Most of the repair manuals recommend tightening on the ground
as well. Since I can't get to the bolts while the car is on the
ground, I usually put a trolley jack under the vertical link and jack
up until the car is just about to come off the jack stands
under the frame and then tighten the bolts. I figure this
simulates the weight of the car on the suspension bushes.
Greg Rowe
> Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:25:58 -0700
> From: mark@bradakis.com
> To: spitfires@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: [Spits] Rear Spring reply
>
> > And I'm wondering if Joe wasn't pulling your chain, stirring up your
> > fluif or something. What bolts are we talking about? Both ends of
> > the trailing arm, vertical strut to spring end, shock mounts. All
> > those bolts are meant to pivot with suspension movement, except
> > perhaps the shock mounts.
>
> Actually the standard rubber bushings DO NOT pivot around the bolts.
> They are designed so that the inner steel sleeve is clamped to the brackets
> and suspension movement is accomplished by the rubber itself deforming.
>
> If you tighten the bolts when the car is in the air and the suspension is
at
> full droop, then when the car is put on level ground the bushings are under
> stress. They are being twisted as the car just sits there. This
distortion
> and constant stress causes early failure of the rubber as well as erratic
> movement of the suspension under normal use.
>
> If you tighten the bolts when the car is on the ground at rest, there is
> no twisting stress on the rubber while the car sits there. You're not
> making them stand on their head 24/7, so to speak. Driving around
> they only have to distort a little bit that way, a little bit the other
> way as the suspension flexes. They last longer and provide smoother,
> more controlled movement of the suspension.
>
> mjb.
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