xantia front drop links knocking

pete@co.uk · Post by **pete@co.uk** » 31 Mar 2005, 02:48

Hi guys
Anyone know how difficult it is to change the front drop links on my xantia now i know there,s one nut at the top and one at the bottom now ive heard it can be a right pain to change them becouse when you undo the nut the whole relivent joint can start turning and then you have problems is this true and do you get round that problem or am i worrying unduely
apprecate any help
Pete...................

Dave Bamber · Post by **Dave Bamber** » 31 Mar 2005, 03:16

I had the same problem on a previous BX, I just hacksawed them off. Make sure you get new Niloc nuts with your new links.

dan.2cv · Post by **dan.2cv** » 31 Mar 2005, 03:25

Does the 'stud' or threaded part not have an allen socket head so that it can be held stationary while you undo the nut? If not, hacksaw as above, or go straight in with the angle grinder for the Schwarzenegger approach!

np · Post by np » 31 Mar 2005, 03:52

I did mine last year.Very easy once you get the road wheels off.Just undo old ones,put new ones in,& tighten.2 of the nuts undid,2 needed cutting off with a hacksaw.
Also,check the new ones have a bit of grease inside the rubber gaitors if you can.My new ones were dry,the after a few months a squeek started.Put a bit of grease in them,which cured it.[:)]
No allen key head on my old ones.The new ones had a allen key head though.

ActivaV6uk · Post by **ActivaV6uk** » 31 Mar 2005, 04:53

the allen key heads are useless if there original there 5mm alenkey is required and you will round it off befor you undo the nut. next time i do one its angle grinder all the way

Andy

sbraud · Post by **sbraud** » 31 Mar 2005, 14:13

Did mine two weeks ago and agree with Dave, Dan & Neil.
I too had to cut off lock nuts as hex slot rounded. Put lots of grease in ball joint under rubber as well.
I’d add, it’s worth jacking up front of car so both axels are off tarmac to take tension out of roll bar. Makes life a little easier than jack from one side.
Cheers
Steve

Rostami · Post by **Rostami** » 31 Mar 2005, 17:51

Hi to all,
Exactly how can you tell that the drop-links need to be changed? Does it depend on the "kind" of noise that they make when driving over irregular roads?
My point is how can we distinguish between the rumbling sound of the drop-links and the sound of the lower triangle or steering joints?

dan.2cv · Post by **dan.2cv** » 31 Mar 2005, 17:55

The only way to diagnose is to check for any free play at either end of the link. Check with the weight of the car on the ground, and if possible use some kind of lever to try and move the joints. Otherwise wait for the MoT man to tell you........

pete@co.uk · Post by **pete@co.uk** » 01 Apr 2005, 00:10

Hi guys
Thanks for all the info ive had he car checked out up on the ramp and its definatly the drop links as there is no other play there but its a nasty sound though, sometimes sounds like the wheels are going to fall off [:I] so i need to get it sorted its been like this since i brought the car a few months ago. Anyway i was thinking a good way to remove these nuts is to purchase a good nut spliter anybody know what size the nuts are? so i can get the right size spliter. Save,s using hacksaws and the good old arnie tactic with the angle grinder [}:)]
pete.........................

Dohnut · Post by **Dohnut** » 01 Apr 2005, 02:54

Hi all, just done the droplinks on a xantia today, piece of cake jack up car, wheel off, (BLOCK CAR UP WITH AXLE STANDS), time up to now 20/25 minutes.
Hacksaw bottom nut off, undo top nut use allen key and wd40 or hacksaw off, remove link, fit new droplink, tighten nuts. put wheel back lower jack. Total time 35 minutes. Move round to other side and repeat.
Easy peasy.
As someone on here has already stated, it takes longer to jack the car up and remove the wheels than to get the links off. However I did spend a bit of time on the top nut as it is a bit akward to hacksaw off but not impossible.
Hope this helps anyone who is thinking of doing the job themselves.

np · Post by np » 01 Apr 2005, 04:39

I got both sides jacked up before i started,like sbraud.
As you said Dohnut,it DID take longer to get the car supported & wheels off than to replace both droplinks.
Rostami,the noise i had sounded like a dull thump/rattle every time i hit a bump.I have also seen it on the forum as "putting a squash ball in a lunch box & shaking it about" kind of noise!

davethewheel · Post by **davethewheel** » 01 Apr 2005, 05:17

are bust drop links meant to be a m.o.t. failure as the one's on my xantia have been knackered for the last 3 m.o.t's and it's not failed yet, I'm reluctant to change them as i once did it on a peugeot 205 gti i owned and they only lasted a few months before starting to rattle again and they were genuine peugeot one's, i must admit a few knocks and rattles don't bother me as long as it's running ok and not going to let me down.[:D]

sbraud · Post by **sbraud** » 01 Apr 2005, 15:10

Those nuts - original should be a 16mm, my replacements were 17. So, I guess you’ll need to know if they’ve been changed before. Might be easier to place a couple of spanners over them to get size.
Cheers
Steve

pete@co.uk · Post by **pete@co.uk** » 02 Apr 2005, 01:06

Hi guys
Thanks for all the help on this guys, yes ill get the front of the car up on the axle stands this weekend and tackle the job ill take sbrauds advice and get both wheels off the ground ive got the new links now so ill let you all know how i get on.
thanks agian
pete...........

pete@co.uk · Post by **pete@co.uk** » 03 Apr 2005, 06:46

UPDATE
Hi all well ive changed the drop links the top part on one of them came undone very easy but the bottom part well the the allen key hole was split before id even started so out with the hacksaw and the hammer a bit of arnie there i think any way got them off replaced them and tried the car down the road only to find that elusive knocking is still there [B)] now where do i go from there and its not the drive joints.
help[:(]
pete...........................