Damper fitting...Grrr

[wild bill]

I've searched tech but the search facility just doesn't work for me so i give up. I've had to fit a new lower wishbone to my car after a small disagreement with a wall. All OK, usual pain as ever. Now trying to refit the bottom damper allen bolt. It's through the damper but i cannot get it to thread in to the wishbone. Is there some magic trick i'm missing here.  Very exasperated so going to sleep on it (the fitting methos not the damper)

I've tries jacking/levering gently with alot of protection etc etc. It can't be this diffuicult surely. I have done it a few times before and maybe i have a rosy memory but it's never been this hard.

Thread is fine

 

[SLR No.77]

Do you have it disconnected at the top? I've found a couple of times you need to be able to wriggle the complete unit around to get it to line up before fitting the top eye to the chassis.

Stu.

[Wrightpayne]

try the bolt before the damper goes in just to ensure the threads are OK. 

[wild bill]

From memory the top eye is even more painful than the bottom but if it coimes to it i'll loosen . I'll double check the thread.

[Grant_7]

I recently re-fitted my dampers after having them serviced.

My advice would be to dry fit a bolt into the wishbone first to ensure the thread is clear. Then line up the damper lower mount and put an allen key through the wishbone and into the damper mount and give it a good wiggle. This will help align the damper mounting to the wishbone (make the respective holes concentric).

Then it should just be a case of fitting the bolt, although always worth while giving the whole 'system' a good wiggle to help things along.

And regarding the top fixing, mine was done up hand-tight when I fitted my lower, so if you have to loosen it, you won't have to loosen by very much.

Good luck!

[7 wonders of the world]

Your fighting the rubber bush, no problem if your using spherical joints but as previously said check threads, ideally use new cap heads too, fit the lower first.

NB it's worth checking these bolts on a regular basis as they do loosen in operation !

[wild bill]

Succeeded. took old lower bolt. Wound on nut about half inch up. Used bech grinder to chamfer a taper to end of bolt (slight), unwound nut to rethread end of bolt. Used adapted bolt to line up thread. removed and used new bolt.