Shock tower torque specs???
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,250
Likes: 0
From: Diu Ley Lo Mo
Wassup everyone! It's me again. Hey Rev, thanks for the info for the torque specs on the lug nuts. I think I have another for you (please). If any, what are the torque specs to the shock tower mounting nuts (14mm). I just installed a Neuspeed upper strut tie bar and the instructions just said to tighten securely. Thanks in advance (again)! Latez!
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,560
Likes: 0
From: Studio City, CA
Stock torque spec is 36 lb/ft. However, if neuspeed gave you replacement nuts, they're probably locknuts. If that's the case, lock nuts take more pressure to tighten to the same degree. Also, with the bar in place, there will be some extra strain on it. So you might want to go to 45 lb/ft or even 50 (depending on whether they're locknuts and how much you anticipate the extra strain taking it's toll on things).
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,269
Likes: 42
From: Redmond, WA
The effect The Rev is referring to with the locknuts is called run-on torque. Pretty much just measuring the amount of torque required to turn the locknut (before any clamping) and add it to the 36 lb-ft. Using this new torque number, you will hopefully get the same clamping force from the nut.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 741
Likes: 0
....Stock torque spec is 36 lb/ft....
I measured the actual installed torque of these nuts when I installed my friend's Neuspeed bar. About 25 lb-ft from the factory! One was about 28 though. How about that? No they don't loosen, if they were installed properly in the first place. It's really not that critical of a connection.
... So you might want to go to 45 lb/ft or even 50 (depending on whether they're locknuts and how much you anticipate the extra strain taking it's toll on things)....
I disagree here. Torque to the Honda spec. You don't want to just increase torque on an ad hoc basis. More is not always better. After the brace is added there are few additional threads past the nut. Close to zero actually. This means that it is easier to overtorque the fastener to the yield point.
.....The effect The Rev is referring to with the locknuts is called run-on torque. Pretty much just measuring the amount of torque required to turn the locknut (before any clamping) and add it to the 36 lb-ft. Using this new torque number, you will hopefully get the same clamping force from the nut...
Adding to this I note that when you tighten a fastener the torque is just an indirect indicator of the tension in the bolt. When a bolt is tightened it actually lenghtens a bit. So it is acting like a spring, clamping the parts together. Highly stressed fasteners such as connecting rod bolts are best measured not with a torque wrench but with a stretch gage which measures the length of the fastener. An intermediate method is the torque angle method. In that case a fastener is torqued part way and then the nut is turned an additional x amount of degrees. BTW this is how they tighten huge fasteners such as on bridges. They basically take up the slack and then tighten the nut x amount of flats. Using a torque wrench is actually fairly inaccurate in many cases, often leading to 10-20% variations in the installed tension in the joint. For best results, follow directions as to lubricant or lack thereof etc. I would use the Honda torque rating and NOT add the additional torque needed to turn any lock nuts. Just use the nut they (Honda) suggest. When you are near the rated bolt tension the lock nut friction is a very small factor in any case. At least in my friends case, we just reused the stock Honda nuts. The kit came with 4 galvanised washers to put under the brace. If we had more time we would have replaced them with nicer, flatter, ground and hardened black washers for appearance reasons, even though they are under the part. You might want to wax the painted area that will be under the brace and put some grease onto the area on the shock tower that paint comes off from under the nuts. You could also use loctite, but IMO this is not needed.
Stan
I measured the actual installed torque of these nuts when I installed my friend's Neuspeed bar. About 25 lb-ft from the factory! One was about 28 though. How about that? No they don't loosen, if they were installed properly in the first place. It's really not that critical of a connection.
... So you might want to go to 45 lb/ft or even 50 (depending on whether they're locknuts and how much you anticipate the extra strain taking it's toll on things)....
I disagree here. Torque to the Honda spec. You don't want to just increase torque on an ad hoc basis. More is not always better. After the brace is added there are few additional threads past the nut. Close to zero actually. This means that it is easier to overtorque the fastener to the yield point.
.....The effect The Rev is referring to with the locknuts is called run-on torque. Pretty much just measuring the amount of torque required to turn the locknut (before any clamping) and add it to the 36 lb-ft. Using this new torque number, you will hopefully get the same clamping force from the nut...
Adding to this I note that when you tighten a fastener the torque is just an indirect indicator of the tension in the bolt. When a bolt is tightened it actually lenghtens a bit. So it is acting like a spring, clamping the parts together. Highly stressed fasteners such as connecting rod bolts are best measured not with a torque wrench but with a stretch gage which measures the length of the fastener. An intermediate method is the torque angle method. In that case a fastener is torqued part way and then the nut is turned an additional x amount of degrees. BTW this is how they tighten huge fasteners such as on bridges. They basically take up the slack and then tighten the nut x amount of flats. Using a torque wrench is actually fairly inaccurate in many cases, often leading to 10-20% variations in the installed tension in the joint. For best results, follow directions as to lubricant or lack thereof etc. I would use the Honda torque rating and NOT add the additional torque needed to turn any lock nuts. Just use the nut they (Honda) suggest. When you are near the rated bolt tension the lock nut friction is a very small factor in any case. At least in my friends case, we just reused the stock Honda nuts. The kit came with 4 galvanised washers to put under the brace. If we had more time we would have replaced them with nicer, flatter, ground and hardened black washers for appearance reasons, even though they are under the part. You might want to wax the painted area that will be under the brace and put some grease onto the area on the shock tower that paint comes off from under the nuts. You could also use loctite, but IMO this is not needed.
Stan
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post