Control arm shaft torque?

[novaX522]

I installed new upper and lower control arm shafts. I just snugged up the end nuts for now. What is the torque for the end nuts?

[pappy 2]

until they stop turning?????

[novaX522]

Originally Posted by pappy 2

until they stop turning?????

I’m pretty close to that now, just wondering if there was a specific torque for them.

[Rust_never_sleeps]

I have this from the '70 manual, not sure what year you're working on:

[dmjlambert]

The torque specs are in the service manual. If you don't have a printed copy, there are PDF copies of the various year service manuals here on the forum. https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/....php?p=5781194

[GASoline71]

A lot!

Gary

[Steeveedee]

All the impact wrenches at the assembly plant were set for the proper torque to save fastener installation time, at least in '70. I wonder if there was a wrench that went to 280 Ft-Lbs in those days? If a person had to do it, that's one big gorilla! When I rebuilt the front suspension on my truck, my 300 pound son stood on the lower a-arm while I used a 3 foot cheater bar.

[novaX522]

Originally Posted by Rust_never_sleeps

I have this from the '70 manual, not sure what year you're working on:

Thanks! Working on a 72

[novaX522]

Originally Posted by dmjlambert

The torque specs are in the service manual. If you don't have a printed copy, there are PDF copies of the various year service manuals here on the forum. https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/....php?p=5781194

Thanks! I’m on my cell now, will see if I can download it on laptop

[novaX522]

Originally Posted by GASoline71

A lot!

Gary

Agreed. Cause that’s exactly how much it took to un torque them. ALOT. 😂

[novaX522]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

All the impact wrenches at the assembly plant were set for the proper torque to save fastener installation time, at least in '70. I wonder if there was a wrench that went to 280 Ft-Lbs in those days? If a person had to do it, that's one big gorilla! When I rebuilt the front suspension on my truck, my 300 pound son stood on the lower a-arm while I used a 3 foot cheater bar.

The guy that torqued that daily, you call sir. lol, or whatever he wants to be called.
I have a 3/4 drive torque wrench I bought when I had a motor home. I don’t need it very often, this sounds like one of those times.

[Rust_never_sleeps]

I believe the equivalent is one metric sh!+ Ton

...or...Tonne, I suppose....

[68Gold/white]

THat's crazy...I'm rebuilding the front end of a friends 1971 C-10, today it will ALL be done!!!

I've worked on this stuff before....but mostly on 73-up stuff...I've taken some 72 and earlier stuff apart, for the parts, but never properly re-built any...

I'mm amazed that upper and lower control arms on 63-72 do NOT ride on ANY rubber bushing like 73 and up do??? THe rubber bushings only seem to be a well to keep the grease close to the pivot points, on the upper and lower control arms???

One U-tube video I watched, a couple of days ago, the installer said the lower arm shaft nuts were tightened to 100 ft/lbs...??? You should NOT tighten them untill the lower arms are attached to the frame. Getting the peg aligned with the hole in the lower shaft can be a doozy. ALSO, I would NOT tighten the lower shaft end nuts until you grease them.

I've worked on a lot of stuff. I'm still not sure of the theory of the upper and lower control arms actually was made to work???

One of the lower control arm end nuts was broken (crushed?) on the pickup I'm working one. I know that all the end nuts need to be tight, but the specs sound a little high?

I will try to make another post with pictures, here soon, I gota get this thing done, NOW!!!

[Steeveedee]

Torque spec for replacement lower control arm shaft nuts is 135 Ft-Lb, not 100. Uppers are 115.

[novaX522]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

Torque spec for replacement lower control arm shaft nuts is 135 Ft-Lb, not 100. Uppers are 115.

So I got new shaft and nuts (doesn’t sound right saying that) and reusing the original A arms. What is the torque in that scenario?

[Steeveedee]

According to the specs, lowers are 280, uppers are 190. But you are using replacement parts, even if they are new.

[jumpsoffrock]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

Torque spec for replacement lower control arm shaft nuts is 135 Ft-Lb, not 100. Uppers are 115.

Do you understand why the torque is different between "new" and "replacement"?

Aren't you replacing things with "new" parts?


I am confused as to why it is worded like that.

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by jumpsoffrock

Do you understand why the torque is different between "new" and "replacement"?

Aren't you replacing things with "new" parts?


I am confused as to why it is worded like that.

Nope. I don't get it, either. But I'm sure that the replacement parts are going to be new. HTH

[novaX522]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

Nope. I don't get it, either. But I'm sure that the replacement parts are going to be new. HTH

The wording is confusing. Does GM mean if you’re adding replacement nuts to an old shaft? I could see that.
I guess I’ll torque them to the replacement value and check them again after some driving.

[Steeveedee]

I torqued mine to the replacement value but have never checked them in the intervening years. Of course, the truck has been driven maybe 8k miles since. When it gets to 20k miles and is due for front wheel bearing service, I'll check the torque. The rate I'm going, that'll be when I'm 80+.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

I don't have a torque tool for those big nuts. I greased the threads and took a BA crescent wrench to stop, followed by a grunt.

Nice undercarriage, BTW.

[novaX522]

I picked up a set of sockets from harbor freight that had both 1 3/8” and 1 5/8” sockets. I backed the nuts off and pumped grease in and wiped some on the threads. Then torqued the uppers to 115 and lowers to 135.
Glad to have that done.

[jumpsoffrock]

Originally Posted by novaX522

I picked up a set of sockets from harbor freight that had both 1 3/8” and 1 5/8” sockets. I backed the nuts off and pumped grease in and wiped some on the threads. Then torqued the uppers to 115 and lowers to 135.
Glad to have that done.

Thank you for including the socket size, now I know what to look for. What size truck do you run? I wonder if they are the same size for a 1-ton.

[MikeB]

I forget which manual I used for specs when I did mine years ago, but no way were they the "new" numbers in the chart above. That chart is a bit strange showing the torque for "bushings" when there are no bushings.

[novaX522]

Originally Posted by jumpsoffrock

Thank you for including the socket size, now I know what to look for. What size truck do you run? I wonder if they are the same size for a 1-ton.

This is a c10.