I was installing my new coilovers and when I was torquing the upper a-arm bolts one of the nuts stripped. Has anyone run into this issue before?
Is there a simple fix that you guys have successfully used?
I was thinking of griding off the tack welds on the nut and replacing it with a new grade 10 nut and a washer to distribute the load. I dont think it would be nessessary to reweld the nut on as long as it's torqued to spec. Any suggestions?
I track the car so I want to be sure the integrity of the fix holds up.

Thanks

 

yup, those nuts strip easily over time when the threads rust,it happened to me.

I got a Honda bolt that was a bit longer and a new Honda suspension nut, I double nutted the setup and the alignment stayed the same as the stock setup. This is the best way to do it, no need to cut off the old nut it is better to keep it in place to maintain the alignment IMO. I still used Honda parts from other vehicles and the nut was strong enough to hold 79 ft lbs as it was designed to be used as a suspension part. The bolt I used is a proper Honda suspension bolt which is thicker in the center and thinner at the threaded end, if you just try to use a standard bolt from a fastener shop you won't be able to match the diameter of the suspension bushings with the proper threaded sizing (hard to explain unless you study the Honda bolt closely).

I will dig up the part numbers as I bought some extra parts in case the other side fails on me in the future. I'll post them up as soon as I can dig them out of my parts bin.

 

That sounds like a fix that would work in this case especially if it's a grade 10 suspension bolt. Yes I know what you mean about the diameter. The existing bolt is has a spline pattern on the smooth part where the bushing sits which is a slightly bigger diameter. Would appreciate if you can find the part numbers. Do you know what car this bolt is used on?

 

Okay I found my spare parts. The bolt is Honda part number 90118-SNA-000 , the new nut Honda part number is 90395-S5A-003 . I don't know what Honda model is comes from, but the parts are just as beefy as the oem S2000 parts and I know the nut holds 79 ft lbs easily. My Honda dealer parts guy sources them out and I trust him explicitly, I've run them on my car for one year + , I stripped one on each front side of the vehicle so I am running two of them up front.

The bolt is 3.25 inches long from inside the washer bolt head to the tapered tip. The center portion isn't splined but it is enlarged to the proper width and is smooth. It is a grade 10 bolt and the nut is just as strong. I recommend lubing the center portion before inserting so it keeps the bushing working smoothly into the long term. Then just double nut the opposite end. The bolt and nut have integrated washer shaping so you don't even need a washer. This is the easiest fix you can find. glwr.

 

FYI, a quick search shows that it is used in 08-11 Accord, 06-11 Civic, 07-11 CR-V, 07-11 RDX, 09-11 TL, 09-11 TSX. It might be used in other cars too.

 

ah nice find Dwight. Pretty wide range of uses there.

 

Parts ordered should be in tomorrow. I will let you guys know how the fix goes. Thanks!

 

The repair will be smooth as silk. The only thing with this fix is you need to hold the nut with a box end wrench while torquing the bolt in place, unlike the oem nut that was welded in place , no biggie though.

 

Yea.... I plan to spend some time grinding the old nut to remove the old threads so that its more of a clearance fit for the new bolt. Just in case the old threads kind of wreck the new bolt and also will allow me to get the proper torque...

 

Yea.... I plan to spend some time grinding the old nut to remove the old threads so that its more of a clearance fit for the new bolt. Just in case the old threads kind of wreck the new bolt and also will allow me to get the proper torque...
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I just ran the old bolt through the old nut and spun it a few turns to make sure all of the broken threads came loose, after it spun freely I just ran the new bolt through it and put the new nut onto the bolt up agaainst the old nut.