BXProject

Having previously done the nearside gaiter, I thought this next job would be a doddle as the offside doesn't have that Ram Stud. But taking the wheel off and examining this further it throws up some questions.

Is the right hand gaiter the same as the left hand gaiter? I bought the rubber Xantia ones for their stretchiness so they can be fitted over the tre but looking to fit it tonight I am not sure if the outbound fit will be right.

Also - how do you remove the heatshield as that is getting in the way of doing the job - ie where are the fittings to undo and how do you access them. Is there anything else that needs to be removed for access?

on the heatshield, the bit that covers the pinion is only hold on by a single M6 bolt i think, Flexi head ratchet spanner is what i use, or a ratchet. it should be obvious looking from above.

Vanny wrote:on the heatshield, the bit that covers the pinion is only hold on by a single M6 bolt i think, Flexi head ratchet spanner is what i use, or a ratchet. it should be obvious looking from above.

Can't yet see a bolt from above just the 2 clip holes but the plate is solid, so something firm is holding it on.

It's more or less confirmed on BXC though that I have the wrong gaiter - bugger - I bought a pair, fitted the nearside, and put the second aside for when this job came up. However both gaiters in the box were identical ( Rubber Xantia type) and this offside gaiter on the car seems to have an extra short gaiter bit on the outside of the balljoint.

Does the trackrod have to be removed on this side to get this gaiter on? Obviously I need to source a new gaiter first. A full list of tips for this job will be welcomed.

It pisses me off to think I was prepared for this job & then to find I wasn't.

they are different yes.
Yes the track rod will have to come off too. It's a one piece gaitor on the OS because the ram stud isn't there! It's 2 piece on the NS because, erm, the ram stud is between the rack and axial joint.
the heat shield doesn't have to come off, but Vanny is right, there's the clip and a 6MM bolt above the pinion. If the gaitor is original it'll have the metal wrap tie, piss easy to undo, just pull the wings back and unhook them