58 replies to this topic

[JimmyJamJerusalem]

So the wishbones are coming off this winter o refresh the bushes, but what do I need...? Tools and materials...? Wishbone Bushes Ball joints what else?? Is a ball joint splitter essential..? If so, which type?? Any tips?? Any info welcome really

[rsg]

So the wishbones are coming off this winter o refresh the bushes, but what do I need...?

Tools and materials...?

Wishbone Bushes
Ball joints

what else?? Is a ball joint splitter essential..? If so, which type?? Any tips??

Any info welcome really

My ball joint splitter wouldn't fit so I had to get a fork shaped one. Get as narrower fork type as possible as mine was quite a tight fit

Are you replacing the track rod ends at the same time??
New penny washers (i got mine from Techieboy )
Copper grease
Set of drifts as getting the washers back in is a PITA
Small wire bush to get rid of rust/crap
I used a 28mm socket and a 22mm socket (i think) with a bench vice to push the old bushes out

[techieboy]

Here's a lis of everything I replaced at the start of the year:-

1 Elise Parts adjustable anti-roll bar (with poly bushes, not nylatron) clicky
2 Elise Parts anti-roll bar drop links (OEM style)
2 Elise Parts track rod ends clicky
8 Elise Parts wishbone ball joints clicky
1 set of Autobush poly wishbone bushes (16 bushes in total - kit No 5130KC) clicky
2 Spitfire uprated rear tie rods

4 8mm P clips (for holding the brake hoses to the wishbones)
2 10mm or 12mm P clips (for holding the handbrake cable to the rear wishbones)
16 M10 standard thread nyloc nuts (for the wishbone bolts)
8 upper wishbone lock/tab washers (or Nordloc washers) clicky
2 lower wishbone lock/tab washers (or Nordloc washers) clicky
16 48mm 1.5mm thick washers to replace the castor shims on the front upper wishbones
2 split pins for the driveshaft castle nuts

Plus I went the full hog and fitted 4 replacement hub/bearing packs.

Depending on whether you replace the ball joints, or not, you may find you need new Nyloc's for each of the balljoints, the drop links and track/tie rods.

Tools needed were various 15mm, 17mm and 19mm spanners and sockets. A fork type ball joint separator with quite wide jaws, the EP ball joint removal/insertion tool. A 24mm socket for the castle nut on the driveshafts. Threadlock for some of the bolts.

And a feck load of patience.

[mandarinvx]

The Laser ball joint seperator from most motor factors is pants - not quite wide enough, get the Draper version (still only a few quid), much better

[JimmyJamJerusalem]

Here's a lis of everything I replaced at the start of the year:-

1 Elise Parts adjustable anti-roll bar (with poly bushes, not nylatron) clicky
2 Elise Parts anti-roll bar drop links (OEM style)
2 Elise Parts track rod ends clicky
8 Elise Parts wishbone ball joints clicky
1 set of Autobush poly wishbone bushes (16 bushes in total - kit No 5130KC) clicky
2 Spitfire uprated rear tie rods

4 8mm P clips (for holding the brake hoses to the wishbones)
2 10mm or 12mm P clips (for holding the handbrake cable to the rear wishbones)
16 M10 standard thread nyloc nuts (for the wishbone bolts)
8 upper wishbone lock/tab washers (or Nordloc washers) clicky
2 lower wishbone lock/tab washers (or Nordloc washers) clicky
16 48mm 1.5mm thick washers to replace the castor shims on the front upper wishbones
2 split pins for the driveshaft castle nuts

Plus I went the full hog and fitted 4 replacement hub/bearing packs.

Depending on whether you replace the ball joints, or not, you may find you need new Nyloc's for each of the balljoints, the drop links and track/tie rods.

Tools needed were various 15mm, 17mm and 19mm spanners and sockets. A fork type ball joint separator with quite wide jaws, the EP ball joint removal/insertion tool. A 24mm socket for the castle nut on the driveshafts. Threadlock for some of the bolts.

And a feck load of patience.

What are the tab washers for...?

[BRG_Pete]

Yep as above, I also went for the pack of suspension bolts/nuts/washers from Elise-Shop and stainless steel camber shims from Elise Parts. Quite pricey and you could buy the bits cheaper elsewhere but this is the way I went. Also a plastic tub and some vinegar for removing rust from any small parts you are putting back on the car. Oh and I found a wooden mallet handy for gently tapping the wishbone back into place. I should have at least 16 penny washers you can have to use as castor shims, PM me your address if you need them. I started with a 1-3 combination which was a pain to fit. After speaking to Back On Track I went for two either side of the bush. They are glued together in pairs and two either side is a lot easier to get into place.

Edited by BRG_Pete, 19 October 2009 - 06:56 PM.

[BRG_Pete]

What are the tab washers for...?

M3KDJ posted a question on these recently Lock Washers

 washer.JPG   11.33KB   12 downloads

They are items 19 on the diagram, you bend one corner over the nut to hold it in place.

[mandarinvx]

What are the tab washers for...?

They're used to lock the nut in place, probably OTT if you're using nylocs

[techieboy]

What are the tab washers for...?

