Nut and Bolt Check

[Jack Olsen]

I'm thinking about a pre-track-day checklist, but there's no reason a street car wouldn't benefit from a periodic once-through with suspension fasteners and such. I'll admit that I'm pretty casual about this -- going through what occurs to me and trusting that that will be enough. Of course, it would be better to have a checklist. Whether it's a borderline-crazy list of every possible thing that could work loose, or a list of the things that are most likely to come loose and do the greatest amount of damage if they do -- I'm interested in either.

Does anyone have one?

[sc_rufctr]

Not a list but I always check the CV bolts if the car's going to be laid up for a while.
Wheel nuts are the next most obvious and then anything to do with the anti roll bars.

Steering shaft U joints and end clamps?

Steering wheel nut?

[pdtweeks]

I was crew for a guy running Formula Ford a few years ago and we had a checklist, which is a good idea, safety-wise.

The nut & bolt portion of it was based on the items most likely to have been fiddled with between sessions;
lug nuts, swaybar hardware, bodywork fasteners, header bolts, etc. And it was a "living" list, in that we added to it or removed it from the list based upon experience. CV joint bolts were safety wired, so that was just a visual check.

One item that we removed from the list was intake manifold bolts.....we had experienced losing one bolt and finding others loose after replacing the gasket on one occasion, so added that task to the list, only to remove it later due to the shearing off of one bolt and stripping the socket head portion of another. We
left that task off the list, but periodically checked those bolts and never had a problem with them coming loose again. We were probably distracted by something (did someone just yell, "FIRE IN THE PITS" ?? ) when installing the intake manifold on that occasion and just left them "less than tight".

I'll see if I can get a copy of the list and post here.

Pat

[bkreigsr]

Jack, sent you the spreadsheet I use for my 85
you can post it if you want, I don't have the wherewithall for all that high tech stuff.
Bill K

[GaryR]

I use tire marking paint on all critical bolts (not CV's), saves a lot of time when going through the car.

[KTL]

Originally Posted by GaryR

I use tire marking paint on all critical bolts (not CV's), saves a lot of time when going through the car.

Yep I do the same thing with one of those Fortney paint pens you can buy at the hardware store. I think it's typically found near the grinding/welding/cutting stuff.

Helps you avoid spending time torque-checking everything. Just eyeball your paint marks periodically.

[rusnak]

Obviously the bolts to check for safety would be the suspension, steering, brake caliper, and drivetrain bolts. Other than those, I like to check the clutch bolts, control pedal mounting bolts, MC bolts, crossmember, and those little door stay mounting bolts.

[HawgRyder]

Over the years you would be amazed at how many cotter pins and safety wire I have found missing...particularly from tie rod ends.
It's a place that many people just don't look.
Any time a bolt or nut is safety wired...you must check it on a regular basis to see if the wire or pin has been sheared.
As always...a pleasure Jack.
Bob

[moneymanager]

Jack, I check these before every event. YMMV.

At the front, 13mm wedge bolt at bottom of strut at 16 ft/lbs;
cotter keys on tie rod to steering knuckle;
22mm jamb nuts on tie rod ends, 34 ft/lbs;
8mm allen sway bar bearing bolt to body thru protective cover, 34 ft/lbs;
calipers to hubs, 51 ft/lbs;
auxiliary support/front cross piece to body (at rear of torsion bar), 65 ft/lbs.

At the rear, 17mm bolts (4) holding spring plate bearing carrier, 34 ft lbs
6mm allen head bolts holding sway bar bearing to body, 18 ft lbs
6mm allen head securing Tarett arb arm to bar, 20 ft lbs
19mm toe eccentric (carries sway bar now) 38 ft lbs stock.
19mm camber eccentric, 43 ft lbs.
19mm caliper to the control arm, 44 ft lbs
two 19mm bolts (spring plate to banana arm,) 68 ft lbs
Allen-hex bolts on rear CV joints, 60 ft lbs;
Shock to bottom of control arm, 90 ft lbs.

And, almost forgot, the wheel lug nuts.
Scary when you find something you thought was tight that isn't!

[euro911sc]

I use the paint pen method and check everything I can. I just went through this on the Rolex car this weekend and I had to brake clean all the pen marks off some of the spots as there were too many marks from previous checks. But, this method works well and lets you make a very quick visual inspection to see if anything has moved. It also avoids having to keep up a list, but a list is nice to have for the really key parts like CVs and lugs. Kinda like putting an arrow on the tire next to the stem so you can tell if the tire is moving on the rim.

Another technique we used this weekend is to put a dab of RTV on the screw head and body (just a small smear). This was used for body screws like the sheet metal screws in fender liners, plastic nuts holding up the under trays, fender screws, and such. Not on nuts and bolts. Just make sure NOT to cover the hole where you stick an allen or star socket. Its a pain cleaning out the drive holes.

[RWebb]

Post a screen shot of that spreadsheet...

Jack, one thing I did back in ye olden days when I drove a VW Bus over all the 2-track and gravel roads in Orygun, was to Loctite every nut and bolt I could get to. That was a lot more vibration and impact than on your race/street car (even assuming some intimate moments with straw bales).

This is not a hard as it sounds, since you can check the torque and then put a drop of the Green Loctite ("Wick In") on them without disturbing anything.

[GaryR]

Randy - Green Loctite? Have seen Red, Blue, and purple but not green.. learn something new every day!

[HawgRyder]

Be careful with Loctite!
I used to use a green Loctite number 610 for studs.
It was permanent...and I do mean that!
In order to break it loose...you had to heat it almost to the point of melting metal.
So...colour is not a good indicator of strength...go by the number on the pkg.
Bob

[mpetry]

JHTaylor - Great list - I have saved it for future use. Thanks for posting!

[Devil Dog Mosport]

Originally Posted by bkreigsr

Jack, sent you the spreadsheet I use for my 85
you can post it if you want, I don't have the wherewithall for all that high tech stuff.
Bill K

I would like a copy of the .xls too please.. to my PM..

thank you

[Devil Dog Mosport]

Originally Posted by rich26@me.com

I would like a copy of the .xls too please.. to my PM..

thank you

Resend

[michael lang]

I use the tech inspection sheet and since I got into being a tech inspector, I've gotten to know the inspection checklist pretty well. I think it is a good guide to follow. I too have also marked the various bolts after having been torqued. I retorque them in the spring, 1/2 way through track season and again at the end of the season but look at everything all season long. Probably overkill, but the last thing I ever want to deal with is being stuck on the side of the road, in my 911 or any of my other vehicles.

[montauk]

Does anyone else think it's a bit odd for Loctite not to use colored tubes that match the product color? Why are all of the tubes red?

I didn't know about the green either.

Dave

PS - Jack, your garage is fantastic - really clever stuff.

Originally Posted by GaryR

Randy - Green Loctite? Have seen Red, Blue, and purple but not green.. learn something new every day!

[bigel]

Originally Posted by bkreigsr

Jack, sent you the spreadsheet I use for my 85
you can post it if you want, I don't have the wherewithall for all that high tech stuff.
Bill K

Care to share the spreadsheet with the group, Bill?

[bkreigsr]