Defeated

[DanZac]

I've been well and truly beaten by a suspension wishbone on the wife's Peugot 206 GTI today. The old one was a bit of a monkey to get out, but eventually surrendered to a combination of a big pry bar and crow bar used in unison.

No matter what I do though, I can't get the replacement down far enough to get the bottom ball joint back in. The replacement looks identical so I guess it's just a case of the bushes on the replacement being stiffer that's stopping it. But having bent a 25mm × 1500mm long bar trying to force it down, I've had to admit defeat and stick the old one back in (which was a bit of a fight in its own right) so we can at least move the stupid thing.

I've ordered a heavier and longer bar in the hope I might be able to get a bit more force on it, but has anyone got any tips or tricks that might stop me killing myself when I try again?

Oh, and it's an axle stands job as I haven't got access to a lift, and I'm only 11 stone wet through, which probably isn't making things any easier.

 

[Other Daniel]

Well, according to Archimedes, you need a longer bar/lever.

 

[welder_dave]

Stick a couple of spring clamps on the suspension spring to take the tension out allowing the hub to raise up a bit.

 

[tom2207]

make sure you undo the lower rubber bushes , your probably trying to work against them too , then load the suspension when its back in , and nip them up again , to prevent premature wear on the bushes ,,,
post a pic if you can can you put the ball joint in first , the do the other end ,,,

 

[DanZac]

Stick a couple of spring clamps on the suspension spring to take the tension out allowing the hub to raise up a bit.

I had that thought too, and tried that, but it didn't make much difference. Although I will admit that I'd lost the will to live by then, so it was a bit of a half arsed effort. I tried sticking a jack under the hub too, but it just started lifting the car off the axle stands.

Well, according to Archimedes, you need a longer bar/lever.

Gives me a bit of confidence that I'm going the right way with a bigger bar.

make sure you undo the lower rubber bushes , your probably trying to work against them too , then load the suspension when its back in , and nip them up again , to prevent premature wear on the bushes ,,,
post a pic if you can

Not quite with you on this one? Lower bushes on the arm? (if so it's fully loose, I just had the bolts dropped through the holes for alignment.

I had the drop link of at one point too in case I was fighting the anti roll bar, but that made no difference either.

 

[tom2207]

autodoc videos are usually good

 

[tom2207]

auto doc are usually good videos

notice they are using a jack to load the suspension to give you room to get the joint out . rather than getting the arm down they are putting the suspension up

needless to say , make sure car is well supported on stand , and dont get carried away with the jack , and best of all put the wheel you have taken off under the sill , so if the car falls you have survival space underneath , once you stop swearing you can still get another jack in to lift the car up again .,., hth
have you loosened the drive shaft nut and let that move too ,,, ?

 

[maroon]

try and use the cars weight as much as you can. pop the ball joint in first. don't tighten it just bang the bolt pin in. wheel on, lower the car then guide the wishbone into the body, put the through bush bolts in. you can jack up the strut also but there's a bit of restricted movement that way.. use a punch to get the holes straight.

sometimes a couple of blocks of wood in the right place to lever off helps,

 

[DanZac]

I watched that video, and found it really useful when I did our other 206 a few months ago, which I had no problems with. The GTI seems to be a whole different ball game though. I'm guessing the suspensions a lot stiffer for a start.

notice they are using a jack to load the suspension to give you room to get the joint out . rather than getting the arm down they are putting the suspension up

I tried jacking the knuckle but A) As soon as it moved it started lifting the car, and B) I couldn't get it to lift vertically, which just made things worse.

have you loosened the drive shaft nut and let that move too ,,, ?

Yes, you can't get the front bolt out of the wishbone until the drive shaft is out, as its in the way.

try and use the cars weight as much as you can. pop the ball joint in first. don't tighten it just bang the bolt pin in. wheel on, lower the car then guide the wishbone into the body, put the through bush bolts in. you can jack up the strut also but there's a bit of restricted movement that way.. use a punch to get the holes straight.

sometimes a couple of blocks of wood in the right place to lever off helps,

I don't think you can due to the shape of the arm. The arm has to go in first, then fit the ball joint.

