Re: Bongo's a knocking
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 10:00 pm
I'm here. Well, it could be Dave Edmonds...
...but then again, I reckon droplinks and antiroll bar bushes are obvious candidates, unless you have reason to believe they've been renewed recently. Turns an old banger into a new car when you replace them (wish I'd known this on my other old cars). The anti-roll bar bodge (not really, it works great) repair is here:
http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... &sk=t&sd=a
The only problem with the job is if the nuts are seized. Use 6 sided (not star) sockets for good grip, and an extension bar. Pretreat with penetrating oil or similar if need be. Be prepared to grind or split them off in the worst case scenario (I was lucky with all mine). The front droplinks may seem impossible as the nut just makes the ball joint turn, but the back to the balljoint has flattened faces allowing an open ended spanner to be slipped on and stop it from turning. Removing wheels gives good access, but don't do droplinks on the scissor jack. Get the car on axle stands so the load is even. The front droplinks are a ball and socket arrangement and they may not mind being tightened up under excess suspension compression (as happens if you jack one wheel), but the rear ones are dumb-bells with rubber isolator bushes and if you tighten the holding bolts when suspension abnormally compressed then they will have a permanent torque in them when normal load is resumed and this will shorten their life. Or so the received wisdom goes!
...but then again, I reckon droplinks and antiroll bar bushes are obvious candidates, unless you have reason to believe they've been renewed recently. Turns an old banger into a new car when you replace them (wish I'd known this on my other old cars). The anti-roll bar bodge (not really, it works great) repair is here:http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... &sk=t&sd=a
The only problem with the job is if the nuts are seized. Use 6 sided (not star) sockets for good grip, and an extension bar. Pretreat with penetrating oil or similar if need be. Be prepared to grind or split them off in the worst case scenario (I was lucky with all mine). The front droplinks may seem impossible as the nut just makes the ball joint turn, but the back to the balljoint has flattened faces allowing an open ended spanner to be slipped on and stop it from turning. Removing wheels gives good access, but don't do droplinks on the scissor jack. Get the car on axle stands so the load is even. The front droplinks are a ball and socket arrangement and they may not mind being tightened up under excess suspension compression (as happens if you jack one wheel), but the rear ones are dumb-bells with rubber isolator bushes and if you tighten the holding bolts when suspension abnormally compressed then they will have a permanent torque in them when normal load is resumed and this will shorten their life. Or so the received wisdom goes!
