[Tankota]

Check your nuts often!!

This is cross posted from the Cali board.. figured ya all could use a reminder too! Original post is at:
(http://forums.delphiforums.com/CaliforniaOffRd/messages?msg=3700.1)

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Fun morning so far.. I got about halfway to work, and my truck started vibrating real bad when I let off the gas.. it was getting worse and worse.. pulled over, check the rear, coundn't find anything wrong.. started going again, and it got real bad.. at this point it sounds and feels like something in my third member let loose.. since I wasn't far from home, limped it via surface streets back home.. went under it, still could see anything visable with the rear.. I was getting ready to drain the third when I checked the spin on the drive shaft.. and noticed it was feeling loose.. followed the looseness up the shaft, and then found this:

Holy crap, 3 of the 4 flang bolts were gone, the 4th was on it's way.. if that 4th had let loose on the free way, my drive shaft would have pole volted my rear to who knows where, and I'm pretty sure i'd be looking at major damage and even an acident at 50mph.. I lucked out and the one bolt held until I got home and found it.. but barley..

I'm pretty good about going around and checking my bolts, and using blue locktight on them.. but I hadn't done my check in awhile, and I hadn't put blue locktight on these since I had the driveshaft rebuilt awhile back.. stupid me.. So take it as a warning, check all your bolts from time to time, and use that blue locktight!!

I just have to find a way down to a hardware store now and buy me 4 new bolts, hopefully the vibrations didn't do any damage to the u-joints or the 3rd.. but dang I'm lucky..

 

[zszac111]

i hate those damn bolts, i knocked all mine out and put some grade 8's with lock washers and dubble nuted all of them. it seamed like no matter how many times i tightened them up they would work loose.

 

[GOT COPE?]

This is cross posted from the Cali board.. figured ya all could use a reminder too! Original post is at:
(http://forums.delphiforums.com/CaliforniaOffRd/messages?msg=3700.1)

********************************************************

Fun morning so far.. I got about halfway to work, and my truck started vibrating real bad when I let off the gas.. it was getting worse and worse.. pulled over, check the rear, coundn't find anything wrong.. started going again, and it got real bad.. at this point it sounds and feels like something in my third member let loose.. since I wasn't far from home, limped it via surface streets back home.. went under it, still could see anything visable with the rear.. I was getting ready to drain the third when I checked the spin on the drive shaft.. and noticed it was feeling loose.. followed the looseness up the shaft, and then found this:

Holy crap, 3 of the 4 flang bolts were gone, the 4th was on it's way.. if that 4th had let loose on the free way, my drive shaft would have pole volted my rear to who knows where, and I'm pretty sure i'd be looking at major damage and even an acident at 50mph.. I lucked out and the one bolt held until I got home and found it.. but barley..

I'm pretty good about going around and checking my bolts, and using blue locktight on them.. but I hadn't done my check in awhile, and I hadn't put blue locktight on these since I had the driveshaft rebuilt awhile back.. stupid me.. So take it as a warning, check all your bolts from time to time, and use that blue locktight!!

I just have to find a way down to a hardware store now and buy me 4 new bolts, hopefully the vibrations didn't do any damage to the u-joints or the 3rd.. but dang I'm lucky..

Damn, ur lucky. I had that happen to me in November. Except it wasnt those four bolts it was the big center nut (not sure exactly how to describe it) near the middle of the shaft (real close to the center support bearing). Only thing is mine let go all at once since it was the one nut. I changed my center support bearing in July 04 and never torqued the nut to proper specs and well it finally bit back in November.

 

[snowchucker]

i've seen people w/ missing steering shaft bolts, missing ifs box bolts, no cotter pins, loose lug nut (and wheels), lost shackle bolts, etc....
one cali member lost his steering shaft since the bolt at the column came loose and fell off...made for a fun experience.

 

[R8DRTACOMAN]

wow... i think it's time to start sayin those prayers before bedtime again. it could have gotten really ugly. good to know everythings safe(besides the rest of the bolts that got loosened from the vibrating )

 

[Mtnfrk79]

yeah that same thing happend to me. I thought it was a bad ujoint but after inspecting one last time before i replaced it i saw that all 4 bolts were loose. they were still there but some only had a few threads left. good post

 

[Mez]

Thanks for the tip. I went out today and checked all mine .

