Drag Link Replacement: Ground Ramps or Jack & Stands?
- Thread starter chasman
- Start date
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jamesmartin
Well-Known Member
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- 91,879
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- louth lincs
you can do it on the ground, easier to raise suspension first
Cheers! There's something slightly spooky about trusting four rubber bags and I have the ramps, but nice to know the wheels won't splay and drop the car on me... I figured I was OK as long as the track rod was still on but wanted to be sure.
Datatek
Well-Known Member
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- 44,888
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- Near Poitiers SW France
It's a solid axle, how are the wheels going to splay? Don't trust the air, rais it to wading height and use axle stands under the chassis.
- Posts
- 724
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Have you got a joint splitter? The sharp whack with a hammer method should work, but it didn't for me, so I used a fork type splitter, one tap and it was off.
Yeah bought a 19mm Draper on Amazon Prime, arrived yesterday, thanks.
StuckAgainSteve
Well-Known Member
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- 2,276
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- London
Exactly how I did mine - and I ate all the pies - so clearance is good.
jamesmartin
Well-Known Member
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- 91,879
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- louth lincs
raising it just makes it easier theres enough room under it not to squash you even if the unlikely event of air bag blowing
- Posts
- 58,170
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- Preston Lancs.
Fit it properly you can't just slap it on. Make sure it is EXACTLY the same length as the one you remove. Even then you may still have to centralise steering box to some degree.
- Posts
- 58,170
- Location
- Preston Lancs.
They are OEM. Lift suspension to high. Place stand as insurance. Have steering locked ahead (key removed). Remove nuts from both ends, remove TREs first from drop arm then from steering arm. Fit new unit to steering arm end first, fit nut and nip up. Adjust length of unit until it drops squarely into drop arm. Fit nut to drop arm end and fully tighten both ends. Drive car back and forth a few car lengths on level ground allow steering to self centre, note position of steering wheel. If steering wheel is square with wheels straight ahead tighten adjuster clamps on drag link. If not, adjust drag link in or out and retest until steering wheel self centers square with wheels in straight ahead position. Then tighten clamps on drag link. Job done.
Cheers wammers! :tea:
Good to know, cheers.
Fair enough... I'll get spare pants just in case
PS I know for a fact the people who fitted the bags had one burst when they drove it out of the workshop
because they told me :screaming_bug_eye_f They fitted a new one from a different source FoC obv. But I guess just after fitting is the most likely time for an unexpected failure due to a manufacturing flaw or accidental damage during fitting. They've been on there over a year now but it's made me cautious.
Even steel springs can snap, had a quality progressive rate spring on my RS2 go a few years after it was fitted.
- Posts
- 58,170
- Location
- Preston Lancs.
Fair enough... I'll get spare pants just in case
PS I know for a fact the people who fitted the bags had one burst when they drove it out of the workshop
They fitted a new one from a different source FoC obv. But I guess just after fitting is the most likely time for an unexpected failure due to a manufacturing flaw or accidental damage during fitting. They've been on there over a year now but it's made me cautious.
Even steel springs can snap, had a quality progressive rate spring on my RS2 go a few years after it was fitted.
Biggest cause of bags coming off mounts is not inflating them prior to dropping weight onto them. Very unlikely to burst but can be flipped off the mountings.
Another handy thing to know... I imagine you could also cause what cyclists call a "snake bite" puncture where some of the rubber gets pinched against something hard if you're running your tyres too soft.
How do you inflate them? I have a BB Nanocom... is it best to do one corner at a time?
- Posts
- 58,170
- Location
- Preston Lancs.
When fitting i just use an airline to settle them on the seats then fit the pins. Connect them up and switch engine on with doors shut that will put air in them and the jack can be taken away. Or you can use the Nano to put a bit of air in. As long as they are at least partially inflated before weight is put on them they will be fine.
Excellent, thanks.
