98' Dakota, 2WD, 175,xxx miles, 5.2L.
I just replaced the Rack and Pinion and took it to a shop for the alignment. I tightened everything with a torque wrench except the 2 main "gear to frame" bolts because I do not own a torque wrench that goes to 190lb/ft. I snugged them by hand with a 1/2" drive (to an estimated 120lb/ft, give or take) to get me the couple of miles to the shop. I asked the shop to verify the torque with a torque wrench and they called me to tell me one of them would not get tight and the threads were stripped out. I know both bolts went in clean and got plenty tight when I did it. Has anyone ever had a problem with those bolts or the nuts welded to the K-member failing? I have a feeling the guy at the shop cranked on it and stripped it. But if other people have had this problem, I'm willing to accept it just failed. (But I doubt it).

Also, I am not going to pay them all the labor to cut the nut out of the K-member and tack in a new one. I am having them run a new bolt through to a new nut that will tighten down over the nut that is still welded on. Does anybody think that is a stupid idea or will work just fine?

Thank you for your comments/answers!!!

Clay

 

Depends. Is there access to the back bolt for a wrench? If so it will work fine, but you will want them to drill the threads out of the broken bolt. With no threads it will act like a washer, with threads it will likely interfere with getting an accurate torque reading. Best thing would be to bite the bullet and have a new nut welded in correctly. I agree it sounds like they probably cranked on it with an impact wrench, but would be impossible to prove so you may as well not even bring it up.

 

that is one fasrener that though I have visited numerous times over the years in my line of work, I have NEVER put a torque wrench onto but 190 ft/lb sounds like way too much.... or was it 190 N/M (metric measure)? what units of torque were specified? I'd bet that the 120 that you said that you got them to is more than plenty IF we are talking FOOT POUNDS.

 

Vimes, Thanks for your input. I had them leave the stripped nut welded to the k-member and use my suggestion of a new bolt to a nut behind the welded nut. It has been working with no problems. I’ll try to get a picture this weekend.

 

Yeah, Ft/lbs. They even looked it up on their own to verify.

 

They put a large washer between the factory welded nut and the new nylock nut. It’s been holding up just fine.