 

[cbr900rr95]

Since you guys are on the loose bolt topic, I am going to add mine.
I had just install RB 1 in body lift 2 days ago, each puck come with 1 grade 8 bolt and 1 locking nylon nut, I modify it with 1 lock washer on the bolt side and 1 lock washer on the nut side with a drop of locktite, and torque it down to 30 ft lb, next day I drive 40 mi and retorque it again, every single bolt move at least 1/2 a turn, than 2nd day after another 40 mi of driving, retorque, each bolt move 1/4 turn.

Instruction said only retorque after 200 mi of driving, luckly I did it the day after the installation.

 

[platform389]

One thing missed is the LocTite being used. This is the place for Red instead of the Blue. Red is considered "permanent" and requires application of heat to loosen.

 

[ecar95]

Damn bro that is scary shit. I would go buy a lottery ticket today because you have some good luck working in your favour.

 

[alabamatacomaguy]

my friends rear end came loose and it did alot of damage at under 10 mph, he broke a block, this happened over the summer

heres some pics

http://www.mtnbiker016.netfirms.com/chris/index.html

 

[zszac111]

lol. dont run blocks and use good center pins for the leafs, ive had that happen to me before but i caught it soon enough to just replace the broken center pin and keep wheeling.

 

[Tufemup]

Since you guys are on the loose bolt topic, I am going to add mine.
I had just install RB 1 in body lift 2 days ago, each puck come with 1 grade 8 bolt and 1 locking nylon nut, I modify it with 1 lock washer on the bolt side and 1 lock washer on the nut side with a drop of locktite, and torque it down to 30 ft lb, next day I drive 40 mi and retorque it again, every single bolt move at least 1/2 a turn, than 2nd day after another 40 mi of driving, retorque, each bolt move 1/4 turn.

Instruction said only retorque after 200 mi of driving, luckly I did it the day after the installation.

I don't know about that re-torqueing with use of Loctite threadlocker. I work for Loctite and that stuff cures in the absense of air in the presence of a metal catalyst (the bolt). Once it sets up in the first 24 hrs, you pretty much have your "lock" at ultimate strength. Torqueing another 1/2 turn will only break the "lock" of the threadlocker, just as if you were taking the nut off. My suggestion would be to use the loctite blue or red and torque to spec and don't touch for at least 4 hrs if not 24hrs. Definately do not re-torque. Like I said before, that only breaks the lock.

 

[alex9021]

I don't know about that re-torqueing with use of Loctite threadlocker. I work for Loctite and that stuff cures in the absense of air in the presence of a metal catalyst (the bolt). Once it sets up in the first 24 hrs, you pretty much have your "lock" at ultimate strength. Torqueing another 1/2 turn will only break the "lock" of the threadlocker, just as if you were taking the nut off. My suggestion would be to use the loctite blue or red and torque to spec and don't touch for at least 4 hrs if not 24hrs. Definately do not re-torque. Like I said before, that only breaks the lock.

I agree with Tufemup. When you put loctite you basically "spotweld" the bolt in place. If you torque it after, you coulld break that "weld". I suggest that after you put loctite, just do a visual inspection of the bolts and nuts at the same recommended interval.

 

[cbr900rr95]

I don't know about that re-torqueing with use of Loctite threadlocker. I work for Loctite and that stuff cures in the absense of air in the presence of a metal catalyst (the bolt). Once it sets up in the first 24 hrs, you pretty much have your "lock" at ultimate strength. Torqueing another 1/2 turn will only break the "lock" of the threadlocker, just as if you were taking the nut off. My suggestion would be to use the loctite blue or red and torque to spec and don't touch for at least 4 hrs if not 24hrs. Definately do not re-torque. Like I said before, that only breaks the lock.

Thanks, I did not thing about that.
BTW, I retorque again today, 3 bolt on the cab take another 1/4 turn and the rest is ok.