Drop links

[bobalong135]

Changing the drop links on my 2009 1.4 scirocco and I’m sure I’m doing something wrong.

Can’t seem to get the drop link out.

After jacking the car up The drop link at the bottom the ball
Joint is maxed out facing up and the ball joint at the top is maxed out facing down. Tried litlfting the car higher and lower and there’s no movement.

What am I missing?

Cheers

[spookly]

I usually use a trolley jack to lift the whole vehicle, then use a bottle jack to separately lift the suspension to loosen the drop link.

[bobalong135]

Unfortunately by using a
Bottle jack I can only get to the drop link at the bottom
That’s connected to the anti roll
Bar and
By lift that up it will only lift the ball joint up causing the ball
Joint to face further upward making the issue worse.

[996TT02]

Not sure I understood this but it should be easy to replace without jacking. Assuming you have ramps for access underneath the car.

[csd19]

Try jacking up the other side at the same time, with one wheel still loaded up the ARB is trying to do it's job and level the suspension by applying an upward load. Hence why the droplink is the way it is

As you jack up the other side you'll get to a point where the ARB is under the least load and your droplink balljoints will straighten up, allowing easy removal and install. Although if the nuts are quite rusty and you've still to remove them, having the link under load helps as it reduces how much the balljoint can turn.

Or as 996TT02 says above, if the car is level (on ramps for clearance/access) the ARB will be neutral.

[csd19]

I think the reference to using a bottle jack means use it to jack up under the lower arm balljoint, this will compress the spring and bring the ARB link back into alignment also.

[Oscar011]

csd19 said:

I think the reference to using a bottle jack means use it to jack up under the lower arm balljoint, this will compress the spring and bring the ARB link back into alignment also.

Exactly this. Not much else to it. When compressed to ease it can you move the ARB link ends straight?

[227bhp]

bobalong135 said:

Joint is maxed out facing up and the ball joint at the top is maxed out facing down.

What am I missing?

Cheers

Some understandable English?

[Mr2Mike]

You need to jack both sides of the car up at the same time, i.e. both wheels of the axle you are working on should be off the ground.

[bobalong135]

Right I see so if I jack the car up equal about both sides on say 2 hydraulic jacks or even a stand under one side and a jack on the other, get it roughly level should be able to remove them
With ease?

Also most drop
Links allow you to hold one nut with a spanner and undo the drop link nut with another spanner, the ones on my car don’t have the I only have one nut so the whole thing just spins and spins, suggestions on how to overcome this?

[Vanordinaire]

I cheat if it doesn't look like coming out easily, just cut in half with an angle grinder. Usually easy enough to jack/lever the antiroll bar into position to get the new one off.

[GreenV8S]

bobalong135 said:

get it roughly level should be able to remove them With ease?

The drop links will be unloaded when the ride height is the same on both sides. If you only get it approximately level then it will only be approximately unloaded.

[bobalong135]

One last problem and all should
Be good now,

drop
Links allow you to hold one nut with a spanner and undo the drop link nut with another spanner, the ones on my car don’t have this I only have one nut so the whole thing just spins and spins, suggestions on how to overcome this?

[fbc]

bobalong135 said:

One last problem and all should
Be good now,

drop
Links allow you to hold one nut with a spanner and undo the drop link nut with another spanner, the ones on my car don’t have this I only have one nut so the whole thing just spins and spins, suggestions on how to overcome this?

If they're like these (according to eBay these suit your car), there's two flat sections on the link-side of the retaining threaded rod, that's where you locate the second spanner to prevent the rod from spinning while you turn the nut using another spanner:

[Super Slo Mo]

Drop links should be straightforward. Did mine last week, but mine needed the bottom of the strut undoing so I could access the top drop link bolt.
Did one side at a time, just used the jack to lift the suspension so the links could be removed and refitted.

However, one thing in your OP concerns me. Please tell me you are supporting the car on more than just a jack?

[bobalong135]

fbc said:

bobalong135 said:

One last problem and all should
Be good now,

drop
Links allow you to hold one nut with a spanner and undo the drop link nut with another spanner, the ones on my car don’t have this I only have one nut so the whole thing just spins and spins, suggestions on how to overcome this?

If they're like these (according to eBay these suit your car), there's two flat sections on the link-side of the retaining threaded rod, that's where you locate the second spanner to prevent the rod from spinning while you turn the nut using another spanner:

That’s them but they way they are angled means I am
Unable to get a smaller spanner on them

[bobalong135]

Super Slo Mo said:

Drop links should be straightforward. Did mine last week, but mine needed the bottom of the strut undoing so I could access the top drop link bolt.
Did one side at a time, just used the jack to lift the suspension so the links could be removed and refitted.

However, one thing in your OP concerns me. Please tell me you are supporting the car on more than just a jack?

Ofcourse were I have jacked up the front I am able to get a stand under the rear jacking point.

Unfortunately since lowering my car it has rendered my car ramps useless for my Veichle.

Obviously jacking one side with a hydraulic jack and the other with say a scissor jack isn’t going to work as the car try’s to move off the scissor jack however if I was to jack it up both sides with a hydraulic jack that’s on wheels so the car can move left to right would that be safe?

Or am I better jacking one side, putting a stand under then jacking the other to get the car level

[Super Slo Mo]

bobalong135 said:

Ofcourse were I have jacked up the front I am able to get a stand under the rear jacking point.

Unfortunately since lowering my car it has rendered my car ramps useless for my Veichle.

Obviously jacking one side with a hydraulic jack and the other with say a scissor jack isn’t going to work as the car try’s to move off the scissor jack however if I was to jack it up both sides with a hydraulic jack that’s on wheels so the car can move left to right would that be safe?

Or am I better jacking one side, putting a stand under then jacking the other to get the car level

No worries. Apologies for sounding like your mother I just have a thing about lifting and supporting cars properly.
I did one side at a time, just put the jack under the unloaded suspension arm and lifted it until the drop link could be removed.

[Mr2Mike]

bobalong135 said:

That’s them but they way they are angled means I am
Unable to get a smaller spanner on them

I'f there is no hex recessed into the end of the thread (i.e. for an allen key) then you need a slimmer spanner.

[james_gt3rs]

bobalong135 said:

Ofcourse were I have jacked up the front I am able to get a stand under the rear jacking point.

Unfortunately since lowering my car it has rendered my car ramps useless for my Veichle.

Obviously jacking one side with a hydraulic jack and the other with say a scissor jack isn’t going to work as the car try’s to move off the scissor jack however if I was to jack it up both sides with a hydraulic jack that’s on wheels so the car can move left to right would that be safe?

Or am I better jacking one side, putting a stand under then jacking the other to get the car level

Depends on the car, but most should have a front jacking point, which you use to lift the whole front, then you can get 2 axle stands on the sills (where the notches are). Bingo, front of the car in the air, ARB unloaded. Droplinks probably rusted and need cutting off but hey...