Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Weds on 28 August 2008, 14:43:02

Title: Changing wishbones guide
Post by: Weds on 28 August 2008, 14:43:02
Is there a guide to changing the wishbones, looked in maintenance section, have I missed it somewhere..
Title: Re: Changing wishbones guide
Post by: Elite Pete on 28 August 2008, 14:58:31
Yep :y

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1152986949
Title: Re: Changing wishbones guide
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 28 August 2008, 15:01:56
There is but, it could do with a re-write as its a bit 'round the houses'

My method is;

Jack car up and support safely
Remove road wheel
Remove ball joint pinch bolt.
Drive the end of small chisel into the bottom of the hub assembly where the ball joint fits to open it out slightly.
Place a pry bar between the bottom of the hub, apply some pressure and hit the pry bar with a large hammer to shick the ball joint off.
Now remove the two bolts securing the wishbones to the sub frame noting which bolt fits where (they are both different lengths) and the direction in which they are fitted.
When removingt he rear bolt be careful not to drop it into the subframe.

Re-fit is reverse of removal but, grease thinsg up well and only fit the front bolt for the wishbones loosely.

Re-fit the wheel and drop the car back on the ground.

Now reach under the front of the car and tighten the front wishbone bolt.

Jack the car up again and torque the wishbone bolts up correctly
Title: Re: Changing wishbones guide
Post by: Weds on 28 August 2008, 15:12:43
Cheers guys, you make it sound so easy... I'm sure there should be seized bolts bruised knuckles and swearing included in there somewhere...

Off to check I've got a 21 and 22mm socket
Title: Re: Changing wishbones guide
Post by: Elite Pete on 28 August 2008, 15:18:03
I think the hardest part is getting the ball joint back in the bottom of the hub assembly.
Title: Re: Changing wishbones guide
Post by: ians on 28 August 2008, 15:39:48
Hardest part when I did it was getting the nut off the pinch bolt.
Title: Re: Changing wishbones guide
Post by: dbug on 28 August 2008, 17:04:20
Quote
Cheers guys, you make it sound so easy... I'm sure there should be seized bolts bruised knuckles and swearing included in there somewhere...

Off to check I've got a 21 and 22mm socket

Think you will need 2 x 21mm sockets!
Title: Re: Changing wishbones guide
Post by: markomega25 on 28 August 2008, 18:57:09

Think you will need 2 x 21mm sockets![/quote]

Definitely both 21mm (on my 2.5 x reg facelift). I only had one 21mm socket so used a 13/16th's whitworth, which fitted perfectly.
Title: Re: Changing wishbones guide
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 28 August 2008, 18:59:53
Old style spark plug socket also fits....
Title: Re: Changing wishbones guide
Post by: HerefordElite on 28 August 2008, 21:10:38
Quote
Quote
Cheers guys, you make it sound so easy... I'm sure there should be seized bolts bruised knuckles and swearing included in there somewhere...

Off to check I've got a 21 and 22mm socket

Think you will need 2 x 21mm sockets!


and you'll need an 18mm for the pinch bolt, smaller/cheaper socket sets don't often have one they jump from 17mm to 19mm ;)

good excuse for me to buy a nice shiny new draper socket set when i did mine ::)

 :y
Title: Re: Changing wishbones guide
Post by: HerefordElite on 28 August 2008, 21:17:09
also i used a combination of 3 or 4 extension bars to reach down to drivers side rear bolt (21mm) but i think you can do from underneath (just makes it easier) ;)

passenger side on the other hand is a biatch, requiring childs hands with monkey fingers to reach up an over to rear bolt :-/

(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj210/jakeunderhill/DSC01451.jpg)

(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj210/jakeunderhill/DSC01450.jpg)
Title: Re: Changing wishbones guide
Post by: JasonH on 28 August 2008, 21:19:34
I always find the hardest part is getting the rear bush back in place. Lots of levering and fiddling although I suspect the tip of using spring compressors might make it a doddle.

The 18mm pinch can be very tight also.
Title: Re: Changing wishbones guide
Post by: HerefordElite on 28 August 2008, 21:45:56
Quote
I always find the hardest part is getting the rear bush back in place. Lots of levering and fiddling although I suspect the tip of using spring compressors might make it a doddle.

The 18mm pinch can be very tight also.

i got pinch bolt off ok but i suspect bottom ball-joint had never been apart as i smacked the cr4p out of it with a pronged splitter and a lump hammer on the end of a piece of  4"x4" ::)

great tip :y i ended up using spring compressors and a scissor jack to try and lever it all back into place ::) it's awkward but you have to persevere :y