drop links

[thebluepearl]

So was going to drop my car 30mm today and the drop link decided it wasn't playing the game 1 broken drop link later and a horrendous funking noise thanks to all parts shops being shut I still have standard ride height, am I going to break the other drop link when I return to lowering the car again?

[ConorTRG]

Ive my 306 lowered 80/90mm and havent broken a droplink yet.

[thebluepearl]

Did you break them when you did the lowering? As I was started to remove everything from the strut that's when the drop link popped of the top ball joint

[Toms306]

Sounds like it was just about to break anyway then! Usually have to cut the buggers off so I tend to change them when changing suspension anyway tbh.

[thebluepearl]

Sounds like it was just about to break anyway then! Usually have to cut the buggers off so I tend to change them when changing suspension anyway tbh.

Ok well I still need to get my car lowered so maybe worthwhile doing it before I repair the broken drop link

[cully]

drop links ar disposable items, you wont get them off without destroying the treads if they have been on there a while,
they are cheap, just replace them with new dont reuse them.

[Grant]

They are cheap to replace, and as said should be treated as a disposable item.

That said, I have never had to cut one off. Clean the threads up with (preferably) a wire wheel on a grinder/drill, or failing that a wire brush. Soak in penetrating spray and leave for 10-15 minutes.

Get your jack under the drop link ball joint, and apply (not excessive) pressure to the base of the drop link.

This is where having an impact gun comes in handy, as the nut will just buzz off. If not, you're going to have to do it by hand.


Following that ^^ I have never failed to remove one intact

[John1.4]

i've never managed to get one off intact...lol except when i was adjusting stuff on the ZX and they hadn't seen the road yet, new nylocks afterwards mind,

[Jonny81191]

Hmm. I regularly cut them off at work, but TBH that's mostly because the tools are to hand and it's quicker. I'd lower it first, you don't NEED them to drive, just expect lots of body roll.

[Jiffy]

Lol, yes you can drive without droplinks. I did it for a couple of days but I just drove like a granny because of the amount of body roll.

[Mattcheese31]

I always use mole grips on the thread ball joint side, easy off then

[Eeyore]

They come off relatively easy. Cut them off if needed. They are £12 a pair on ebay and have always been fine if you arent going stupidly low.

[Rippthrough]

If you're going to drive it, leave one on, take the knackered one off, if you leave both off your arb might well dig into the floor...

[1616six]

impact gun ftw, best thing i've ever purchased.

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/produ...t-wrench-2

worth every penny, I use it constantly.

[Piggy]

Never ever had to cut one off, what are you cowboys all doing!?

Clean up the thread, bit of wd40 or similar, molegrips or spanner on the back and undo the nut!?

I dont have a buzz gun but in the garage i worked at we just buzzed them off!

[Toms306]

They don't all have a spanner hold on the back...if they do, of course its easy lol. No space for grips on those ones either.

Impact gun just spins the ball in the socket and cooks the grease without a counterhold lol.


I hate 306 drop links lol, never had issues removing them on any other car! Though its probably just that they'd been on longer than any other tbh, I don't have anything more than an old wire brush to clean the threads with either, that's probably the crucial part...

[Mattcheese31]

I'll say it again, mole grips lol

[Piggy]

I'll say it again, mole grips lol

We could write it on there foreheads and I dont think they will get it!!

[cully]

disc cutter never fails

[Piggy]

neither does doing it properly imho

plus you avoid potentially damaging anything with the disc cutter...like the brake lines which aren't a million miles away!

[Toms306]

How big is your disc!?

Must admit, first time I ever used an angle grinder was on a drop link that had just rusted into a lump, couldn't do anything with it but cut it off....ended up taking a chunk out of the ARB at the same time.


I always use mole grips, probably the most used tool I've got lol...but it still doesn't help when theyre rusted solid... Plus where do you put the grips when they're links without the hold spanner hold? They just keep slipping round the shaft!

[Piggy]

then you have got rubbish mole grips or dont tighten them enough!

[Toms306]

Oh that's a good point, I'm probably not man enough to tighten them as much as you guys.

[maxlee]

Never ever had to cut one off, what are you cowboys all doing!?

Clean up the thread, bit of wd40 or similar, molegrips or spanner on the back and undo the nut!?

+ 1

wire brush wd40 thread undo every thing else make a tea have a smoke then use a good 30t and a spanner if they don't play I wont mess about as said cheap to buy so take the disc cutter to them when putting them back on I do the nut up and just chuck a bit of grease on the threads

[John1.4]

i hate the plastic ones... just had to remove one today, and it just popped off it's balljoints without a fuss, leaving the balljoints where they were meant to be, except then i had to try mole-grips and a hammer / big spanners to get the damn things off, and because they're the kind without allen bolt ends, almost impossible, so out came the death-wheel i feel much better now

---

i just wanted to add - beforehand this one didn't have any play in it at all, it was just shit and made of cheese

[Razorback_Rob]

Only once, maybe twice have I had droplinks come off by undoing them. Absolute pita. I only ever seem to remove them when replacing really so no harm getting the cutter out

[Jiffy]

I fitted plastic Lemforder ones and had to undo them today to fit my 21mm arb. I felt really smug as I had coated the threads and the torx head on the bolt liberally with copper grease. I had no problem undoing them.