Sheared drop link bolt

[scarr89]

What a day I'v had. From bad to worse.

Fitted my new front eibach ARB today, thanks to Davo IOW. Started undoing the bolt that holds the drop link to the arm and boom, off it sheared. Raginggggg! 

I continue regardless and manage to fit it all well and good, hope so! Long short of it is I cannot get the stud removed/do not have the correct 'tools' do remove it my self until next weekend and will be needing the car first thing tomorrow. Now I drove it to the end of the road no problem with only 1 drop link connected, I just haven't put the other drop link on, so just an arb floating there. Will this be ok to drive say 400 miles on? Obv I won't be thrashing it around bends and driving like a tool, mostly Mway miles...

From today experiences I have learnt NOT to keep trying to undo something if it is stiff as heck. You can NEVER use too much WD40. Crack every bolt before you start the job to see if you will have any troubles later on. Always use a blow torch if you can before trying to undo something.

 

[mcgee9t2]

if its on coilovers i cant see it being a massive problem (btcc cars dont use arbs as far as i know, but i guess they have there suspension set up more accurately than you) you will proberbly find its a bit more tail happy though.

however an easy way ive found to get sheared bolts out, drill a small hole in the centre, get a torx driver, hammer it in and use that to take it out.

[scarr89]

On springs and shocks.

I need a bigger tool box to get a blowtorch in there! I was doing on axle stands away from home where the rest of my tools are. Only had my box and socket set 

[Chris.]

blowtorch wont even tickle most things.

A good trick is that if its feeling stiff, is to wind the bolt in and out a good few times.  This cleans the threads and allows it to come out easier.

A small hole with a torx bit hammered in may work, depends how tight it is.  Shame you dont have heat or it would just come straight out.

Id get it sorted asap.

[JimBR]

Quick and cheap solution would be get a new lower arm from gsf for about £35 and a bolt from VW/TPS. Your back on the road then and at least you know the lower arm bushes will be good for a bit.

(unless you've got polys or TT ones in the lower arms you've got now  )