 

[tom2207]

yep sportier cars tend to have stiffer springs ,,, as previously mentioned , you may get a pair of old fashioned spring compressors on the spring to get you a wee bit of a help ,,,
without sounding smart ,,, you got the old one out ,,, so providing its the right arm , it has to go back in ,,, youve left the inner mounting bolts loose to let the arm move ok ?

 

[Ruffian]

206 absolute swine due to the arm feeding in the subframe.

Push hub right the way forward towards front bumper,
Put arm in subframe,
Put bolts in loosely,
Get scaffold pole, chain/strap,
Strap around arm and rest end on subframe,
Sit on scaffold pole to swing down, then guide hub back onto ball joint.

 

[maroon]

I don't think you can due to the shape of the arm. The arm has to go in first, then fit the ball joint.

oh aye, ive just had a look, it's one of those horizontal ones. i think i would be going in from the front, levering off the footwell with a block of wood sandwiched there (to stop ***** the footwell) knee on the bar. leaving two hands to lift the strut in. locate all the bolts first. don't tighten anything.

infact looking at it, i'd be putting the centre bolt in last i think, as there's a bit of a ramp to swing it into place. end bolt. ball joint, then swing it in at the center.

 

[DanZac]

Cheers, one and all. Sounds like everything I've tried is down the right line.

without sounding smart ,,, you got the old one out ,,, so providing its the right arm , it has to go back in ,,, youve left the inner mounting bolts loose to let the arm move ok

I've got the old one back in again too, so I just think it's a case of the rubbers on the new one being stiffer, stopping it from moving enough (and I'm just too feeble )

infact looking at it, i'd be putting the centre bolt in last i think, as there's a bit of a ramp to swing it into place. end bolt. ball joint, then swing it in at the center.

The centre bolts got to go in first as it won't go past the drive shaft (shaft has to come out to get the bolt out).


I've got a bigger bar on order for a bit more leverage, so when that gets here I'll have another go with that and a combination of the spring compressors and jacking the knuckle.

All the advice above is much appreciated. Hopefully that and what I learned today will lead to sucess (or a massive sense of humour fail).

 

[premmington]

Cheers, one and all. Sounds like everything I've tried is down the right line.

I've got the old one back in again too, so I just think it's a case of the rubbers on the new one being stiffer, stopping it from moving enough (and I'm just too feeble )

The centre bolts got to go in first as it won't go past the drive shaft (shaft has to come out to get the bolt out).


I've got a bigger bar on order for a bit more leverage, so when that gets here I'll have another go with that and a combination of the spring compressors and jacking the knuckle.

All the advice above is much appreciated. Hopefully that and what I learned today will lead to sucess (or a massive sense of humour fail).

You just need to "rougher" with it - more brutal - longer bar across new fitted wishbone into subframe - scaffold tube over bar and pull down.

This is a walk in the park comparred to replacing two front wishbones on an Abarth sport Fiat 500. Bumper off/rad out of way/front subframe down - then so much leverage I nearly pulled the little car off the ramp.

 

[doubleboost]

You need to compress the road spring to make it easy .

They will go in with a big bar and a big bloke .

 

[premmington]

You need to compress the road spring to make it easy .

They will go in with a big bar and a big bloke .

You gotta be "brutal" with some things.

 

[DanZac]

They will go in with a big bar and a big bloke

That's where I'm going wrong, I'm only 11 stone wet through.

 

[anto44]

This is the type of bar you want for doing those wishbones, the black hook goes over the wishbone as close to the ball joint as possible and the end of the bar goes against the subframe. Black cat for scale

 

[tom2207]

That's where I'm going wrong, I'm only 11 stone wet through.

about the same as my left leg lol

is there no one local could lend you a bit of density ,,,,

 

[DanZac]

about the same as my left leg lol

is there no one local could lend you a bit of density ,,,,

I had the Mrs standing on the bar I did have earlier, which is how it got bent.


And thats all I'm going to say about that, as I'm not that brave either.