Author Topic: Drop Link Install Question - Loading up Suspension  (Read 873 times)

bus_ter

  • Approved Member
  • *
  • Posts: 247
  • Country: gb
  • My Honda: 2006 Jazz SE
Drop Link Install Question - Loading up Suspension
« on: August 02, 2020, 09:46:17 PM »
I've just read (in my Haynes manual) that the suspension must be loaded before tightening down drop links.

Can anyone confirm if this is crucial, and how to best go about doing that?

equaliser

  • Approved Member
  • *
  • Posts: 126
  • Country: scotland
  • Fuel economy:
  • My Honda: 2018 Honda Jazz 1.3 I-VTEC EX Navi CVT
Re: Drop Link Install Question - Loading up Suspension
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2020, 09:56:03 PM »
Just use a jack under the bottom ball joint to load up the suspension arm with tension.

sparky Paul

  • Approved Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3436
  • Country: gb
  • My Honda: 2015 GG6 Jazz EX 1.4 I-VTEC / 2008 GE3 Jazz SE 1.4 i-DSI
Re: Drop Link Install Question - Loading up Suspension
« Reply #2 on: August 03, 2020, 09:40:02 AM »
What I normally do is do the final tightening with the wheels on the ground, if access through the wheelarch (with extensions) and underneath allows. Otherwise, a jack under the suspension, as equaliser says.

To be honest, it's not as critical on the droplinks or other balljoints. So long as you are careful to make sure the face of the stud is flush up to the ARB and shocker mount, and not caught up on the threads, it should be ok. Where this is really very important is on control arm bushes, trailing arm bushes, etc., where you are fixing the middle of a rotational bush in a position in the centre of the suspension travel. Failure to do so will almost certainly lead to premature failure of the bushes.

bus_ter

  • Topic Starter
  • Approved Member
  • *
  • Posts: 247
  • Country: gb
  • My Honda: 2006 Jazz SE
Re: Drop Link Install Question - Loading up Suspension
« Reply #3 on: August 03, 2020, 01:45:29 PM »
Well typically a job that looks simple in theory is a nightmare. Rounded off the Allen key socket trying to undo the first bolt. It's welded on  :-[ can't get them off. All I've done now is loosened one so there's obvious play now. Don't know what to do.

equaliser

  • Approved Member
  • *
  • Posts: 126
  • Country: scotland
  • Fuel economy:
  • My Honda: 2018 Honda Jazz 1.3 I-VTEC EX Navi CVT
Re: Drop Link Install Question - Loading up Suspension
« Reply #4 on: August 03, 2020, 02:31:16 PM »
Drill the nut or use a nut splitter, if it's loosened off enough you can sometimes get a hacksaw blade at the back of the nut and cut it off. I would've used PlusGas (not WD40) and soaked the nuts before I attempted the job, it works like magic!

sparky Paul

  • Approved Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3436
  • Country: gb
  • My Honda: 2015 GG6 Jazz EX 1.4 I-VTEC / 2008 GE3 Jazz SE 1.4 i-DSI
Re: Drop Link Install Question - Loading up Suspension
« Reply #5 on: August 03, 2020, 02:56:54 PM »
You've started, so you've got to carry on now  ;)

The allen sockets in the end are a waste of time. The problem is holding the balljoint stud once you get it moving, even those with spanner flats on the back can be difficult to hold.

What I use is a small set of stillsons that are narrow enough to wedge in between the balljoint and the ARB or mounting bracket, so they bite into the waist of the balljoint stud to stop it rotating. A ratchet will whip the rusted nuts off, they can be tight, but I've never had to resort to the grinder yet.

Footprint pliers also work well, or at a pinch, mole grips - but whatever you use, they have to be narrow enough to grip onto the balljoint stud.

Some heat on the the nut also helps. Those small, high temperature butane torches, beloved of chefs, work surprisingly well on individual nuts.

Jocko

  • Approved Member
  • *
  • Posts: 9356
  • Country: scotland
  • Fuel economy:
  • My Honda: Died from rust.
Re: Drop Link Install Question - Loading up Suspension
« Reply #6 on: August 03, 2020, 03:07:11 PM »
My son-in-law just nipped them off with his angle grinder. That's the benefit of having a garage (minus ramp) in the back of a big van.

bus_ter

  • Topic Starter
  • Approved Member
  • *
  • Posts: 247
  • Country: gb
  • My Honda: 2006 Jazz SE
Re: Drop Link Install Question - Loading up Suspension
« Reply #7 on: August 03, 2020, 11:18:26 PM »
In the end I had a friend come over who's more experienced with mechanics than myself.

With a pair of mole grips, lots of brute force and swearing we got all four nuts off. Took a couple hours all in. About 5 minutes to fit the new ones!

The knocks seems to have gone. So £12 and 2 hours of pain were worth it  :D

sparky Paul

  • Approved Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3436
  • Country: gb
  • My Honda: 2015 GG6 Jazz EX 1.4 I-VTEC / 2008 GE3 Jazz SE 1.4 i-DSI
Re: Drop Link Install Question - Loading up Suspension
« Reply #8 on: August 04, 2020, 08:37:48 AM »
The knocks seems to have gone. So £12 and 2 hours of pain were worth it  :D

Smashing!  8)

Tags:
 

anything
Back to top