Playing with U-bolts...

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99Yuk

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So on a more serious note.
I'm a little embarrassed and humbled.
As I've said many times, I'm server certified, not wrench certified.


As you know yesterday I installed a 2" lift block kit in the rear by myself.
I didn't make it 30kms(18.5miles) before I almost tore out the rear axle.

While driving into work this morning on the hwy at 110kph(70mph), I noticed that my steering wheel was off by 1/4 turn. By the time I got into town, the steering wheel was off by 1/2 turn.

I was like WTF is wrong? Then at 60kph(40mph) My rear axle shifted back enough so that the emergency brakes kicked on and the rear wheels locked up. Momentum kept me going until I could turn off the road.

I got a tow into work which is in the same building as our shop.

The guys (who work for my family) asked me how did I tighten my u-bolt nuts. I replied electric impact. I used THIS one that I got for christmas.

They called me stupid, retarded, dumbf$ck and lucky to be alive. They say that if this or the driveshaft popped out, or the axle tore apart, etc, had happened at 110kph on the hwy I may not be here.


I'm not a dumb guy, just ignorant of auto mechanics and a guy who likes doing things himself. I googled the procedure and thought, how hard can it be to remove and replace eight u-bolt nuts.

I've been banned from doing my own suspension work ever again. Doesn't matter how busy they are with paying customers, they will do mine for me from now on.

Moral of my story, unless your qualified, make damn sure that you know what your doing or have a shop do it.

Little details may bite you in the ass.

Peace.
 

96ProCompTahoe

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atleast you didn't do any harm to your truck, yourself, or others on the road. can't say i have done that but i did manage to test drive a previous ride with 3 of the 4 lugs tightened/tourqed... figured that one out pretty fast!!! (luckily before i lost the wheel)

have learned to make sure you know how to do it correcty and NEVER get in a hurry, will bite you in the ass and end up taking more time/money than doing it the right way the first time.
 

bowtiefreak

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I learned my lesson a while back trying cheap U bolts and reusing them.

Now I get grade 8 and torque them by hand and one use only
 

SunlitComet

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You can make a mistake that can have drawbacks. learn from it but if shop staff disrespects you and calls you names, I would suggest you never do business with them again now matter how well you know them.

You would most likely still be here, you would have shredded your bottom rear.., but you would still be hear.
The way they treated you was totally uncalled for. PERIOD!
 
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99Yuk

99Yuk

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what was the mistake that you made?

BowtieFreak nailed my mistake. 'torque them by hand'

My mistake was that I used an impact to tighten the nuts that came in with the kit. Worse yet, an electric impact. I only had 320ft/lb of torque on them.

They came loose and the ubolts shifted everywhich way, and the axle was moving back, trying to seperate itself from the truck.

The correct method is to torque them by hand. They didn't tell me how much ft/lbs is required. I should ask.

---------- Post added at 07:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:35 AM ----------

You can make a mistake that can have drawbacks. learn from it but if shop staff disrespects you and calls you names, I would suggest you never do business with them again now matter how well you know them.

You would most likely still be here, you would have shredded your bottom rear.., but you would still be hear.
The way they treated you was totally uncalled for. PERIOD!

If it was a regular shop, your right. I wouldn't go back.
If I was a regular paying customer, they would show professionalism and not have been aggressive.

However, they genuinely care for my wellbeing as a family member, and they wanted to clearly get the message across about the seriousness of what I did. Not one of them laughed about it as they usually do when I mess things up. Everyone of them was concerned that I'm still here.

I should explain that we live in the Canadian sheild. It's the second oldest rock in the world. The HWY's around here are carved from rocks, thus there are lots of rock cuts. Their concern was at 110kph(70mph) with the rear wheels locked up and the truck swerving, that I wouldn't be able to stop the truck in time before hitting one of the rock cuts.

Street view of a rock cut along side of road that I drive everyday. Not the best example I could come up with, but it serves to illustrate.

I tell you even at 60kph(40mph), when the rear wheels locked up that the truck had enough momentum, I slid almost 50ft. Plenty of time to hit something.

I don't think that they can hug me, so yelling at me is thier way of showing that they care.

In any event, I'm ok with it. I ate my lumps, and I'm happy to have my lift on properly. :hands:
 

retorq

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I've always used big impact air guns ... never used an electric one ...
 

the big blue bus

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i torqued mine by hand over winter break havent fallen off yet lol but mine have lock nuts too... what should they be torqued too? will torq em when i have it in friends shop to do front end
 

SunlitComet

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One other thing is that cheap electric impact gun ratings are usual not achievable unless you have it running for several minutes straight and even then given a certain bolt size.
 

the big blue bus

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when i swaped wheels from my buddys truck on mine he used an elec impact.. when i took it into another shop to change the valve stems got em to torqe all the wheels proper and he said they were all not that tight. i wouldnt use an elec impact. either torq with torq wrence or torq stick on impact
 

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