My car has just passed my its MOT wit the advisory:
‘Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt both rear and nearside front linkage - dust covers perished and starting to split’
Is this a hard job to fix? Can I just replace the dust covers or is it more involved, can someone point me in the right direction?
Sorry for all the questions!
Thanks.
No you have to buy a new antiroll bar drop link.
The two front ones are the same.
http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/anti-roll-drop-link-aftermarket-front-mk3-p-2828.html
The two rears are the same but you cannot change between the back and front of the car.
http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/anti-roll-drop-link-aftermarket-rear-mk3-35-p-2829.html
Looks an easy job to change them but the nuts can rust on to the link and you may need a grinder to take them off.
A job for a garage if you are not up to speed on spanner throwing.
I’ve just replaced all four of mine, I had one front that had snapped off (well come adrift) Apparently the original fitment (Mazda) are not too clever.
I found the rears are considerably easier to replace than the fronts, that’s if the nuts aren’t rusted up. For the fronts I found by smashing or prising the link off at the plastic cup joint then gripping the ball bolt affair that’s left with a pair of stilsons it helps when removing the nut. Copious amounts of plus gas helps too. The rears just came undone fine no problems.
If you haven’t got a ramp removal of each front wheel necessary to gain access there, the rears can be done without wheel removal but it helps to get the car up on ramps or stands a little.
As in the links above the aftermarket jobs will be fine. Rears took around 30 minutes for both, fronts considerably longer as wheel removal and faffing about prising them off etc.