Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[terry paget]

The bolt or nut you might drop into the subframe is the rear vertical bolt, the 77mm long one. I have found one, with nut, as shown above. In the olden (Senator?) days I used to do what was told and used new bolts. More recently, I have bought the magnificent 70 pound kits of 2 wishbones, 2 drop links and 2 track rods, but no nuts and bolts, so I always reused originals. If  you do lose yours in the subframe I will post above to you.

[Nick W]

I've not had any trouble with dropping the bolts into the chassis rails.


But I have confused the front and rear ones. The front bolt is just too short to fit the nut when you put it in the rear location......

[terry paget]

I've not had any trouble with dropping the bolts into the chassis rails.


But I have confused the front and rear ones. The front bolt is just too short to fit the nut when you put it in the rear location......

Now you are muddling me. The front of the car is the end where the headlights are, the rear is where the tail lights are. The horizontal wishbone bolt, 88mm long is at the front, and the vertical bolt is at the back, and a mere 77mm long. I once put the longer bolt in the rear, vertical slot, where it fitted perfectly well, but involved more turns to tighten.

[Nick W]

I've not had any trouble with dropping the bolts into the chassis rails.


But I have confused the front and rear ones. The front bolt is just too short to fit the nut when you put it in the rear location......

Now you are muddling me. The front of the car is the end where the headlights are, the rear is where the tail lights are. The horizontal wishbone bolt, 88mm long is at the front, and the vertical bolt is at the back, and a mere 77mm long. I once put the longer bolt in the rear, vertical slot, where it fitted perfectly well, but involved more turns to tighten.

that might have been it. I know I had to swap it for the other one.


Aligning the holes from underneath makes fitting the bolt easier. Basic assembly technique.

[Doctor Gollum]

With the strut off the car, the wishbone takes seconds to fit as you can fit it level.

Simply slot it in, quick check of the position with a screwdriver underneath and the bolt drops straight in from the top.

Working around the strut, means that the wishbone ends up going in at an angle which can cause the rear bush to snag, lining it up with a screwdriver takes alot more effort and you end up having to drift the bolt in.

[Nick W]

With the strut off the car, the wishbone takes seconds to fit as you can fit it level.

Simply slot it in, quick check of the position with a screwdriver underneath and the bolt drops straight in from the top.

Working around the strut, means that the wishbone ends up going in at an angle which can cause the rear bush to snag, lining it up with a screwdriver takes a lot more effort and you end up having to drift the bolt in.

That's nearly all true, but I wouldn't remove the strut just to fit a wishbone.

[Doctor Gollum]

Likewise, although slackening the top nut a couple of turns gives a litte more wiggle room

[terry paget]

My technique is to heave the strut out of the way with a pulley system, and tie it there. Then insert the wishbone horizontally, push a drift up through the holes and wiggle it, then a bigger drift, finally the 14mm bolt, then drop the bolt in from the top.
The man in Portugal who fitted the wishbones to my 2.5 was so relieved to get the bolts in from the bottom he put the nuts on and tightened them. He also replaced the coil pack with a new one strapped to the LH head.

[Nick W]

My technique is to heave the strut out of the way with a pulley system, and tie it there. Then insert the wishbone horizontally, push a drift up through the holes and wiggle it, then a bigger drift, finally the 14mm bolt, then drop the bolt in from the top.

A tapered drift makes most of that easier. The horizontal bolt is easy to access, so do it last.


I've never found it necessary to tie the strut out of the way.


I would much rather fit the bolt from the top than even attempt to put the nut there

[Doctor Gollum]

Absolutely, and god forbid you forget to tighten the nut, it won't kill you when it inevitably falls off

[terry paget]

Reverting to your original question - if you cannot lower a 21mm socket on 2 long wobbly bars on the head of the bolt, you can do it from below the car, as follows.
You will need a 21mm deep socket, on a hinged ratchet handle or socket bar. You manouevre the deep socket on to the bolt head, with the handle hanging down. Then you unscrew the nut, with the deep socket preventing the bolt from turning.

[Andy H]

My 'magnet on a stick' has got me out of trouble many times.

I think the last time I did wishbones I dropped the same bolt inside the chassis rail twice (and recovered it with the magnet) before I finally finished the job.

[Nick W]

My 'magnet on a stick' has got me out of trouble many times.

I think the last time I did wishbones I dropped the same bolt inside the chassis rail twice (and recovered it with the magnet) before I finally finished the job.

Try one with an LED in the middle of the magnet

[johnnydog]

'Posher' wand types of magnetic pick up tools have an insulated magnet that prevents the magnet sticking to everything metal other than the item you are trying to recover. Very frustrating when you are trying to direct the magnetic tip onto the 'lost' item otherwise. The insulated version makes getting the tip on the actual item a lot easier.

[cam.in.head]

ive personally not lost one yet but you could always tie a piece of cotton to it as you lower it in but not realy an issue .
most omega owners will become good at this job eventually anyway as its a job you will be doing every few years !