While I admire people who believe in precise work, IMHO these directions
are appropriate - basically, obtaining visual feedback that the bushings
are preloaded just enough to ensure there is no "play." In my
experience, many parts with such bushings come with similar instructions
(the top nuts of shock absorbers that are mounted with a rubber bushing,
for example).
Specifying a torque setting might in fact be less accurate in this case,
because there are other potential variables - including the
compressibility of the bushing and the fact that you don't have a "hard"
metal-to-metal connection - that you don't have in a conventional "screw
bolt into engine block."
In fact, I find it refreshing to have the occasional part where I feel
NO GUILT WHATSOEVER in tightening by eye or by feel, instead of using a
torque wrench (though I am a believer in same for crucial components.)
-Graham
-----Original Message-----
From: Awgertoo@aol.com [mailto:Awgertoo@aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2004 8:15 AM
To: healeys@autox.team.net
Subject: End-link torque settings
I received the 7/8" ADDCO front-anti-roll bar to replace my bent one.
The
instructions say to "tighten the end-link nut until the bushings just
begin to
bulge". Since I've always been of the "torque till stripped--then back
off a
quarter-turn" school I'm wondering if anyone has a recommended torque
setting?
BTW, the bar and links were described to me as being gold-anodized which
I
was prepared to paint out. In actuality the finish more closely
resembles the
"bright plating" originally used on some of the suspension hardware. As
a
point of information, what was the original finish on sway-bars and
links?
TIA--Michael Oritt, 100 Le Mans
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