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Hello,
Please find attached a rundown on the Wishbones replacement that I completed last year. The following text is how I did the job, if anyone has any different methods which may make things easier, feel free to PM me with the details, and I'll add them at the end of the How To, as Appendices.
Anyway, wishbones. They're not all that difficult. If you're replacing the wishbones it makes sense to replace the droplinks as well. One thing I will say, is make sure you purchase the nuts and bolts for the wishbones, it's best to use new in these situations.
A quick rundown on how I did the job.
Ensure that you have a good flat surface on which to complete the job, and a set of quality axle stands.
1 - Lossen the wheel nuts off with the car on the ground, don't remove completely.
2 - Jack up and support the car on axle stands. Support on the main chassis rail parallel to the jacking point.
3 - Remove both road wheels.
4 - Take some WD40 and thoroughly saturate the bolts on which you will be working on, this is the lower balljoint pinch bolt and the two bolts holding on the wishbone, also saturate the trackrod end joint and the droplink nuts.
5 - Turn the steering wheel so the bolt end of the lower balljoint is exposed, you whould be able to get a spanner on the nut and wedge it on the wishbone, then turn the bolt end with a socket to replace the pinch bolt. Use a drift to push it through.
6 - Turn the steering to the straight ahead position and using a jack handle, or metal pole, place onto the wishbone edge.
7 - Using a lump hammer, whack the wishbone hard to release the balljoint from the hub carrier. Be careful when doing this and ensure that you don't hit the bodywork. It'll take a few whacks, but it'll come eventually.
8 - Released the trackrod end bolt, and using a balljoint splitter, split the joint. This allows the strut some movement, which makes refitment easier. Get under the car, and place a socket on the top of the first bolt, this will wedge against the subframe/chassis rail as you use a spanner to release the lower nut.
9 - Once the nuts and bolts are loose, drift them through and pull the wishbone clear.
10 - The new wishbone, if a cheap part from ebay, use some sandpaper to gently remove the excess metal on top of the bushes, this allows it to go in easier. Sit in front of the hub and offer the wishbone up.
11 - Push the wishbone in, you'll need to wriggle it.
12 - Once in, lie on your back and check the holes line up. I had to rest the strut in-between my legs and move it forward slightly whilst I wriggled the wishbone in.
13 - Insert the top bolt into one of the bushes, it should drop through. If not, use the socket and ratchet to spin it through, this'll pull the wishbone into line and allow you to put the nut on, with the spanner held in place, tighten hand tight and repeat on the other side.
14 - Tighten just over hand tight, and place a jack under the ball joint, jack up so it is just below the hub carrier.
15 - The next is hit and miss, you need to wriggle the strut so it drop onto the balljoint, raising and lowering the jack as you do to get it to sit in properly.
16 - Lower the jack so that if you look through the carrier bolr hole, the balljoint concave edge is visible. Insert the pinch bolt and tighten just over hand tight.
17 - Using a torque wrench and socket/spanners to wedge things in place, tighten to manufacturers recommend figures, consult the haynes manual for these figures.
18 - Re-attach the track rod end, if this spins on tightening, jack it up so it is just under load, this will wegde it in place and allow you to tighten it fully.
19 - With the droplinks, I ensure I have replacement nuts, and just angle grind the old nut off, then, using two correctly sized spanners (17mm and 19mm IIRC) tighten them up, using a torque wrench to ensure correct figures are adherred to.
Other side is carried out in the same way!!.
HTH,
James
PS - This is now in the how to section.
Please find attached a rundown on the Wishbones replacement that I completed last year. The following text is how I did the job, if anyone has any different methods which may make things easier, feel free to PM me with the details, and I'll add them at the end of the How To, as Appendices.
Anyway, wishbones. They're not all that difficult. If you're replacing the wishbones it makes sense to replace the droplinks as well. One thing I will say, is make sure you purchase the nuts and bolts for the wishbones, it's best to use new in these situations.
A quick rundown on how I did the job.
Ensure that you have a good flat surface on which to complete the job, and a set of quality axle stands.
1 - Lossen the wheel nuts off with the car on the ground, don't remove completely.
2 - Jack up and support the car on axle stands. Support on the main chassis rail parallel to the jacking point.
3 - Remove both road wheels.
4 - Take some WD40 and thoroughly saturate the bolts on which you will be working on, this is the lower balljoint pinch bolt and the two bolts holding on the wishbone, also saturate the trackrod end joint and the droplink nuts.
5 - Turn the steering wheel so the bolt end of the lower balljoint is exposed, you whould be able to get a spanner on the nut and wedge it on the wishbone, then turn the bolt end with a socket to replace the pinch bolt. Use a drift to push it through.
6 - Turn the steering to the straight ahead position and using a jack handle, or metal pole, place onto the wishbone edge.
7 - Using a lump hammer, whack the wishbone hard to release the balljoint from the hub carrier. Be careful when doing this and ensure that you don't hit the bodywork. It'll take a few whacks, but it'll come eventually.
8 - Released the trackrod end bolt, and using a balljoint splitter, split the joint. This allows the strut some movement, which makes refitment easier. Get under the car, and place a socket on the top of the first bolt, this will wedge against the subframe/chassis rail as you use a spanner to release the lower nut.
9 - Once the nuts and bolts are loose, drift them through and pull the wishbone clear.
10 - The new wishbone, if a cheap part from ebay, use some sandpaper to gently remove the excess metal on top of the bushes, this allows it to go in easier. Sit in front of the hub and offer the wishbone up.
11 - Push the wishbone in, you'll need to wriggle it.
12 - Once in, lie on your back and check the holes line up. I had to rest the strut in-between my legs and move it forward slightly whilst I wriggled the wishbone in.
13 - Insert the top bolt into one of the bushes, it should drop through. If not, use the socket and ratchet to spin it through, this'll pull the wishbone into line and allow you to put the nut on, with the spanner held in place, tighten hand tight and repeat on the other side.
14 - Tighten just over hand tight, and place a jack under the ball joint, jack up so it is just below the hub carrier.
15 - The next is hit and miss, you need to wriggle the strut so it drop onto the balljoint, raising and lowering the jack as you do to get it to sit in properly.
16 - Lower the jack so that if you look through the carrier bolr hole, the balljoint concave edge is visible. Insert the pinch bolt and tighten just over hand tight.
17 - Using a torque wrench and socket/spanners to wedge things in place, tighten to manufacturers recommend figures, consult the haynes manual for these figures.
18 - Re-attach the track rod end, if this spins on tightening, jack it up so it is just under load, this will wegde it in place and allow you to tighten it fully.
19 - With the droplinks, I ensure I have replacement nuts, and just angle grind the old nut off, then, using two correctly sized spanners (17mm and 19mm IIRC) tighten them up, using a torque wrench to ensure correct figures are adherred to.
Other side is carried out in the same way!!.
HTH,
James
PS - This is now in the how to section.