Dr. No

I have Gert's M030/HD suspension. One of my rear drop links broke. I thought the OEM rear drop link (993.333.073.02) would work but my mechanic says (a) its too long and (b) (this is the big problem) doesn't have enough thread on one of the ends to be sure it's going to stay on (the threaded part on one end is shorter than the other). My rear sway bar is doing nothing. I'm taking corners like I'm driving a Town Car. HELP!

Anyone had this happen to them? How did you solve it? TIA

GeoT3

are both sides too long... is the shock drop link mount adjustable?

you can always buy another stock drop link and shorten it to fit - like my mech. did on mine. or you can buy adjustable drop links.

eichlerman

I have a new set of rear drop links that came with my PSS9s I was planning on listing them on EBay. Would these work?

chris walrod

Are they the same length as the ones on your car currently?

Dr. No

I couldn't tell without seeing them. The one that broke is about 4.5 inches end to end, with equal length threads of 1"

The OE part is about 5 3/4# end to end with 1" of thread on one end and 1/2" on the other (would that be top or bottom?)

Who has adjustable links? TRG?

g_murray

OH CRAP!!!

This EXACT thing happened to me back in June. I noticed it was a bit 'swishy' -- after having driven the car where it originally felt totally 'planted'. I lifted up the rear so as to take a looksee -- and sure enuf -- the driver's side drop-link had broken off where it attaches to the Bilstein strut. The part which attaches to the rear-sway-bar was 'ok'.

Here's the pix I took of my "busted-rear".

http://ifly.freeyellow.com/miscell/b...sted/index.htm

The REASON it snaps/fails is because - instead of the 'action/movement' being predominantly up-and-down -- it ALSO moves to-and-fro and side-to-side. If there's too much NON-up-n-down action - it puts a tremendous SHEAR force on the plastic part of the droplink ...and it fails. MINE failed because the connection point to the Bilstein strut became loose - due to a loose locking collar -- the whole strut-mount 'spun around' on the thread - and GAME OVER Mr. Droplink.

ViperBob shipped me two replacement droplinks ($35 each I believe). I bought two additional locking collars from Andreas. I then had my wrench install/replace the busted droplink AND install lower AND upper locking collars on the Bilstein struts. (I have the other droplink as a spare because they're a bitch to get from Bilstein.)

The CAR is *much* better now -- and drives like it should ----- PLANTED!

I think you are in the same boat, to be quite honest.

Gerry

Dr. No

Gerry, that's pretty much how mine failed too - only my kinematic toe arm is now bent in addition to being grooved!!!

This is a Bilstein part, I guess??? I had assumed it was OE, or compatible with OE. GRRRR.

g_murray

Good point "clarification-wise".
My problem was with the Bilstein HD/M030/beefy sway-bar setup.
I know of others, with the PSS9's who have not (ever?) had a problem such as this.

G.

g_murray

Bent?
*****! That sux. You'll need a new one.
Suggest you ALSO do the "upper and lower locking collar fandango" when you get this problem repaired. The labor to do this, btw, is not hard - but it does take a lot of time.
(Reason: they have to REMOVE both rear shocks in order to put the LOWER locking collar on 'first'). Personally I wish I had been told to 'kinda expect' this type of problem - coz I would have told my wrench to put on lower and upper locking collars on - as a matter of course -way back when!

Not for nuffin' but I think PLASTIC connection/flex points on these droplinks is a bit shoddy.

If you can't get a replacement pair from Gert -- give ViperBob a buzz.

Again, sorry to hear someone else has fallen under the spell of the 'Bilstin-Boo-Boo'.

Gerry

g_murray

HA!

g_murray

Even if you can get your hand on an 'adjustable link' - and can 'substitute' in a good drop-link for your bad one -- (I actually thought about doing this myself - way back when I discovered this boo-boo -- coz it's basically just jack up the car and git the spanner out!) -- you STILL NEED TO FIND OUT WHY IT FAILED.

My guess is the mount-point, on the Bilstein shock, 'twisted' for whatever reason around the shock-threads and put a shear force on the 'upper' part of the droplink because it now began to 'pull' it around the corner, so to speak.

I bet, if you jack up the car, you'll be able to move the shock-mount-point around the threads with your hand. If you can it means the only (upper) locking collar came loose. :-(

Gerry

Dr. No

My mechanic (who did not do the install) said the install was bad. Gert says this is the usual cause of these failures. From reading a lot here and at the PCA tech section about this, it seems a lot of mechanics (even experienced ones) don't get the parts in the right place. Gert is sending me some new links and I'm getting a new toe arm as well.

What's the deal with the locking collars? I'd like to ask about this when I'm getting the new links put in and everything straightened out.

Garth S

There is some information and pics in this thread re. adding the extra locknut.

MarkD

request for flame granted....

did you READ all of the above?
if the drop link is installed properly, no problem.
why do you insist upon jumping to conclusions that tend to muddy the topic at hand?

please search for more on this topic before drawing conclusions that may lead others astray.

oh, and you should sell your car. clearly it is an accident waiting to happen. your STOCK susp. with the miles you have on it is more dangerous than any aftermarket solution.

hopefully this was the kind of reply you wanted

rcwelch

When I was thinking about installing a new suspension on my car, I did a lot of research on this board and learned all about "locking rings" and there importance. I ended up putting on PSS-9's with extra "locking rings" just as suggested by my research and have not had a problem...due to how low my car is I also made my own drop links out of hi-strength rod ends and all-thread rod. This was over 4 years ago. BTW...this is "normal" stuff when you do suspension work. If it had been installed right in the first place, I doubt there would have been a problem.