Hi all
Re the jts having its lower driverside wishbone fitted
My mechanic is saying he's having big problems lining up the rear bolt. Holes Just dont want to line up so bolt isnt going through. He says he has the two fronts in but the rear is just being a pain in the a#$e.
Are there any known issues re this or is there some trick that needs to happen to make things easier? Are after market parts known to be difficult!??
I prob own one of 5 156s within a 5 mile radius so, as experienced as he is, this is prob as uncommon as it gets
Yeah....I had a phone call from a friend who says someone on here recently had a similar issue with a starline lower arm!! Itd be different if I was fitting it myself but it's in the garage incurring labour charges!!
Irrespective of cost, u expect the parts to fit but maybe just not last as long
What a pita this is!! Part to be returned to manufacturer...6-8 weeks before I hear back from them....forms and reports submitted re labour charges etc
Currently I'll be out of pocket god knows how much until it's all sorted out
Ffs!!
If your mechanic hasn't changed one in the past it's unsurprising he's struggling. Everyone does,
The lower wishbones are a PITA and don't look like they're ever going to fit, until you have the hallelujah moment and you manage to get them lined up.
Been a few years since I replaced mine, which was the second time I'd changed them, and having had the experience things went a bit smoother. Most important thing to remember is unless they're properly lined up DO NOT try to insert the bolt, unless they're going in dead straight the thread on the wishbone and/or bolt will strip.
If you put the balljoint in with the suspension hanging the wishbone will now be at an unnatural angle making the wishbone mountings nigh on impossible to line up. IIRC I then put a jack under the hub to lift the hub/upright into a natural position.
Yeah, spoke to him
He says hes ended up disconnecting everything. I'm my mind then, theres nothing hanging so the part should have fitted when offered up to the mountings!?
Anyway, he has the old one still obviously, so hes going to take some measurements.
Thanks pub
There is a chance they may not be quite the same. Someone on the forum recently posted pictures of a wishbone they bought which had different spacing of the rear bolt holes compared to the one already in the car.
When I did mine. Not fun. Also a complete novice at the time. I still am, but just not quite a novice with that lower wishbone.
I ended up to remove the hub nut, to remove the drive shaft. I also removed the bolt for the fork over the shock so I could get the fork out the way. Also loosen the ARB at both ends of its mounting bolts, and undo drop links at each side so the ARB can be pushed right up and out the way. Of course, by removing the fork and the driveshaft there is more work to do to line those parts up, but it made mounting the wishbone easier.
Also helps if you have a helper to hold/ move it while you see if the bolts can make it through the holes. The rear mounts (Aluminium) are very easy to strip. Very easy.
There is a video on youtube which is for the 147. Same suspension so it's ok. It gives good basic instructions which helped me. Some bolts may not be quite as easy to undo as in the video however.
Hi, that fork is a pinch bolt onto the shock....is there a set position and if not, how would you determine it with a new shock? Am going to be doing a full springs and shocks on my GT soon (plus at least one upper wishbone and one lower
I was expecting trouble when I replaced front passenger side last year, but the new TRW lower wishbone was easier than I expected from all the forum struggles. Getting the ARB out of the way was just a matter of jacking the other side under the knuckle, to lift the bar. Fitting the bolts, just a matter of rotating the positions of the bushed pivots so everything lined up. The worst bit was putting the strut back into the turret with new upper wishbone fitted and that horrid fork (attached to the shock) restricting movement.
Before I take the front strut apart after removing it, I look down its length. Where the location tab aligns with the top spring seat, I mark the top spring seat with tipped or a paint pen.
Obviously if it has been apart before and put back out of line, I factor in an adjustment into the paint mark.
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