Technical A couple of questions!

[reeseyboy]

I have had a look around using the search function and haven't found what I'm after so if someone has the answers to these I'd be most appreciative!

1 - Does anyone have a "How 2" for changing the front wishbones? The link given on one of the older posts no longer works

2 - The brake wear indicator light is flickering slightly when braking; are the wear sensors in the front pads only?

TIA

 

[SPONGEBOBMAIDENPANTS]

1 Don't know

2 Yes your front pads are getting low

 

[JTDman]

Very alike underneath so should help

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/arocderbyshire/alfaromeo155/index_page/05_Technical/2_wishbones.htm

 

[taxiadam]

The above link from JTD man is a pretty good description as to what to do. I would add that I took the front disc off. This gave me a bit more space to work with.
Also instead of using a ball joint spilter I used a metal bar and jumped on it to get some leverage.
For some reason it was a little harder to refit the new one cause of the anti-roll bar.
I would say it is worth having a go. If you do get stuck at some point it's really easy to just do all the bolts back up and get an expert in and you won't have done any damage!!

 

[reeseyboy]

Thanks to JTD Man for the "How 2". I'm doing this tomorrow so I have a couple of other questions:

1 - I have read somewhere that I shouldn't do the bolts right up until I lower the car; is this right?

2 - Does anyone have the torque settings for the wishbone bolts and the ball joint pinch bolt?

Thanks, again, in advance!

 

[JTDman]

How tight depends on if they are aftermarket ones really ive found them fine but the captive nut on them can give way easy so be a little bit cautious, with the bolts youll prob find the drivers side harder to line up dont ask why it just seems that way.
But if you lower the car onto its wheels with the just the first bolts in it will level the wishbone bracket online with the subframe mounts making it less likely to ruin the threads.

 

[reeseyboy]

So I got round to doing this the other week. Did the nearside one first as that was the way the car was parked on the drive! Old wishbone came out fine but struggled to get the new one under the anti-roll bar. Just a s I was going to give up and slacken the bolts that hold the ARB down, it popped in! Changed the brake pads and onto the otherside.
Whipped the wheel off and immediately saw that someone had been here before; one of the wishbone mounts had a nut and bolt through it, rather than a bolt into the captive mounting. Called FIAT and ordered a new bolt, changed the pads whilst I was there.
Collected the new bolt and went home in a good mood thinking how the remaining wishbone will take me no more than an hour or so because I'm going to slacken the ARB bolts to give me a little extra room.
Wheel off, wishbone bolts undone, pinch bolt and ball joint separated; all going swimmingly! I had been spraying the bolts with PlusGas for a few days (as I had been doing with the wishbone bolts) so I was sure the ARB bolts would come out as smooth as the others - the first one did!
Damn! Blast! :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: sheared bolt!
"Hello, FIAT? Can you please order me a bolt to secure my ARB?"
"Certainly Sir, they come in 5's only, is that OK?"
"Sure, no problem."
"They'll be here tommorow."
I collected the bolts and went about removing the sheared one from the ARB mounting. Bolt extractors aren't long enough to reach through the subframe and stud extractors can't fit in the small space. GRRRRRRRR!
Decided to remove the ARB from the car and sheared another bolt in the process! Get the feeling the FIAT know something you don't when the bolts are supplied in 5's?
ARB out, drilled out the broken bolts and re-tapped the holes. Refitted and secured.
Car no longer bangs, knocks, shimmies or lurches to the left when you take your foot off the gas on the motorway!

JOB DONE :slayer:

 

[JTDman]

I told you the captive bolts are naff , good one for doing it yourself.