05 Mustang GT Rear Lower Control Arm Bolts/Torque Spec Question

Attridgerm

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Replacing rear lca's. OEM bolts are torque to yield 129ft/lbs. Have a new package of bolts/nuts sold by a recognized vendor that contains zinc grade 10.9 bolts with nylock bolts & washers specifically for this application. Vendor was less than helpful providing torque specs ("tighten until snug"). I know...Probably best to use new OEM and prescribed torque values. Have attempted to find these on many of the torque spec charts available on the internet but head is spinning. Was was wondering if anyone out there has used similar and what they torqued to.
 

Norm Peterson

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Replacing rear lca's. OEM bolts are torque to yield 129ft/lbs. Have a new package of bolts/nuts sold by a recognized vendor that contains zinc grade 10.9 bolts with nylock bolts & washers specifically for this application. Vendor was less than helpful providing torque specs ("tighten until snug"). I know...Probably best to use new OEM and prescribed torque values. Have attempted to find these on many of the torque spec charts available on the internet but head is spinning. Was was wondering if anyone out there has used similar and what they torqued to.
If they're only "torque to 129 ft*lbs", they are NOT torque to yield. TTY fasteners get a torque spec and a "turn of the nut" angle past that.

Nyloc nuts and fasteners using deformed threads have limited life/number of cycles, but when you toss these it's not because the bolt was stretched past its elastic limit.

Before I go any further - and there definitely is more to this - does your question involve changing out the OE rear LCAs? If so, is it to aftermarket LCAs that have polyurethane bushings?


Norm
 

Attridgerm

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Changing lca, yes. No poly bushings. Ford Performance lca's, part number M-5538-A. Kit normally contains stock replacement bolts/nuts. I do not have them as they were lost in a move.
 

Norm Peterson

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You should be good to go as far as re-using the ones you take out is concerned. With a drop or two of Locktite blue on each one. Wire-brush off any OE threadlocking compound first - Ford has their own stuff but I don't remember if they use it on these fasteners (been too many years since I last touched the LCAs on my own car).


Norm
 

Iceman62

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IMO, go to the local HW store and get some SS replacements w/washers & nuts. Then use the OEM 129 ft/lb torque spec for final tightening. You're probably looking at $5-$6 for piece of mind...
 

ddd4114

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I agree, reusing the OEM bolts should be fine with a little blue Loctite. I've reused suspension fasteners many times and have never found signs of the bolts stretching. However, I don't drive my Mustang in the winter, so I don't know how much the corrosion protection is compromised. As Norm said, TTY bolts typically have a torque and then an angle spec for tightening them. Head bolts and rod bolts are common examples.

If you know the thread size, pitch, and bolt length you need, you can also buy high-strength fasteners from McMaster (or similar). However, this really only makes sense if you need a lot of them because the shipping cost will probably negate the savings over OEM fasteners. If you have a local Fastenal store, that's another option that will save you the shipping expense. I would also advise against using "All-Purpose" fasteners because they're typically low grade. They're fine for low-stress applications like wiring harness brackets, but I wouldn't use them for critical suspension components. Also, do not use stainless-steel nuts and bolts for anything that requires a lot of torque! They might not corrode and offer a lot of strength, but without anti-seize or something similar, they will... seize. Once this happens, they're a PITA to remove. It's fine for small stuff like M6 and below, but use something like zinc-plated steel for anything larger.

Back to the original question - if the vendor's replacement bolts are grade 10.9 and are the same pitch and diameter as the OEM bolts, I'd just use the OEM torque spec. If the replacement bolts have coarser threads... maybe just reuse the OEM bolts if the vendor still isn't helpful.
 

oldVOR

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For MOST suspension fasteners, look for metric grade 10.9 or SAE grade 8 if you're using something other than OEM hardware. Don't use anything with a lower grade number unless the OEM bolt is marked lower or not marked at all (highly unlikely for a suspension fastener).
 

Pentalab

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IMO, go to the local HW store and get some SS replacements w/washers & nuts. Then use the OEM 129 ft/lb torque spec for final tightening. You're probably looking at $5-$6 for piece of mind...

SS bolts are typ the same strength as grade 2 bolts..... IE: mild steel. The shear strength of a bolt is typ listed as 60% of it's tensile strength. SS bolts also require some lube on em, like never seize, or they will cold fuse, and you will have a helluva time getting them apart..and esp if mating SS nylocks are used. I found that out the hard way on a non car application, and had to cut em off with a dremel and 1" cut off wheel...that was when 1/4-20 SS bolts were used...and also 3/8" bolts.... a real pita.

Use the correct bolts..and some thread locker.
 

Vorshlag-Fair

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Lots of good advice here from Norm and others. Re-use the old OEM hardware and use factory torque numbers.

And as Pentalab stated, Stainless Steel hardware has nothing close to the yield or tensile strength of hardened alloy steel bolts. We use stainless hardware in some low stress situations (cosmetic / flares / interior panels) or where they see very high corrosion rates (and we design for SS bolt strength). There are a couple of grades of stainless, A2 and A4, but let's not get "in the weeds" here. Not what you need to use on control arms.

Random hardware store bolts or some vendor supplied bolts that are "tighten until snug" (LOL!) is not a good idea at all on a critical component like a suspension control arm. You don't want to know how ugly that can get if it comes off...
 

Ken04

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You should be good to go as far as re-using the ones you take out is concerned. With a drop or two of Locktite blue on each one. Wire-brush off any OE threadlocking compound first - Ford has their own stuff but I don't remember if they use it on these fasteners (been too many years since I last touched the LCAs on my own car).


Norm

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