#1: top mount bearing Author: craig1983, Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2014 1:06 pm ---- Hi hoping some of you guys can help me, im going to attempt to change the top mount bearing I've never had to do any work with suspension so can someone tell me the steps I need to take as I've seen roughly on YouTube vids but mainly they show American cars, any help is much appreciated
#2: Re: top mount bearing Author: Edward, Location: In the garagePosted: Sat Apr 26, 2014 1:47 pm ---- Have you got a selection of sockets? Torx bits, spring compressors, an offset ring spanner...You'll also need to lever the ball joint out of the wishbone of which there are a few methods to do this.
#3: Re: top mount bearing Author: craig1983, Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2014 1:56 pm ---- Hi yeah I've got all tools required I got spring compressors today, the cars is a 206 2.0 hdi 02 plate not sure if that makes a difference to the setup
#4: Re: top mount bearing Author: mikedoubleu, Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2014 6:58 pm ---- Hi Craig,
The basic process I would follow is:
Loosen the wheel nuts whilst the car is on the ground
Jack the car up using the normal jacking point
Pop an axle stand under the rear sub frame mounting bolt
Lower the car on to axle stand, but keep the jack in place as a safety measure
Remove the wheel
Squirt penetrating oil on the suspension strut pinch bolt, the bottom bolt of the anti roll bar drop link, and the top mount bolt. Ooh, squirt some around the bottom of the suspension strut as well.
Walk away for an hour
Undo the bottom bolt on the anti roll bar drop link and remove the strut pinch bolt.
Pop a jack under the wishbone (but not the ball joint itself) and gently raise the suspension strut to free the anti roll bar link
Now carefully raise the suspension up so as to compress the spring as much as safely possible. I jacked mine up until it just lifted a millimeter or so off the axle stand.
Place springs compressors each side of the spring and wind closed as far as possible by hand. Mine have to go in with the bolt heads at the top to fit, but that should cause a problem.
Lower the jack under the wishbone and use the same jack to push up an inch or two on the bottom of the anti roll bar link so the strut pulls the wishbone upward. This possibly isn't safe advise actually. It may be better to put a small length of wood on the jack and push the underside of the strut itself up.
Once the strut is lifted up a bit, gently prise the back of the hub that clamps round the strut open a little and knock the hub off the strut. It may take a lot of jiggling and pulling.
If you are doing the passenger side, get an oil tray and some 75/80 transmission fluid as the drive shaft is liable to get pulled out of the gearbox. If this happens, don't panic. Get the work done and sort the gearbox oil out afterwards.
Once you have freed up the strut, remove the three SMALL bolts from under the bonnet and pull the strut out. It's not too heavy, but be prepared for it dropping.
You should now wind down the spring compressors until the spring can (as much as possible) move around freely.
Now remove the top strut nut. You should be able to do this by using a ring spanner and a big 6 or 7 mm Allen key. Alas it doesn't always turn out this way. If the Allen key is rounded out and can't be used, you have three choices...
A) try putting a couple of adjustable mole wrench type tools on the chrome suspension shaft so you can hold them and then undo the nut. I have done this with the added hint that if you hit the top of the suspension shaft whilst trying to turn the nut, it might free it up, like with an impact wrench.
B) drill the top of the shaft and the nut out, and go buy a new strut.
C) go buy a new strut, spring, seat, bearing, and top mount to save the trouble
Once you have the strut apart, you remove the top mount first, then comes the bearing, then the top spring seat.
Pry the old bearing off the spring seat, clean everything up, then put the new bearing in the spring seat, sit that on the spring, then put the top mount back on.
Screw a new strut nut on the strut, you shouldn't reuse the old one. Tighten up the nut as much as poss. You can cheque the torque once it is on the car.
Put everything back together in the reverse order to above. Make sure you clean everything as you reassemble it, and use a new locking nut for the pinch bolt and the anti roll bar drop link.
Hope that helps.
Mike
#5: Re: top mount bearing Author: craig1983, Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2014 11:45 pm ---- Wow thanks mike that helps so much, doesn't sound too bad, but there's always something lol, thank you so much it is appreciated and will save a fortune on garage fees.
Craig
#6: Re: top mount bearing Author: Edward, Location: In the garagePosted: Sun Apr 27, 2014 2:46 am ---- You need to take the hub off the ball joint before the hub comes off the strut.
#7: Re: top mount bearing Author: craig1983, Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2014 4:09 am ---- Ok brilliant thanks for you help lads
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