I just installed a new complete poly bushing kit for the front end of my 69 camaro. What is the correct way to torque all of the hardware? Should it be with the weight of the car on the wheels? I thought that I heard that with poly bushings it did matter because they have the metal sleeve in the middle, but I am not sure. I also need the torque specs for the swaybar mounts, cross shaft ends, upper and lower control arms mounting bolts and the bolts that mount through the upper control arm cross shafts. Thanks for the help
Correct way to torque suspension?
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This is a quote from David Pozzi from a recent post:
"Anyway, just leave the upper and lower A arm RUBBER bushings and front and rear leaf RUBBER bushings. Torque them when on the ground. The poly bushings use an inner sleeve that is not bonded to the poly, so they can't twist them, and don't need to be on the ground when torqued.
David"
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when I ran poly, they were VERY resistance to up and down movement. If I had torqued them with the suspension drooped, it would have been permanently in that position.
Also, the front spring eye's, even with the stock rubber, pivoted very freely. The nuts bottomed on the long unthreaded shoulder of the bolt long before squeezing the bracket tight to the bushing. Also if the bushings on your cal tracs are anything like the ones on my slide-a-links, it should be perfectly safe to torque them first.
Also, the front spring eye's, even with the stock rubber, pivoted very freely. The nuts bottomed on the long unthreaded shoulder of the bolt long before squeezing the bracket tight to the bushing. Also if the bushings on your cal tracs are anything like the ones on my slide-a-links, it should be perfectly safe to torque them first.
Cal Tracs? I am talking about the upper and lower control arm bushings. So you say that they need to have the weight of the vehicle on the ground before they are torqued? Thanks
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Jim,
Why did your bushings act that way? Do you think the bushings were getting squeezed from the sides? Did they have a steel sleeve inside?
David
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Also, before torquing everything down, I like to run the car around the block to get everything settled. Work the suspension back and forth, hit a bump or two. Suspension movement helps in addition to the weight of the car.
Its difficult to torque the susp when its on the ground due to ground clearance. The drive-on ramps (or something equivalent) help in doing this.
Its difficult to torque the susp when its on the ground due to ground clearance. The drive-on ramps (or something equivalent) help in doing this.
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I'll disagree with my Camaro brethren. Makes no difference when you torque the suspension parts. Yes, the car may sit higher when you set her on the ground, but once you hit a dip, the car will settle in to it's ride height. These parts (bushings, etc) are designed to tolerate full travel of the suspension. Just make sure everything is lubed to specs and go.
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Not sure David, probably. For the uppers, I had the original style cross shafts, with bolts, not studs, so I bottomed the bolts and torqued em tight so they would stay on.
The lowers were very tight as well, both VERY difficult to move by hand. I used all the original hardware, too. The bushings were pressed in by a shop. I gave them the supplied grease, and they didn't give it back. That's no guarantee they used it.
The bushings I used did have the inner steel sleeves.
Problem is very much solved with the new del-a-lum equipped G/W lowers and SC&C uppers.
The old arms are sitting on my garage floor if there's anything you'd like me to check anything on them.
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