Hello All,
I took my drag struts off to change the bushes this evening and I noticed that the nuts are of the nyloc variety. Can these be re-used or should they be replaced? Also, my manual has no information for this procedure so I am concerned that I might over/under tighten the nuts when I re-install the struts. Does anyone have any advice that will help me get this right? Thanks so much in advance!
Mary
1968 Triumph TR250, 1966 Triumph 2000, 1970 GT6 (in progress but really slowly)
Front Suspension- Drag Strut Bushes
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Alan Chatterton
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Mike Stevens
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Mary,
In 30+ years of Big Triumph motoring, I don\'t think I\'ve ever replaced a Nyloc. Of course, I wouldn\'t fit one that I could spin on by hand.
Alan is right, when you do these up, they have a metal stop that gives a defined \'crush\' to the bushes, (I\'m assuming these are the domed ones onto the chassis). Under the nut is a large washer that buts against a plain shank on the drag strut. This is what you tighten against, not the bushes.
I assume you are fitting poly-bush types? They seem to stay harder for longer than the originals, and are probably better than after-market \'originals\' anyway.
HTH,
Cheers, Mike.<edited><editID>Mike Stevens</editID><editDate>39135.5477777778</editDate></edited>
In 30+ years of Big Triumph motoring, I don\'t think I\'ve ever replaced a Nyloc. Of course, I wouldn\'t fit one that I could spin on by hand.
Alan is right, when you do these up, they have a metal stop that gives a defined \'crush\' to the bushes, (I\'m assuming these are the domed ones onto the chassis). Under the nut is a large washer that buts against a plain shank on the drag strut. This is what you tighten against, not the bushes.
I assume you are fitting poly-bush types? They seem to stay harder for longer than the originals, and are probably better than after-market \'originals\' anyway.
HTH,
Cheers, Mike.<edited><editID>Mike Stevens</editID><editDate>39135.5477777778</editDate></edited>
Thanks Guys!
I am really glad to hear that I can re-use the nyloc nuts. All are in good condition (threads are good and I can\'t spin them by hand). I bought some Loctite last night for extra insurance. Mike- I am indeed using poly bushes (red). I have the whole kit but will have to get some help with the rest as I am not strong enough to do them all.
I am hopeful that replacing strut bushes will stop the shudder that I experience above 45mph while turning right (one of the bushes on the right strut was different than the rest- smaller circumference, smaller inner diameter, and thinner). The car feels like it is bouncing through the turn instead of gliding. My mechanic says everything else looks OK so I\'ll see if this easy fix does the trick.
My niece and I are going to put everything back together tonight so we can be ready for a club event on Saturday.
Again, thanks for your help!
Mary
I am really glad to hear that I can re-use the nyloc nuts. All are in good condition (threads are good and I can\'t spin them by hand). I bought some Loctite last night for extra insurance. Mike- I am indeed using poly bushes (red). I have the whole kit but will have to get some help with the rest as I am not strong enough to do them all.
I am hopeful that replacing strut bushes will stop the shudder that I experience above 45mph while turning right (one of the bushes on the right strut was different than the rest- smaller circumference, smaller inner diameter, and thinner). The car feels like it is bouncing through the turn instead of gliding. My mechanic says everything else looks OK so I\'ll see if this easy fix does the trick.
My niece and I are going to put everything back together tonight so we can be ready for a club event on Saturday.
Again, thanks for your help!
Mary
Hello All!
My niece and I were able to get the car back together. I have one piece of advice though: don\'t get distracted after the Loctite is applied and the nut has been tightened part of the way down. This is especially important if the nut has dodgy edges that make stripping it with a socket really easy. I did get a really nice set of deep-offset wrenches out of it though.
The car ran beautifully. I haven\'t had it out in about 2 years so was pleased when my 50 mile round-trip went trouble free. The shudder in the front is gone. It is much nicer to drive when I\'m not worrying about the front wheels falling off!
Thanks for all of your advice!
Mary
My niece and I were able to get the car back together. I have one piece of advice though: don\'t get distracted after the Loctite is applied and the nut has been tightened part of the way down. This is especially important if the nut has dodgy edges that make stripping it with a socket really easy. I did get a really nice set of deep-offset wrenches out of it though.
The car ran beautifully. I haven\'t had it out in about 2 years so was pleased when my 50 mile round-trip went trouble free. The shudder in the front is gone. It is much nicer to drive when I\'m not worrying about the front wheels falling off!
Thanks for all of your advice!
Mary
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Mike Stevens
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Hi Mary,
Well, it\'s good news that it all went OK. The thing I find when replacing those bushes (without removing the drag strut) is that when the car is supported and the wheels are hanging, the angle of the bit inside the chassis can sometimes make getting a socket on the nut difficult.
It\'s always nice when you diagnose some problem, change a part and it\'s all fixed!
Cheers, Mike.
Well, it\'s good news that it all went OK. The thing I find when replacing those bushes (without removing the drag strut) is that when the car is supported and the wheels are hanging, the angle of the bit inside the chassis can sometimes make getting a socket on the nut difficult.
It\'s always nice when you diagnose some problem, change a part and it\'s all fixed!
Cheers, Mike.
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David Withers
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The warning from Mary not to get distracted once you have started to assemble Loctited components is very good advice.
There\'s no problem with a delay <U>before</U> you put the parts together but once the air has been excluded you need to finish assembling within around 10 minutes for most grades.
The other thing to remember is not to try re-torqueing after this time as it will break the bond. That wouldn\'t matter in Mary\'s \"extra insurance\" case of course, but could be important if you are relying on a full-strength Loctite bond in a critical situation.
That\'s with ferrous components. If one or both of the components contains copper, you could be talking seconds rather than minutes!
I\'ll take off my anorak now!
There\'s no problem with a delay <U>before</U> you put the parts together but once the air has been excluded you need to finish assembling within around 10 minutes for most grades.
The other thing to remember is not to try re-torqueing after this time as it will break the bond. That wouldn\'t matter in Mary\'s \"extra insurance\" case of course, but could be important if you are relying on a full-strength Loctite bond in a critical situation.
That\'s with ferrous components. If one or both of the components contains copper, you could be talking seconds rather than minutes!
I\'ll take off my anorak now!
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David Withers
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- Location: North Cambridgeshire, UK
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I\'ll just add that one of the advantages of Nyloc over, say, Philidas is that the nylon ring not only locks the nut but does a fair job of sealing against water/salt ingress as well. I\'ve re-used Nyloc nuts many times but replacement with new has to be the better option because they tend to lose their sealing capabilities when re-used.
Using Loctite, as Mary has, not only locks the nuts but seals the threads as well. In fact the Loctite becomes a locking/sealing plastic insert just like the ring in \'Nylok\' nuts!
I often re-use the three Nyloc nuts that hold down the rocker cover but my mind is taken back several years to when the fasteners holding the rocker cover on my daughter\'s Peugeot worked loose and the engine oil was lost, resulting in almost £1000-worth of damage.
Using Loctite, as Mary has, not only locks the nuts but seals the threads as well. In fact the Loctite becomes a locking/sealing plastic insert just like the ring in \'Nylok\' nuts!
I often re-use the three Nyloc nuts that hold down the rocker cover but my mind is taken back several years to when the fasteners holding the rocker cover on my daughter\'s Peugeot worked loose and the engine oil was lost, resulting in almost £1000-worth of damage.
