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        General >> Give/Need advice to/from others >> Drop Link Replacement
        
(Message started by: brds on Jul 14^th, 2017, 2:11pm)

Title: Drop Link Replacement
Post by brds on Jul 14^th, 2017, 2:11pm

I'm changing the drop links on my '95 2.0L Estate prior to putting it back on the road after 3 years on SORN - this is hopefully the last in a long list of jobs.
I've got the car jacked up on the O/S (with additional safety blocks of wood) and managed to get the drop link off after a struggle - it's definitely worn.
Problem now is lining up the bottom of the new one with the hole in the anti-roll bar. I can just about lever the roll-bar down with a crow-bar but it's risky and I don't want to damage myself or the thread on the new link.
Question therefore is, how can I organise things to take the stress out of the roll bar and line things up easily.
Bob

Title: Re: Drop Link Replacement
Post by Scorpio_Mike on Jul 14^th, 2017, 2:22pm

I think you need to jack up both sides of the front to let the suspension drop - if you only have 1 side jacked up, the anti-roll bar will still be under tension from the side which still has the wheel on the ground.

Title: Re: Drop Link Replacement
Post by Simmo on Jul 14^th, 2017, 2:37pm

I think Mike is right. Get both sides off the ground. There is an article Here (http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=admin;action=display;num=1286373633) which may help.
You will read that I had an issue with the top nut but there is another article Here (http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=admin;action=display;num=1368802534) which explains that there may be another access point. ;)

Title: Re: Drop Link Replacement
Post by brds on Jul 14^th, 2017, 6:42pm

All done - I moved the car to where I could get at both sides and jacked the front up onto two bits of railway sleeper that I use as ramps.
The new O/S link then went in very easily.
N/S old bottom nut was very stiff and needed tapping with a club-hammer on the spanner - found that it's better to slacken them with the top still tight so as to stop the link bouncing about on the roll-bar. Old link then came out - it was also worn. The new one went in very easily.
Simmo - thanks for article links. I managed to get at the top nut flats by turning the steering but still had to grind down a spanner to make it thin enough to get at them. The new Delphi links are much better with the hexagonal key in the top.
Mike - The new steering wheel and load cover look very smart. I didn't have to change the airbag so kept the new one in case anybody ever needs one.
Thank you both very much.
Bob.

Title: Re: Drop Link Replacement
Post by Simmo on Jul 14^th, 2017, 9:24pm

Glad you are sorted Bob. ;)