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Quick question. Car is a Peugeot e208.
Before I make an idiot of myself in when talking to a mechanic...
Am I right in thinking this is a 'drop link'? (Thing it is bolted to is the front shock absorber)
Is a split rubber gaiter on one of these an MOT failure? (to judge how urgently I need it sorted!)
Do you think this is the likely cause of a knocking sound I've had from the front? I'm going to assume yes, but the thing feels solid as a rock when I try and move it, I can't detect any play at all.
Yes that's a drop link.
Not sure about MOT failure - generally, yes split boots on suspension joints would be a fail, but anti roll bars aren't really mission critical so maybe not. I'd change it because it ain't going to get any better (and probably do its friend too at the same time).
Yes it'll probably be your clonking - if you have the car jacked up to get under it, it'll have the sagged weight of the rest of the suspension putting it under load - and if you only have that one wheel off the ground, the ARB will be twisted, adding more load onto it.
Lovely, thank you!
We've just had an advisory for split rubber on drop link but if there is play it will probably be a fail. Pretty easy to change if you are already comfortable taking wheels off. Looks like you'll need a Torx socket, ring spanner and a dose of elbow grease to undo.
Clonking could also be loose shock absorber bolt or top strut bearings, or various other things.
You won't detect play in a drop link by hand. Even if it's ****ed and hanging on by a wing and a prayer due to tension in the arb.
They cost about 12 quid and that ones not long for this life so I would change it and see how it goes as yes they do clonk over bumps etc when worn.
Don't waste time trying to undo that, just cut it off with an angle grinder.
Pretty easy to change if you are already comfortable taking wheels off
They are not. They are nearly all seized solid and will resist any attempt to loosen by spinning hopelessly.
As noted above, cutting them off is customary. A dremel will do it with less chance of cutting through other things nearby.
And smear the new ones in grease on the exposed threads - there's less chance of having the same bother next time.
What others have said, cut off if seized as it saves a huge amount of swearing. Do buy decent ones otherwise you'll be replacing them again in less than a year. Lemforder are OEM spec.
Most knocks from suspension are usually drop link related. Perished rubbers usually get a fail in other joints, but for the cost, it's worth just replacing them.
Do you own an Estar socket set?
Looks like E10 , squirt of penetrating oil , ring spanner then wind it out .
Nice easy job, just a touch of copper slip on the new threads and under the head when you get the new one fitted
I have sockets if you don't want to buy a set and live in Hampshire
Nice easy job, just a touch of copper slip on the new threads and under the head when you get the new one fitted
It's so nice to see such optimism...
If you've got a gas axe to heat it red hot first, you might undo it with a ring key; otherwise it's breaker bar, and scaffolding tube on the end of the key. If you're lucky it'll shear, otherwise back to the angle grinder!
Drop link goes clonk at low speeds and is quiet at higher speeds.
Factory fit set never come off without a fight.
Any subsequent sets I have fitted can usually be got off with ease.
I guess they don't use anti sieze at the factory or their two grunts and a fart are a higher torque than mine.
A Dremel will make hard work of them. On anything that isn't a vag group car -as they don't seem to have good access. - a grinder or a recip will be just fine. If you don't trust your self not to cut other things with the either . Get a garage to do it.
I've yet to find a job where a dremel is the right tool for the job.
Thanks everyone. Fighting potentially seized bolts with bodged tools while kneeling on a gravel drive, puts it firmly into “pay someone to do it territory” for me.
Out of interest, I’ve always assumed that turning up at a garage with parts in hand saying “please fit these” would be a bit of a d*ck move - or is that acceptable behaviour?
Depends on the mechanic. My current mechanic generally just tells me what’s wrong (assuming it isn’t safety critical) and lets me source and deliver to his place and he fits. Just ask them.
Fitted some to a Citroen C3 Picasso. Helps to have 2 jacks to get both sides of the car up at the same time. Also an impact driver is a must. Also make sure to fit them to the correct side as the can be L and R specific
Nice easy job, just a touch of copper slip on the new threads and under the head when you get the new one fitted
It's so nice to see such optimism...
If you've got a gas axe to heat it red hot first, you might undo it with a ring key; otherwise it's breaker bar, and scaffolding tube on the end of the key. If you're lucky it'll shear, otherwise back to the angle grinder!
I was thinking go down the shear route, trouble with gas and angle grinder is that if you’ve not used to this stuff there’s comedy moments you don’t want to experience first hand 🙂
TBH I’ve not actually used one but isn’t a bolt splitter the way to go if you’ve got to remove it forcefully.
