Replacing Rear Drop Links

[MakaveliX]

Want to replace me drop links on my Mazda. Got some decent ones here now.

I'm sure with a ratcheting spanner 14mm and a 5mm allen key I could fit under the car without jacking anything up and fit them myself.

I understand the rear wheels have to be level and one not higher than the other... I don't like the idea of jacking it up and getting under the car - so that is out the question.

So would I be able to replace the rear ones without jacking up the car ?

Thanks

[TwinKam]

You don't say what Mazda nor it's age.
But it's a Mazda and, if it needs new drop links I'm guessing it's over 2 yrs old. Apart from being shocked at how rusty it all is under there, you will almost certainly not 'just undo' those drop-links with 'a 14mm spanner and a 5mm allen key', ratcheting or not; the internal hex is for little more than holding the stud still when putting them on new, and with be next to useless when undoing them n years later. You can try wire brushing and oiling the rusty exposed threads, but you will probably end up cutting the old links off, and then you will really regret attempting to do the job with no elbow room. Get it up (and supported), give yourself plenty of space to work in.

[MakaveliX]

TwinKam said:

You don't say what Mazda nor it's age.
But it's a Mazda and, if it needs new drop links I'm guessing it's over 2 yrs old. Apart from being shocked at how rusty it all is under there, you will almost certainly not 'just undo' those drop-links with 'a 14mm spanner and a 5mm allen key', ratcheting or not; the internal hex is for little more than holding the stud still when putting them on new, and with be next to useless when undoing them n years later. You can try wire brushing and oiling the rusty exposed threads, but you will probably end up cutting the old links off, and then you will really regret attempting to do the job with no elbow room. Get it up (and supported), give yourself plenty of space to work in.

Yeah you are spot on. Just had another look and it looks very very difficult to get to the top bolt, let alone work with it even if it was jacked up. Don't know how a mechanic would even get to it to be honest.

I'll get a pic, but yeah I think I should leave it for the mechanic who can get underneath properly.

[E-bmw]

As above, you would almost certainly need the car fully up to get at top & bottom & may well need to persuade the old ones to come off.

[MakaveliX]

OK will take the advice and leave it for the mechanic.

Other question is. On the listing for the part it says " spanner size " 14 but to get a wrench around the nut ( according to my spanner set ) only a 17 fits, so confused here as to why the smallest I can fit around is a 17, not a 14.

It is the right size nut as the stock mazda ones as, I checked to see if the nut would fit around the ones currently installed on the car and they do.

Also according to YouTube the Mazdas have 14 spanner size when they actually seem bigger in reality ?

Am I missing something here ?

EDIT: did some further reading and it also says " External thread size M10 " which according to Google is 17mm, which is correct

Edited by MakaveliX on Tuesday 18th April 18:39

[TwinKam]

Standard common-or-garden nut size for an M10 is 17mm, but can also be 16, 15 or 14mm dependant on the manufacturer (eg Ford, Honda), convention (eg European, Asian), and the application (eg calculated stress, cost, or for ease of access).