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Technical Front Anti Roll Bar etc

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Technical Front Anti Roll Bar etc

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Les Holloway

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Jul 5, 2012
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Lagarde-Fimarcon
Hi
The Multi has developed a clunk from the front end at least I think it's from the front but my wife thinks it's from the back!!!!!

I suspect the ARB bushes and drop links, I have ordered the bushes on eBay from Portugal and the drop links from a factor here in France.

How easy or difficult is it to get at the bushes and change them? Is it best to remove the ARB I would prefer to do the job in situ if possible.

Thanks for any info.
 
It's a lot easier to do with the roll bar removed.

Jack the car up and put axle stands under the front subframe on either side. Then take wheels off to give good access. The drop links are easy to get at and easy to remove, as long as the exposed portion of thread at top and bottom isn't damaged or rusted. If you're lucky the threaded part will have a socket for an allen key in the end or there will be some flats on the other side, where the ball joint goes through the hole in the roll bar.

With both front wheels off you'll avoid having any load on the roll bar which makes life a lot easier. The roll bar sits on top of the subframe and is held in place by four bolts that are in deep recesses/holes in the underside of the subframe cross member. Remove the bolts carefully or it's possible they can end up inside the subframe.

With the bolts out, you'll be able to slide the whole rollbar sideways out through either wheelarch. I found it easiest to get it out from the drivers (RH) side, but I'm not sure if yours is LHD. The main thing to get in the way is the coiled expansion tube for the steering rack, but a bit of wiggling will get it free.

Once out, use a small cold chisel or a strong screwdriver and hammer to split the clamps that hold the ARB bushes - there's a small weld (actually a swaged threaded insert) on each one, but it's easy to break through it. Once that's done, you can prize the brackets open and change the bushes. I've used some gaffer tape to hold things together while I get the roll bar back into place, then cut it off before putting the bolts back in.

All of this can be done without having to get under the car. It's not a difficult job. Good luck!
 
Last edited:
widemouthfrog said:
It's a lot easier to do with the roll bar removed.

Jack the car up and put axle stands under the front subframe on either side. Then take wheels off to give good access. The drop links are easy to get at and easy to remove, as long as the exposed portion of thread at top and bottom isn't damaged or rusted. If you're lucky the threaded part will have a socket for an allen key in the end or there will be some flats on the other side, where the ball joint goes through the hole in the roll bar.

With both front wheels off you'll avoid having any load on the roll bar which makes life a lot easier. The roll bar sits on top of the subframe and is held in place by four bolts that are in deep recesses/holes in the underside of the subframe cross member. Remove the bolts carefully or it's possible they can end up inside the subframe.

With the bolts out, you'll be able to slide the whole rollbar sideways out through either wheelarch. I found it easiest to get it out from the drivers (RH) side, but I'm not sure if yours is LHD. The main thing to get in the way is the coiled expansion tube for the steering rack, but a bit of wiggling will get it free.

Once out, use a small cold chisel or a strong screwdriver and hammer to split the clamps that hold the ARB bushes - there's a small weld (actually a swaged threaded insert) on each one, but it's easy to break through it. Once that's done, you can prize the brackets open and change the bushes. I've used some gaffer tape to hold things together while I get the roll bar back into place, then cut it off before putting the bolts back in.

All of this can be done without having to get under the car. It's not a difficult job. Good luck!
Click to expand...

Great post there, ill be saving that for future reference
 
I've just put this together - it will help to make sense of the words. If the weather wasn't so p*ss poor I'd take some photos to show things in more detail. These are from last years' rebuild.
 

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I did mine with roll bar in place.
Do one side at a time.
Loosen 2 bolts a few turns... Large screw driver and a mallet will split the clamp real easy.
Remove clamps clean up and refit.
Do other side.

I suppose if arb comes out easy it may be easier.. But it's already easy!!
Nice clean lookin multi there wmf!!!
Marty.
 
widemouthfrog said:
I've just put this together - it will help to make sense of the words. If the weather wasn't so p*ss poor I'd take some photos to show things in more detail. These are from last years' rebuild.
Click to expand...

Whole frontend replaced did u have a knock or a Big Bang to change all that
 
No front end damage. I just decided to renew as much of the front and rear end as I could, last year (August). It's all in the rebuild thread I posted on here around that time. Looks good, but doesn't cost that much to do because Multipla parts are cheap

BTW, those Bilstein shocks are very good - well worth the money.
 
I thought I remembered the picture from some where on the forum at least u have peace of mind that ur multipla is good for a few years to come
 
Thanks for all the info chaps I will get and do the job when stops raining and gets a bit warmer but I have one other question. When I have split the clamps what holds the ends split together when the new bushes are in place?
Cheers
Les
 
The built-in nuts are in the top part of the clamps, so when it's all back together, the lower part is clamped between the top part and the subframe.
They're swaged together at manufacture to make assembly easier.
 
I Just knew mine would be different. I replaced the drop links ok although one must have been replaced sometime in the past as the original needed a 16mm spanner and the other and the new ones 17mm.

The problem now is the ARB bushes, The brackets holding the bushes are held to the subframe not by one bolt but two, you can see the threads through the captive nuts. What I can't do is undo the bolts I've tried all sorts of socket sizes but none fit I'm wondering if the bolts have some sort of special head.

Any ideas chaps?

Cheers

Les
 
Not a clue.
Actually it may be Allen key heads... I do remember someone else on this forum saying they had different heads on theirs.

Get a good digital camera in there and take a load of shots... You should be able to tell what type it is at least

Marty.
 
Mine are (or were) plain 13mm hex bolts, but they're not the standard ones.
I can't remember what the originals were.

As I didn't notice that my ARB was sheared, and I still can't feel much difference (if any), now I've removed it completely, it's staying removed.
I can't afford the extra fuel and tyre wear that chucking it around entails, and you don't get from A to B any quicker if you do anyway, so I'm not going to miss it.
 
We have a focus aswell...and it went for its MOT last week (NCT its called here).

Anyway there was a drop link sheared which makes the ARB nothing more than ornamental...im pretty sure its been like that months as i think i know when it happenned...never noticed any performance difference.
Thing is it would surely be spotted missing at your next MOT??

Marty.
 
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