Front lower strut brace fitting...

[wasted]

Quick one this - I fit a lower strut brace this morning, and I've tightened up the front wishbone bolts successfully, but Haynes states that the torque on these needs to be 100Nm. There are bushes within the "tubes" at the ends of the strut brace, and these seem to be deforming when I'm approaching 100Nm, and I'm a little concerned that this may damage the welds on the tubes due to expanding outwards.

Given that these bushes are present, should I still be concerned about getting all the way up to 100Nm? I reckon they're up to about 95, but I don't want to push it any further if I don't have to

[Jay4424]

very much dought youll burst the welds, but i cant quite figure out where there are bushes there at all.... all the ones ive seen are just plain metal... sos the two i made!!!

Jay.

[wasted]

It's a bit of a weird design actually. The tubes on the ends have flares on the outer edge, and in each tube, there's a cylindrical bush with an off-centre hole through the middle that the bolts go through. One washer on each side of the bush. Hence, as the bolts are tightened down, the bushes deform and press out on the flared end of the tube.

I guess ultimately if I can't get to 100Nm, then the brace isn't fit for purpose anyway. Turns out I had set the torque wrench wrongly though, so I was trying to tighten to 114Nm I'll have another look later and see what torque they're at.

I did drive the car earlier on just to see what difference it's made, and it's pretty amazing actually Really pleased.

[PeteGLi]

Have you got a picture of your strut brace? As you say, it seems a wierd design, because all the different braces I have seen are solid metal in order to make a rigid frame.

[wasted]

Unfortunately I didn't think to get a photo of it, but I'll get one later on.

[Nate]

have you got a washer between the bolt and the brace?

[wasted]

I do indeed, although it was the washers that came with the brace; if I recall, they're slightly dished, so maybe I should swap those for the ones that were already behind the wishbone bolts. The dished washers could potentially be adding to the "spreading" problem...

Anyway, some pics:

Brace fitted (excuse the drips from the leaky coolant flange - to be fixed this week):



Close-up; the bolt goes straight through the middle of a cylindrical bush inside that tube:



And a (rubbish) diagram. The black circle is the bush, the hole inside that is the hole for the bolt:

[Roxylife]

I am ready this correctly!? A strut brace with a rubber bush in it!?

Return it.

[wasted]

Haha I can't actually, because I bought it from someone on the register a couple of years ago. The bush itself is pretty solid; not pliable like normal rubber bushes, and when one end was fitted I couldn't budge it if I tried to twist or pull the other end of the brace. I wonder whether it's maybe just there to allow for adjustment, as the hole for the bolt goes at a slight angle through the "bush", and comes out off-centre at the back. Hence, if you turn the "bush" inside the tube, it allows for the bolt to enter the wishbone closer to or further from the centre of the car.

[Roxylife]

It's more the point of how can you possibly apply a torque setting through an elastic bush!?

Are those bolts longer than the standard ones?

[wasted]

They are, yep, by a good inch or two. And I would tend to agree about the torque issue, but I reckon a bush inside a captive tube would compress sufficiently under 100Nm of torque to become rigid, thus allowing the torque to be achieved, but maybe I'm kidding myself.

I've done a bit of research into it, and the only mention I can find of a similar thing is a Mk1 Golf owner who had the same setup on his. Maybe it's just a very outdated design or something?

[go-for-it1]

Nothing to do with your problem but did anything move out of alignment when you removed the long wishbone bolts? Dished washers should be fitted with the dome side outwards, ie next to the bolt head by the way.

[wasted]

Crap, fitted those washers the wrong way round then. Looks like I might be spending a bit of time under the car tomorrow evening Just as well you mentioned it! Might help with those bushes as well... I'll see if I can torque them up properly this time, and if those welds go, then the brace probably isn't fit for purpose anyway. At least I'll know, and I can get a proper OMP one.

Nothing moved out of alignment, aside from the wishbones separating very slightly (the wheels were off the ground, so I just moved them back into place before fitting the bolts). Is that important?

[Nate]

aaahhhh, working in the gutter! i remember that. i've progressed to gravel driveway now. not entirely convinced about it being a set up mind...

[wasted]

I think I'd prefer my friendly gutter to a gravel driveway, and thankfully our road is quite quiet... It's pretty handy as well, because the kerbs outside my house are fairly high with a nearby drive to roll up onto. Saves the need for a jack sometimes. However, it's not particularly pleasant on Sunday morning after the pub goers have wandered past and left their... leavings behind.