lower wishbone replacement

[helen&tony]

hi
I wonder if anyone can let me know if replacing the lower wishbone is relatively easy. It appears from the parts diagram that the ball joint has a nut on it, and the forward end of the wishbone has a bolt/nut, but I see no apparent fastening for the rear end of the wishbone. Does it somehow fit into a socket in the chassis, with the new bush just an interference fit?....and is it a DIY job which is easy....Tony doesn't like too much exertion It seems strange not to have any fixing at the rear, and I envisage lots of effort
Thanks in advance
Cheers
Helen

[waycar8]

Hi Helen, I did mine a while back, the back of the wishbone has the rubber around it then a braket goes around that and bolts onto the cross member, (theres a groove where it sits in the cross member). It took me nearly a full day to do one side , had to cut the ball joint off, it was siezed on, had blow torch on it air rachit, scaffold bar, it wouldnt budge. good luck

[robdrinky]

i think there is a fact sheet available(although i cant sign in to check at the moment )in the members area.

[helen&tony]

Hi
OOoohh, Ta....I can't bend to look, but after I posted, I got a mirror and looked....I see the "U" bracket at the back. I reckon I'll tell Tony to have a wee bash, and if no luck at ball-joint bashing , we'll do it back up and take it to the local town...there's a pair of muscle-men there ...and they work cheap....when they're not in office at the Euro- parliament
Cheers
Helen

[helen&tony]

Hi Wayne
Just a thought...did you do both sides...or was one enough of an experience ...i normally like to replace in pairs, but I might make an exception
Cheers
Helen

[waycar8]

Well....................

I had my old wishbones off the scrapped bongo, I had all the bushes replaced on those wishbones 2 days before it got wrote off

on this bongo one of the ball joints rubber had split so I bought 2 new ball joints and put them on the old wishbones so i had a pair of wishbones with new ball joints and bushes.

Replaced the whole wishbone, well one side that needing doing which took me ages to get off and loads of blood and sweat, so I took it took the garage for the other side doing

[helen&tony]

Hi Wayne
Thanks...I shall ask at the local garage to see how long they think it will take.....they seem a bit more capable than the mechanics at the local main dealerships....it usually takes 4 mechanics to do a wheel change over here :lol....I am not kidding.....it took 4 Bulgarian builders 9 days to do our shower room.....several English builders have since looked at it, and when they stop rolling on the floor laughing, they deliver the verdict....one English....3 days...you see why I'm nervous of leaving a car
Cheers
Helen

[waycar8]

, bulgarian builders sound like council workers, just been on site for the last 2 days fitting an adapter unit to the side of a councill house (its a building with a bedroom and a bathroom for a disabled person or a oap who cant get up or down the stairs),on the first day there was 2 people with the crane to lift it over the house, 2 fitters (me and a work mate) and our project manager. Then 4 council managers came to inspect after it was lifted into place.

Today just me and my work mate was there fixing it to the house and general snagging putting in a door to the main house, then 10 councill workers turned up to put a kitchen in and put new architive in all the rooms of the main house and a new gas fire and new boiler

We left at 5 after completing our work, the councill workers were still there , just before we left a councill manager turned up and asked the gaffer how long before you have finished, he replied we will be finished for friday, the manager said it you better get some overtime in as it needs to be finished for friday, the tenants moving in on monday

[helen&tony]

Hi Wayne
Oh, I wish I could show you the work of a Bulgarian "builder"...there is a multi storey structure going up in a nearby town...concrete pillars, with a brick infill........in all the years that Britain has used brick since the Great Fire of London, I can assure you that no brickwork has EVER looked as bad as this....not one straight level brick ....I wouldn't dare lean a bicycle against it....now Bulgarians can do many things (they tell me), but building is not one...a new block of apartments in Sofia fell down the other day....BEFORE it was finished ...Oh I have to laugh....but the people where we live are smashing folk....love 'em to bits, but ask anyone to work on the house....SHUDDER
Anyway, back to topic...is the ball-joint nut 29, 0r 30 mm ?...I've put a vernier across flats, and it's halfway between....tempted to try bashing a 29 mm on
Cheers
Helen

[waycar8]

I cant remember to be honest Helen, well I do it was a cutting disc , it got it off in about 2 minutes , good luck anyhow

[helen&tony]

Hi Wayne
Cheers
I like surgical precision
Cheers
Helen