You get what you pay for :-(

[Gold 'N' Brown]

Whilst doing some pre-MOT checks on Fri I found that my rear ARB drop links are totally shot. Bottom balljoint rubbers on both are completely torn.

Why am I humpty about this? Because they replaced for the MOT last year and have only done about 3000 miles! So my first reaction was, that's bloody crap, I wonder if I should contact the supplier and complain. Then I hunted out the receipt. and that's when I realised I'd bought they from Buypartsby.com and they were only £8 each So there you go, if you pay peanuts you get monkeys (or something to that effect).

For the record, I usually find Buypartsby quite good and not all their parts are cheap keck from the land of the rising sun. But in future, when it comes to anything involving bushings or balljoints I'll have to think twice about cheap stuff.

P.S. Yes, I know that I've just stated the bleeding obvious. Some may even feel this topic was a waste of internet. Blow me

[MoleT-5R]

Whilst doing some pre-MOT checks on Fri I found that my rear ARB drop links are totally shot. Bottom balljoint rubbers on both are completely torn.

Why am I humpty about this? Because they replaced for the MOT last year and have only done about 3000 miles! So my first reaction was, that's bloody crap, I wonder if I should contact the supplier and complain. Then I hunted out the receipt. and that's when I realised I'd bought they from Buypartsby.com and they were only £8 each So there you go, if you pay peanuts you get monkeys (or something to that effect).

For the record, I usually find Buypartsby quite good and not all their parts are cheap keck from the land of the rising sun. But in future, when it comes to anything involving bushings or balljoints I'll have to think twice about cheap stuff.

P.S. Yes, I know that I've just stated the bleeding obvious. Some may even feel this topic was a waste of internet. Blow me

as you have said, there are various levels of quality and the part you bought from the same supplier previously where better, there new supplier may not be any longer

[Gold 'N' Brown]

Yeah, the main gamble with Buypartsby is that you often don't know what brand you will get. Sometimes you can get lucky and get decent quality stuff at respectable prices, and other times it can be pish.

In the case of drop links, they're so easy to change that if I had to do them every 12 months at £16 a pop then perhaps it's not so bad. It really depends if better quality stuff lasts any longer. I noticed that you can buy heavy duty drop links that are much more expensive, so I presume that the OE stuff must be prone to wearing out quickly if companies have seen a market for HD equivalents.

[MoleT-5R]

Yer, pfs supplied my last drops, cheapies nothing special. They are still good and they do get some serious hammer and still going strong, you get what you pay for i guess

[JamesT5]

I recommend the Meyle HD droplinks, they come with a good warranty and they don't have that stupid hex fitting in the taper end that just rounds off when you come to remove them. Instead, they've got a 17mm spanner attachment on the gaitor side. Much better job all around and PFV have them up for sale at £90 for the full front and rear set.

[JamesT5]

I wonder if anyone has fitted 'fixed' droplinks to their car, i.e. ones without a ball joint on them, that would stop the car rolling even better wouldn't it..........

[MoleT-5R]

I wonder if anyone has fitted 'fixed' droplinks to their car, i.e. ones without a ball joint on them, that would stop the car rolling even better wouldn't it..........

think about what your saying, making them rigid would remove the affect of the anti-roll bar, they need to move to work properly

[JamesT5]

think about what your saying, making them rigid would remove the affect of the anti-roll bar, they need to move to work properly

Yeah but 'Anti-roll' to me means it's trying to stop the roll or else they wouldn't fit them at all and just let the car go all over the place. Making it fixed just makes the roll less, surely....

[claymore]

Yeah but 'Anti-roll' to me means it's trying to stop the roll or else they wouldn't fit them at all and just let the car go all over the place. Making it fixed just makes the roll less, surely....

So, what exactly is the purpose of the ball joint at either end of a drop link? I think I'll do away with my track rod ends as well and mount them solidly, that should get rid of any play in the steering.

[JamesT5]

So, what exactly is the purpose of the ball joint at either end of a drop link?

By that logic, they should be re-named, 'Roll Reduction Links' and the 'Roll Reduction Bar'. Basically stating reduction of roll rather than insinuating eradication of roll or attempt thereof.

[MoleT-5R]

Yeah but 'Anti-roll' to me means it's trying to stop the roll or else they wouldn't fit them at all and just let the car go all over the place. Making it fixed just makes the roll less, surely....

It works as the body tries to roll it presses down on the one side, the bar then transmits this pressure to the other side and pulls the body down to keep the body flat to the road surface, if you make them rigid the bar will not be able to move thus rolling movement would result in wheels lifting and bad handling

[JamesT5]

It works as the body tries to roll it presses down on the one side, the bar then transmits this pressure to the other side and pulls the body down to keep the body flat to the road surface, if you make them rigid the bar will not be able to move thus rolling movement would result in wheels lifting and bad handling

It's ok, some people drive like that anyway.

[MoleT-5R]

It's ok, some people drive like that anyway.

why don't you remove them and have a drive about, then you can do a comparison of the pros and cons of drop links

[Sharkey R]

I wonder if anyone has fitted 'fixed' droplinks to their car, i.e. ones without a ball joint on them, that would stop the car rolling even better wouldn't it..........

Why don't you weld yours then James and then post a thread of the benefits of fitting fixed Links. I remember you saying a while back that manufacturers spend millions of pounds developing cars. Surely if fixed anti roll bar links worked, wouldn't they fit them from the factory?? Are you dunking some funky cookies in your tea today??

[JamesT5]

why don't you remove them and have a drive about, then you can do a comparison of the pros and cons of drop links

Good plan.

[cookiec70]

I wonder if anyone has fitted 'fixed' droplinks to their car, i.e. ones without a ball joint on them, that would stop the car rolling even better wouldn't it..........

Is this a real question? If your going to do that then your springs and shocks will be redundant so may as well take them off too while your at it, save a few kilos at the same time, bonus!

[ExternalError]

[Sharkey R]

Is this a real question? If your going to do that then your springs and shocks will be redundant so may as well take them off too while your at it, save a few kilos at the same time, bonus!

Oh it's a real question alright. Lmao

[M-R-P]

A fixed anti-roll bar link on the front would hamper steering somewhat...

[Sharkey R]

A fixed anti-roll bar link on the front would hamper steering somewhat...

Go on James, do it, then go and test your car on the steep Brecon roads then let us know what the outcome is.