They're used to lock the wishbone bolt head and the nut, to stop them rotating and any danger of them undoing. Your old ones may be salvageable and you may be able to straighten them with some pliers but that's what you need if you're replacing them.

On Vocky's advice, I also got a heavy copper faced hammer to use to disengage the driveshafts from the hubs. The biggest pain in the arse I experienced was undoing the bolts on the hubs that hold it to the hub carriers/uprights. Access was quite hard and they were fairly well corroded. Likewise, getting the manky old hubs out of the uprights was a pain in the arse and needed the help of a hammer and a small pry bar.

Ooh yeah, something missing off the list. New hub carrier bolts from Bell & Colvill.

[vocky]

handbrake cable uses 16mm P clips driveshafts require a deep reach 30mm socket top tip; use a 5mm drill bit and put four holes into the oem bushes - north, south, east, west sort of pattern. do not drill into the wishbone then the bushes will easily come out with a small knock from a hammer/drift. really wish I had thought of that idea at the first rather than the last bush

Edited by vocky, 19 October 2009 - 07:18 PM.

[M3KDJ]

Having just finished doing mine I'll add... Without a bench vice it would have been *really* hard work. Pushing bushes in and out was easy in bench vice - 32mm socket one end and 22mm the other. (I used powerflex bushes) Elise parts balljoint tool worked fine - mounted in vice and making sure the balljoint is pushed back in squarely. Long 3ft breaker bar giving each nut 1/2 a turn each and plenty of grease on threads and balljoint rubber boot to stop it snagging. (Delphi TC163's fitted perfectly - I had 8 from several different batch numbers and they were all ok). When pressing the old balljoints out you have to be very careful to make sure the bottom of the balljoint is perfectly aligned with the big hole in the tool otherwise it will snag and may strip the threads. Draper balljoint seperator didn't fit - had to use the fork type and brute force! Blasting and powder coating cost me only £30 and was well worth it - the wishbones look better than new (just make sure they mask them up properly!) Didn't bother removing discs, calipers, hubs or driveshafts - just rested them in the normal position on a spare set of axle stands. Didn't need to remove rear diffuser or engine tray. The thread for the standard rear tie rod ends are fine and not the same as all the others. Lotus didn't have stock of the tab washers but the old ones straightened out ok - I have some on order if you need them when they eventually arrive. Both my front drop links snapped whilst undoing - Elise parts dont have any stock until early November and lotus want £40 each! - I am hoping to identfy these tomorrow as they are nothing special and are bound to fit something else. Putting it all back together is way harder than taking it all apart! (especially the front upper wishbones trying to get the thrust washers and castor shims back in - and I needed another pair of hands to get the front lower rear bolt done up - the one in the footwells) Total cost for me so far is just over £200 (all 8 balljoints, powerflex bush kit, elise parts ball joint tool and powder coating) Aren't I lucky! HTH

[techieboy]

handbrake cable uses 16mm P clips
driveshafts require a deep reach 30mm socket

I blame my age and dodgy memory. 24mm must have been for the big ass bolt through the front hubs? Likewise, thought the P clips were smaller but will bow to your more recent experience.

[vocky]

I remember seeing 16mm stamped on the new P clip I fitted the other day

[Anarchy]

handbrake cable uses 16mm P clips
driveshafts require a deep reach 30mm socket

top tip;

use a 5mm drill bit and put four holes into the oem bushes - north, south, east, west sort of pattern.

do not drill into the wishbone

then the bushes will easily come out with a small knock from a hammer/drift.

really wish I had thought of that idea at the first rather than the last bush

This drilling method worked for me, getting them in was harder, used a long bolt and washers to draw them in, like the socket method.

I needed a universal joint type socket set to get to the upper wishbone bolts, access is vert tight.

[theolodian]

Why undo the driveshafts? Are they in the way of the ball joint? Useful list I'm sure when it comes to putting mine back together. Cheers.

[Duncan VXR]

You do not need to remove the hub not that much of a hard job - all the good info covered so will save my fingers Jimmy are you replacing everything for the sake of it or just what needed? Can keep the costs down if you replace whats needed. Std bushes prob best tbh - remember to position the arm before tightening DG

[vocky]

it takes approx 3 hours per wheel to just change the bushes you don't need to touch the driveshafts if you are not changing the wheel bearings / getting the hubs painted upper rear wishbone (front) bolts can be undone with a 3/8" 17mm socket and knuckle joint, access is tight to turn a spanner

[mandarinvx]

upper rear wishbone (front) bolts can be undone with a 3/8" 17mm socket and knuckle joint, access is tight to turn a spanner

Alternatively a Dremel - simples

[Winstar]

Techie and M3 have just about covered most things only thing I did different is that I used nordlock washers clicky and just std nut all round which has 2 benifits 1 they will always maintain the torque and the other is that std nuts are a a lot quicker and easier the refit than nyloc's.

[techieboy]

Why undo the driveshafts? Are they in the way of the ball joint?

I had the carriers/uprights cleaned and powder coated as well as the wishbones (and various other bits and pieces) and the the old hubs were so crusty, I replaced them at the same time.