shortened droplinks?

kevp2518

Active Member
Aug 26, 2008
23
0
Manchester
hi there

im looking at buying some coilovers in the next month of so
just wondering as they say to purchase shortened droplinks,
just wondering if anyone here has used them before??
are they worth buying at all?

thanks

kev
 

kevlpool24

apr tuned
Mar 15, 2008
220
0
liverpool
Not shortened but adjustable to make them longer so if dropping over 35mm you don't foul your drive shaft with your antroll bar
 

adam cupra 20vt

Built Not Bought.
Mar 31, 2005
6,162
2
Mud Hut
Nooo they need to be shorter than standard but all the adjustable ones available are longer than the standards at the shortest point.

ARB with bigger hoops is what you need as even shorter doesnt solve the problem 100% :):)
 

kevp2518

Active Member
Aug 26, 2008
23
0
Manchester
im looking at dropping the car about 50mm
any ideas on good places to buy them if needed when going that low that wont ruin my bank balance
 

adam cupra 20vt

Built Not Bought.
Mar 31, 2005
6,162
2
Mud Hut
They wont actually fix the problem tho will they....just make it worse.

The uprated ARB is the only way to stop the rubbing....been covered lots on here recently.

Those V-Maxx ones and all the others I have seen are longer than standard in the shortest position.
 

adam cupra 20vt

Built Not Bought.
Mar 31, 2005
6,162
2
Mud Hut
This is a V-Maxx at shortest position, as you can see needs to be half that length but even when cut in half and rethreaded they still cause issues

dl2q.jpg


When extended they actually push the ARB onto the shaft so its touching all the time

droplink.jpg
 

Fl@pper

Back older greyer and less oilier but always hope
Jun 19, 2001
12,370
26
Gloucester
where they rubbing then ?

wouldnt making em longer make the space between bar and shaft bigger ?

anyne tried flipping the roll bar yet ? mind you it is an odd style
 

adam cupra 20vt

Built Not Bought.
Mar 31, 2005
6,162
2
Mud Hut
where they rubbing then ?

wouldnt making em longer make the space between bar and shaft bigger ?

anyne tried flipping the roll bar yet ?

Yes they were rubbing and no making them longer pushes the ARB onto the shaft, they are pretty much fully extened on the pic above

They rub in every single position they can be adjusted to, the only thing that made it better was to cut about 1" off and rethread them but even this causes rubbing on full lock.

I tried just about everything possible to save buying a ARB but in the end I gave in.

I must get 2-3 PM's a month where people have been sold these to cure the issue but has actually made it worse.
 

kevlpool24

apr tuned
Mar 15, 2008
220
0
liverpool
I also thought making them longer moved the anti roll bar higher out of the way
otherwise what's the point in buying adjustable ones when there longer than the standard plastic drop links
I put them on but only lowered 30mm so there wasn't really an issue anyway how low have you gone
 

adam cupra 20vt

Built Not Bought.
Mar 31, 2005
6,162
2
Mud Hut
I think they are for the uprated ARB's with the bigger hoops.

As you can see by the pics they need to be shorter to pull the bar down so the curve comes over the shaft.

I like you read a post saying longer ones would cure the problem so I wasted £50 on a set only to find out they made things worse and the person who recommended them hadn't even lowered his leon he'd just 'been told' they made things better! [:@]

The other thing is people buy uprated ARB's because they think it will cure the rubbing issues but only some of them have the bigger hoops with the clearance.

On my bottom pic with the link fully extended the ARB is actually touching the DS
 

Smoki333

Active Member
Dec 20, 2005
472
0
Wiltshire
Everything adam says is spot on!
Just buying adjustable links will NOT solve rubbing issues with a standard arb in most cases, especially if your running around -50mm.
I dont now why they sell adjustables longer then the standard links :confused:
Its the same setup as my golf mk4 which i just went through everything adam has just said he tried.

Only way i full solved it was an FK arb and cut down adjustable links.
Take a look at this link an you see my cut down links and how they move the arb forward bringing the bigger loop further over the driveshaft.

http://uk-mkivs.net/forums/t/359585.aspx
 

Fl@pper

Back older greyer and less oilier but always hope
Jun 19, 2001
12,370
26
Gloucester
thinking about it although the whole suspension moves up in theory you'd think the longer links would lift the stabiliser bar up out the way but the stabiliser bar has a fixed point of origin and a wrapover style so it's not raising it just twisting it up and making it more in line for impact

looking at smoki's link i'd say it want's to be almost half length at a glance to bring the loop back over but will take trial and error to find the sweet spot as the shaft angle narrows it down a lot

shame there's no real room to raise the bar mount's up a bit - would be ideal then


*edit* scrolled down more and seen the cut downs - looks a lot better
 

Fl@pper

Back older greyer and less oilier but always hope
Jun 19, 2001
12,370
26
Gloucester
looking at the result reminds me of a honda/rover or similar link we used to cut up to make 4 link bars up with but for life of me can't remember what car the M10 version was off but i think it was symmetrical not twisted - im off piccie hunting

smoki - if by chance you have an idea of the length centre-centre on that one would you let me know ?
 
Last edited:

Fl@pper

Back older greyer and less oilier but always hope
Jun 19, 2001
12,370
26
Gloucester
this is the one i had in mind - Rover 200/400 25 etc and some Honda, Concerto i think but it's QLS1817S we used to sell em for about £3 trade

according to Rover they use an M10x60 mount bolt where Seat is M10x55 mind but maybe worth giving a try?

QLS1817S.png
 

adam cupra 20vt

Built Not Bought.
Mar 31, 2005
6,162
2
Mud Hut
Everything adam says is spot on!
Just buying adjustable links will NOT solve rubbing issues with a standard arb in most cases, especially if your running around -50mm.
I dont now why they sell adjustables longer then the standard links :confused:
Its the same setup as my golf mk4 which i just went through everything adam has just said he tried.

Only way i full solved it was an FK arb and cut down adjustable links.
Take a look at this link an you see my cut down links and how they move the arb forward bringing the bigger loop further over the driveshaft.

http://uk-mkivs.net/forums/t/359585.aspx

Thats exactly what I have now done the FK bar and shortened droplinks are great :thumbup:
 

adam cupra 20vt

Built Not Bought.
Mar 31, 2005
6,162
2
Mud Hut
this is the one i had in mind - Rover 200/400 25 etc and some Honda, Concerto i think but it's QLS1817S we used to sell em for about £3 trade

according to Rover they use an M10x60 mount bolt where Seat is M10x55 mind but maybe worth giving a try?

QLS1817S.png

They look pretty perfect to me although the problem is that even with shorter droplinks the hoop of the standard bar is not quite big enough to give clearance and there is usually contact on full lock or with 2+ people in the car.
 
Progressive Parts, performance parts and tuning specialists