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[terry paget]

I have changed many drop links on Omegas, always by brushng off the mud and external rust, spraying with WD40, and with a socket spanner on the nut and a 16mm spanner on the flat, undoing the nut. But it has been hard work, especially on the upper one. I have never used heat, but that's an option. The angle grinder sounds most sense, as long as I can get access.

[Doctor Gollum]

Haven't you removed them yet 

[Webby the Bear]

They’re no different mate 👍 if anything they’ll be easier if they’re the crappy plastic ones. Rip the plastic arm/link off. Mole grips on the newly exposed ball joint. Buzz the nut off.

Or. If they give any trouble use angle grinder straight down the centre of the nut. Tension is then lost and again get ya mole grips on the ball joint and off it comes. 👍👍👍

[terry paget]

Haven't you removed them yet 

No. I only located them yesterday, and ordered new. When they arrive I shall change them. There are other jobs to get on with.

[terry paget]

Interesting to note that while I heard front end clonking on the journey home, drop link bushes failed presumed, it was not picked up in the MOT test. I could never detect drop link failure in a stationary car either, but my local MOT tester can. How does he do it?

[henryd]

Interesting to note that while I heard front end clonking on the journey home, drop link bushes failed presumed, it was not picked up in the MOT test. I could never detect drop link failure in a stationary car either, but my local MOT tester can. How does he do it?

You will Struggle to find play with one corner jacked but with whole front end raised its easy to spot the wear

[tunnie]

Yeah, whole front end on stands, easy to spot 

[terry paget]

So with front end of car supported, wheels hanging down, if I grasp the drop links I should be able to detect play.

[dave the builder]

both wheels hanging down ,Pry bar under the tyre ,raise the wheel ,hand on one joint at a time (making sure you don't squish you fingers) you should feel play, the same as if you hold a worn out track rod end . if you a have helper, then you can look for play 
often ,the ball is worn ,sometimes the nut is not tight enough and play is in bolt hole.
strut top mount rubbers go soft(common) ,bottom ball joints wear ,broken spring,loose strut bolts,all the usual suspects
rear suspension torsion bar ,so no drop links ,common to have play in the bush of the shock, at 100k + the shocks could well be past effective anyway ,so worth checking damping operation in both directions   

[Webby the Bear]

Grab the bar next to the drop link and push/pull the hell out of it. You’ll feel the play. I’ve personally find that on the four poster (ie not jacked up) you can really feel the play. The mot tester will find the play this way 👍

[Webby the Bear]

*push and pull up and down that is 👍

[STEMO]

Push and pull up and down in a four poster? 

[Webby the Bear]

 

😂😂😂

[Doctor Gollum]

The symptoms, diagnosis and fix are all the same as the Omega (and pretty much every car since British Leyland collapsed).

The following thought is meant in kind concern rather than a dig or a criticism, but try as I might, it will sound, at best, blunt...

I wonder if I am alone in thinking that Terry might be starting to show his age
Perhaps if his kids read this, that they might pay closer attention 

[dave the builder]

The symptoms, diagnosis and fix are all the same as the Omega (and pretty much every car since British Leyland collapsed).

The following thought is meant in kind concern rather than a dig or a criticism, but try as I might, it will sound, at best, blunt...

I wonder if I am alone in thinking that Terry might be starting to show his age
Perhaps if his kids read this, that they might pay closer attention 

MMMMM   
I don't know how old Terry is ,
I don't know what arrangement he has with his family ,what he gets in return for sorting their cars ,which they are obviously too busy and not knowledgeable to sort themselves ,
I do the family cars because an MOT is a minimum standard  snapshot of roadworthyness 1 day a year, and on the instances my family have taken cars to garages ,it's been very expensive in money and cost me time anyway ,sorting poor "fixes" the garage have done
recent example ,the clutch on the french car , would have taken me a day or 2 , I was busy,did not fancy the job , the cowboys made a hash of it, I spent a lot longer than 2 days sorting out the refund claim,engineer's report,emails,phonecalls etc , then I had to find a replacement vehicle ,check it all over and sort any issues out .

Terry does ask questions about how to do things , this is a forum , many people ask questions , gleam useful information ,not covered in the  H̶a̶y̶n̶e̶s̶ ̶j̶o̶k̶e̶ ̶b̶o̶o̶k̶  manual .
Terry is new to astra maybe a bit daunted by the unknown , many of us have had them and know common issues etc and are happy to help with advice, in the same way that I'm new to the V6 and ask for advice

this is why "the OOF" is a great forum 
DG and many others have pointed me in the right direction , for which , I am very grateful 

 it's up to Terry to decide how old he is / if "Terry's garage for family" should farm more work out  or if he's happy to potter about ,keeping him active , beats playing golf