I have used a dewalt impact driver and it was great thou, someone said get one you’ll love it and I do.
(Get some goggles on as well - not me being nanny state but having experienced having things removed and also a friend who had Ali scalpeled out his eye our experience is you won’t like it 🙂
Do you own an Estar socket set?
Looks like E10 , squirt of penetrating oil , ring spanner then wind it out .
Nice easy job, just a touch of copper slip on the new threads and under the head when you get the new one fitted
I have sockets if you don't want to buy a set and live in Hampshire
First rule of tool club is don’t lend your tools 🙂
I suppose the reality is you have to decide if your going to do your own maintenance and start gathering the tools.
TBH I did a disc pad change recently and it was surprising how many tools I needed to get 4 bolts and a screw off.
Torx bits,duplicate spanner’s, impact driver and impact sockets(even then didn’t have the size I needed) and a piston retractor would have been nice as it was hunt big enough spanners.
All car jobs are easy until they’ve been done 🙂
Just done a pair of these last month (Febi Bilstein parts VAG group vehicle). As mentioned all the bolts were seized on good and proper 😆
Glad someone mentioned two jacks. You can do it one wheel (jacked up off the ground at a time) but you will need a spare jack, to jack the hub up, to align the bolt holes when fitting the new links! Oh and some of the aftermarket parts are lesser quality, even when from the correct OE brand.
Who's Jack? And how do you know if he has kids?
As others have said , if these have been on a few years they're usually a pain to get off. I have done many over the years the latest being two weeks ago. Mine usually have torx or allen sockets in they end which usually spin onece you put some pressure on them.
The last one I fitted actualy had spanner flats on the back side as well as the torx socket which I thought was a bonus.
Think I need to do this on my car (Seat Ibiza) as well as I've had a clunk over bumps for at least a year now. Passed it's MOT with no advisories in Feb and it doesn't seem to be getting any worse, so its one of those jobs I keep putting off but it's getting quite annoying now. Just looked it up and actually looks pretty simple and something I might consider doing myself since the parts are so cheap and easy to get to on the car itself. But with cars it always seems simple til you actually go to do it, and if something goes wrong (or if it's seized!) I don't have the knowledge and experience to put it right. Might just get the wheel off and give it a go with a spanner to see how seized they are!
I had a badly lowered car years ago, used to do drop links about once a year. got so good at it i could do it, both sides, with a couple of bits of wood, the jack that came with the car and a socket/spanner. Took under an hour.
Would not recommend. Would also not recommend using cheap drop links. (The first OE ones i bought lasted 2 years, then i sold the car.)
Not sure about MOT failure - generally, yes split boots on suspension joints would be a fail, but anti roll bars aren't really mission critical so maybe not. I'd change it because it ain't going to get any better (and probably do its friend too at the same time).
As i understand it - a split boot IS an MOT failure, but if can't get a replacement in time for an MOT you can remove the anti-roll bar system completely, and that's fine! (as in..anything broken is bad, but an you don't tecnichally need an anti-roll bar, you can remove it all!)
But back to OP - if you can get the old one off OK, swapping droplinks is fairly easy.
DrP
I do a fair bit of car maintenance. Fluid changes, brake discs and pads, rear shocks etc. Have done drop links in the past. But just took the mighty Octavia to a garage to have it done as they're the original ones, the car is 12 years old and they've been on there for 160,000 miles.
So it firmly fell into the let someone else do it job. Got the ARB bushes done at the same time and the car drives much better now.
Out of interest, I’ve always assumed that turning up at a garage with parts in hand saying “please fit these” would be a bit of a d*ck move - or is that acceptable behaviour?
At one point there was a lot of 'chatter' in the Trade about this. Lots of liability issues for the Garage. Might not be a big deal for a drop link, but when I worked on the coal face, I'd not fit a customer supplied Alternator for example. Can of worms.
If you supply the parts and there's an issue with it who is to say whether it's the part or the mechanic at fault?
If a garage provide the parts and do the fitting all the liability is with them.
that part you gave me was the wrong one - i found out after i removed the old one to compare.
whos paying for the car to go back together till the new one arrives . who has space to store part assembled cars.
Just to bring this thread full circle - drop links were changed yesterday by local indy garage. When I picked it up the guy remarked the parts were the most expensive drop links he's ever seen at about £40 a side! Paid £160 inc. VAT fitted.
Another (vaguely) interesting point - the first place I phoned refused point blank to do them as it was an electric car. "Too near the battery" apparently - I didn't waste time arguing that one with them, but seemed somewhat odd. They also said "no one round here will touch them". The place that did do them is about 100 yrds away on the same industrial estate.