84a2f5ad.jpg



This is the location of the bar.
IMAG0387tn_zpsb1bbd1aa.jpg



.and the attachement points between the bar and the knuckle
IMAG0386tn_zpsbbc31dfb.jpg


The job itself it not too difficult, however removing the nuts is tough one. I've tried a few options but the winner was vice grips, blowtorch and impact driver after you break them apart. You've nothing to loose giving it a go, but life will be much much easier if you follow my vid (which is on the front but principle is the same). If you do go down the blowtorch route, you need to be careful around the ABS wire, the brake hose and the fuel lines on the near side rear.

 
Yes, thats the ARB droplink as already said. Easy job, be careful the ARB doesn't spring up or down as you release the droplink as i have had my arm trapped by one as its sprung unexpectidly before.

Easy job though, and more importantly...CHEAP
 
Good point Stevie...

I done the job with both wheel raised and never had an issue. Did you have one side up/down?

Obviously the purpose of the anti-roll (torsion) bar is to load the unloaded side so if the other side was on the ground, the working side would spring up.
 
It was on a merc van and it was on a ramp.
 
thanks for the replies,
i'll be ordering the bits later today, I'm going to replace the pair, might as well as I'll have the car up on axle stands to do it, and if 1 has gone I'm betting the other will be on its way too, hopefully I'll have it all done over the weekend.
 
I got Lemforders from EuroCarParts for the rear to try them out. They are about £20 a side before discount, or OEM which I put upfront are £50apprx per side.
 
Forget fussing over vice grips/blowtorch etc. The easiest way I find to change them (and I've done hundreds!) is to just get the appropriate socket with the biggest bar you can find and just snap the bolts off by tightening them. The bolt essentially snaps off the studs, meaning the drop links just fall out.

Easy peasy!
 
How does the nut tighten when/if its seized to the stud? I had heat and plusgas on it and the stud was still spinning.

I've only done the four, so you are beating me with experience for sure B)
 
If the studs spinning, I put a spanner (width grinded down) onto the slot in between the nut and stud, so that when you tighten the bolt, the spanner presses against the body allowing the stud to snap...Failing that, thin nose mole grips do the same job.
 
I tried two needle nose vice grips (6" and 9") in that gap, Irwin ones with the Hex on the end and tightened them down with an allen key and it still couldn't hold it. You can grip the Lemforders better than the Honda ones as that metal collar has a bit more width and squarer in profile, which was what I done to put them on. B)

I tried a few methods even had the anti-roll bar off as you can see in the pic to investigate the the quickest method as everywhere I looked and even some mechanics said it was a PITA job without heat. Acetylene would have been better of course.

Maybe mine was a bit extreme, the original links with 11 Scottish winters under its belt :D

Some other vids for the OP....

 
Impact gun has almost always worked for me, failing that a ground down spanner as already said. Works a treat.
 
just to update, i tried the weekend to do the links, but failed!

the nuts wouldn't budge, there was no flats on them to get the spanner on, when i gripped them with pliers i couldn't get enough grip to stop them spinning, and liberal dosing of heat from a blow torch only produced smoke and some odd smells, then it started raining and i had enough :mad:

so i gave the job to a garage next to where i work who charged an hours labor (£54) to replace both rear drop links, not too bad i think considering where i got the mot done wanted £66 for buying and fitting 1, and i got a set of front and rear drop links for £18 of that well known internet auction site.

looking at it, it would be an easy job if you have all the right tools, they come easily.
 
They are tough things to move, but as you say the right tools its a 5min job per side. ;)
 
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