Disconnecting anti roll bar on Vitesse

[daverclasper]

Hi. Trying to trace a fairly quiet knocking that may be from front nearside, I can only hear it at slow speed and is a bit more pronounced when doing right turns.

on both sides, trunnions and their bushes appear ok, as does rack inner and outer ball joints and bushes at shock abs's top and bottom. No obvious play in wishbone bushes.

Drop link bushes were on the car when I bought it 10 years ago and look shot, especially the nearside and appears to have some play when anti roll bar is levered with a crowbar against the bottom wishbone.

I'm wondering if it's possible to disconnect just the end/s of anti roll bar to isolate this as being/or not, the cause?

If so? would it be best to disconnect the bush at bar end, or the spherical thing attached to wishbone?

It looks like their may be too much tension in the bar to free just the drop links anyway?

Thanks  

[johny]

Do you get the noise over bumps Dave? Especially if only one wheel is jolted thats when Id expect anti roll bar looseness to knock. Not always easy to find play in suspension as its under tension - top ball joints ok as some replacements dont seem to last long these days?

There shouldnt be tension in the bar until one wheel does something different from the other ie the car leans...

[daverclasper]

Thanks Johny.  Seems like it does it on smoothish surfaces as well.

Must admit I forgot about the top ball joint, though I understand it's not possible to check this without removing it? 

[johny]

Certainly up and down not easy on top ball joint but might visually see slight in and out movement when off ground...

[daverclasper]

Thanks Johny.  So maybe, the same as trunnion check with a lever under the tyre?

[johny]

hmmm difficult to do that and separate any trunnion play from that in the ball joint so I meant with the wheel off push and pull on the top of the vertical link while closely watching or feeling for any movement between it and the top wishbone....