Front Drop Links bad - Long Journey Ahead... advice please

[Lamby]

Hi Everyone.

So, fairly long drive coming up and no time to replace the front droplinks and they are bad. Cracking and banging every hard, full turn of the wheel. Its not because I am lazy either, I have the parts went to do it at the weekend and the Garage forgot to put the locking wheel nut back so there was no way I could get the wheels off.

Anyway, now I need to go to Cornwall, its like a 500 mile round trip. Anyone think its a big issue? What could happen? Surely they will just make noise and not actually break?

Also, inner tyre where on my left rear is super high and the car is not sitting well on the camber, means rose bush, droplinks and sub frame bushes all need to come out, looking to get it done asap but will not be this month. There is a vibration from the rear and it could well be a wheel bearing to. Damn this is going to be a hard days work when I get the time! And I just bloody serviced the damn thing!

[X53Jay4.8is]

Are you talking about the sway bar links? Your signature states that you have all new suspension components so why are the links rattling? did they not change these at the time of the suspension service?

[Lamby]

Hi Jay, that was actually 4 years ago now... man time flys. since then I have ripped out the bushes on the lower control arm and replaced with polybushes, and the ARB bushes are poly. If an honest, everything was Lemforder apart from the droplinks and they are Meyle... lasted okay but now need changing as my car is in the city and we have serious speed bumps. Means a car that is already hard on its suspension is even harder on it when it gets beaten up on our roads.

[Lamby]

Originally Posted by X53Jay4.8is

Are you talking about the sway bar links? Your signature states that you have all new suspension components so why are the links rattling? did they not change these at the time of the suspension service?

Sorry yes, sway bar links, they are called Anti-Roll Bar drop links in the UK, sway bar.... I sort of got it but I had to check. The Bentley manual is also confusing sometimes to a Brit! hahaha.... same language but its hard to understand technical when US English calls it a Hood and I am thinking... what the hell is the HOOD? They mean Bonnet right? and that is just the simple stuff.

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by Lamby

Sorry yes, sway bar links, they are called Anti-Roll Bar drop links in the UK, sway bar.... I sort of got it but I had to check. The Bentley manual is also confusing sometimes to a Brit! hahaha.... same language but its hard to understand technical when US English calls it a Hood and I am thinking... what the hell is the HOOD? They mean Bonnet right? and that is just the simple stuff.

Good thing Bentley is written in American English or is that Americanese or else some redneck fool will set his BMW on fire when they instruct him to use a TORCH to inspect for fuel leaks.

[Lamby]

upallnight, I love the Bentley Manual... even if I can decode the Americanese (Love that phrase and will nick it and use it!) but the fact it doesnt have the m57tu Diesel in there is a bit of a pain. But the chaps on the forum are excellent and us 'Oil Burners' all help each other out.

Right I am driving tonight, 250 miles. Nothing to my American Cousins... But for us, London to Cornwall (Penzance, where Pirates REALLY come from) is pretty much the width of our county. I can already hear someone saying, 'Dude, your country is the same size as Michigan, I travel that far to get a soda!'.

What is did last night was run though the x5 and check everything. Serviced it and changed PCV Breather and Thermo two weeks ago and she is running like a beauty. its just the drop link (swaaaaay bars maaaaaan!) that are clunking. So in my top up of the windscreen washer and diesel, I put 2.5 bar (35 psi) in the rear tyres and 2.2 in the front (32 psi) as I am going to have the family and be fully loaded. On the way back home the car felt better and the clunking had eased off about 30-40%! Perhaps just a bit of air has helped those sway bars not have so much load on? I don't know but if a bit of air helps me do the trip before I can get to replace then I am happy camper!

[Lamby]

upallnight, I love the Bentley Manual... even if I can decode the Americanese (Love that phrase and will nick it and use it!) but the fact it doesnt have the m57tu Diesel in there is a bit of a pain. But the chaps on the forum are excellent and us 'Oil Burners' all help each other out.

Right I am driving tonight, 250 miles. Nothing to my American Cousins... But for us, London to Cornwall (Penzance, where Pirates REALLY come from) is pretty much the width of our county. I can already hear someone saying, 'Dude, your country is the same size as Michigan, I travel that far to get a soda!'.

What is did last night was run though the x5 and check everything. Serviced it and changed PCV Breather and Thermo two weeks ago and she is running like a beauty. its just the drop link (swaaaaay bars maaaaaan!) that are clunking. So in my top up of the windscreen washer and diesel, I put 2.5 bar (35 psi) in the rear tyres and 2.2 in the front (32 psi) as I am going to have the family and be fully loaded. On the way back home the car felt better and the clunking had eased off about 30-40%! Perhaps just a bit of air has helped those sway bars not have so much load on? I don't know but if a bit of air helps me do the trip before I can get to replace then I am happy camper!

[wpoll]

Good luck, Lamby - but I'm sure you'll be fine! Sway bar links don't fail suddenly - unless they are REALLY far gone.

Enjoy the trip.

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by Lamby

upallnight, I love the Bentley Manual... even if I can decode the Americanese (Love that phrase and will nick it and use it!) but the fact it doesnt have the m57tu Diesel in there is a bit of a pain. But the chaps on the forum are excellent and us 'Oil Burners' all help each other out.

Right I am driving tonight, 250 miles. Nothing to my American Cousins... But for us, London to Cornwall (Penzance, where Pirates REALLY come from) is pretty much the width of our county. I can already hear someone saying, 'Dude, your country is the same size as Michigan, I travel that far to get a soda!'.

What is did last night was run though the x5 and check everything. Serviced it and changed PCV Breather and Thermo two weeks ago and she is running like a beauty. its just the drop link (swaaaaay bars maaaaaan!) that are clunking. So in my top up of the windscreen washer and diesel, I put 2.5 bar (35 psi) in the rear tyres and 2.2 in the front (32 psi) as I am going to have the family and be fully loaded. On the way back home the car felt better and the clunking had eased off about 30-40%! Perhaps just a bit of air has helped those sway bars not have so much load on? I don't know but if a bit of air helps me do the trip before I can get to replace then I am happy camper!

Adding extra air has no influence on the operation of the Sway bar and sway bar links. Sway bar and sway bar links only come into use when only one side of a suspension is loaded such as going through a fast turn. Hitting a pot hole will also load up a sway bar.

[Lamby]

Originally Posted by upallnight

Adding extra air has no influence on the operation of the Sway bar and sway bar links. Sway bar and sway bar links only come into use when only one side of a suspension is loaded such as going through a fast turn. Hitting a pot hole will also load up a sway bar.

Fair enough, still, I was flirting with the idea in physics that adding extra air... might help... it might just be a placebo, and you know what Upallnight, I will take it and gently drive down to Cornwall tonight.

Cheers Wpoll, good to know they just don't let go I figure mine are on the way to the scrap yard in the sky rather than knocking on St Peters Gates asking for entry so fingers crossed.