What should I torque the upper control arm bolts on the end too? I know with rubber they say 45. But I've hear that people have had these come loose because of the poly transfering more energy to the bolt. Should I use lock-tight red as well?

Somebody has to have a suggestion on this.

There was a thread about this very thing last week I believe. People have had to torque them down like a gorilla to make them stay.

I plan to cross-drill the cross-shaft bolt heads for .030" safety wire and safety wire them to the shaft mounts.

I read that thread. I was hoping for more specifics. What is, "like a gorilla"? 80lbs, 100lbs, 150lbs or more? I don't know how much these bolts can take before they break.

I don't know how this safty wire thing works. So you drill a hole in the bolt head or something? If you don't mind, I would like a walk-through of how to do it. Maybe a photo.

2 grunts and a moan. mike :cool:

Before "gorilla cranking them down" and risking a snapped bolt try some blue or red loctite. I have had good luck with the blue so far. I have about 500 miles on them and so far they haven't backed out.

I check them once a week to see how they are holding up and so far no problems

I was the guy who posted to really torque them down, Sorry I can't be more specific than that. I tried the blue locktite amd it didn't hold. Tell you what I'll go put a torque wrench and find out.

Well I went out and checked and it has about 50 ft lbs on them. Funny, that doesn't sound like a lot, but it sure felt like it when I was doing it. Maybe it's because the bolts are so small.

I did some trial and alot of error research on the subject. I went to 50lbs, with no problem. Then 60lbs was ok 65lbs, ok. When I uped it to 70 the bolt broke at about 68lbs my guess. So I put the three I didn't break at 55lbs.

I'd say 50lbs is more like a chip or a howler monkey. How about saying, "tighten them down like a robust spider monkey."

Anyway, the bolt came out easy and I was able to put a new one in. I didn't use any loc-tite yet but I'll keep checking them and see if I need it.

LOL!!! Diablo!

I think safety wiring is overkill really.... something more for racers but it's easy to do and why not? The only part that's going to be tough is getting a hole drilled in the bolt heads. I'm going to try the normal diaginal hole thru the head and if that doesn't work, I'll go straight thru.

It's kinda tough to describe how to safety wire Diablo. Basically, the wire will be strung from the bolt head to a stationary point in such a fashion as to exert force on the bolt in the direction of tightening.

A bolt/screw loosens by turning it to the left. If the safety wire goes thru the head and the two ends of the wire are brought around the head to the right, or clockwise, twisted together and then attached to a stationary point a few inches away, then twisted together again, the bolt cannot loosen because it would be caught by the wire. You're basically using the safety wire to HOLD the bolt in the tightened position.

Once you've done it a few times, and can remember LEFTY - LOOSY / RIGHTY - TIGHTY, you're all set. I've strung miles and miles of safety wire on aircraft.... it's like riding a bike after a while. Just remember.... you only need to twist the two pieces of wire so you have maybe 10 twists per inch, give or take a few twists. But that depends on the gauge of safety wire also.

Global west sells a stud kit for $30.00. IT has a castalated nut and a cotter pin. That should do it!

Joe

One could double nut them.

Maybe I don't understand the stud idea, but what prevents the stud, castlenut & cotter pin from coming out like a bolt? Isn't the stud just a piece of all-thread with a hole drilled in it? It seems the whole assembly would back out. I like global west's cross shafts. I wish I would have got them.

Has anyone used the Global West Studs?

I heard the stud should be tack welded when installed. That way the shaft won't back itself out.