Changing anti roll bar drop links?

[TheGreatSoprendo]

Well, after 9 years with no issues, I've now had 2 ARB drop links snap on me in a month! The first one was the offside rear, and having bought the droplink and new nuts and bolts from MX-5 parts, I got it fitted by a local garage as it was going in anyway to have a blow on the stainless exhaust sorted.

The offside front has now gone in similar fashion and I was wondering how easy/difficult it is to change these yourself? It looks like a relatively simple job, but my only concern is how you go about swapping the bushes over? Is it do-able with "normal" home mechanic tools or do you need specialist stuff like a press?

Any advice much appreciated.

[Jonny671]

Sometimes, the nuts are rusted on.. You can most probably get them off relativly easy, but as we usually put new nuts on we cut the old ones off.. This you may not be able to do at home?

[TheGreatSoprendo]

The nuts are a bit rusty, but I was hoping a generous helping of Plus Gas, brute force and some choice language would sort them!

What about the bushes, are they likely to be an issue?

[Jonny671]

TheGreatSoprendo said:

The nuts are a bit rusty, but I was hoping a generous helping of Plus Gas, brute force and some choice language would sort them!

What about the bushes, are they likely to be an issue?

I'll confirm with a technician shortly, unless someone else comes in first.

OSF?

Edited by Jonny671 on Monday 2nd November 11:16

[TheGreatSoprendo]

Jonny671 said:

I'll confirm with a technician shortly, unless someone else comes in first.

You're a star, thanks for that.

Jonny671 said:

OSF?

Yep, although the links are exactly the same all round, so the process shouldn't be any different.

[Jonny671]

Right, apparently they don't go very often.. But the technician thinks you should be fine doing it at home, and that the only thing he could think would be difficult would be the nuts being rusted on.

[TheGreatSoprendo]

Cheers Jonny, much appreciated.

According to this the drop link comes with integral bushes in which case it's asimple bolt-on job (assuming you can get the nuts off, as you say). No mention of the bushes on the MX-5 Parts description though.

Can anyone confirm?

[MX-5 Lazza]

The bushes are in the drop link itself - you don't need (or want) to keep your old ones. You will need an allen-key (5 or 6mm I think) to go in the hole in the drop-link bolt so you can hold it while removing the nut.