Steering stabilizer question
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2014
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From: Miami, Fl
Steering stabilizer question
As some of you know I just recently had new leaf springs installed with new U bolts. Well I bought a new dual steering stabilizer and the instructions say to remove 2 of the U bolt nuts on the driver side to install the mounting bracket. Will this ruin the U bolts? I know you should never reuse U bolts but these are brand new. I wish I would've known this before hand.
Posting Guru
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From: Dustbowl, NV
No, it's no problem to unscrew the nuts.
The issue is when the U bolts have been torqued down, driven for years, stretched, strained, heated and cooled, wrenched on, etc. Then if they're removed and reused, they're not in the exact same position they were before, and the stresses are put onto a different area of the ubolt.
Then they may break.
The issue is when the U bolts have been torqued down, driven for years, stretched, strained, heated and cooled, wrenched on, etc. Then if they're removed and reused, they're not in the exact same position they were before, and the stresses are put onto a different area of the ubolt.
Then they may break.
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
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From: Northern California
Ubolts like head bolts are a torque to yield fastener.
The very act of tightening the ubolt to its specified torque value is what stretches the fastener. Once the bolt has been stretched it has has undergone plastic deformation and should not be reused.
The very act of tightening the ubolt to its specified torque value is what stretches the fastener. Once the bolt has been stretched it has has undergone plastic deformation and should not be reused.
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Senior User
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From: Miami, Fl
Ok so I got two different answers. According to the instructions there is no mention of replacing U bolts. Are they saying that once the bracket is installed it's ok to use the U bolts because the nuts now torque at a lower point?
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
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From: Northern California
Try this
With the ubolt off the vehicle. Make sure the threads are clean, run a new nut down onto the bolt by hand. The part of the bolt that the nut freely turns has not been stretched, when or if the nut becomes hard to turn then you have encountered the stretched portion of fastener.
With the ubolt off the vehicle. Make sure the threads are clean, run a new nut down onto the bolt by hand. The part of the bolt that the nut freely turns has not been stretched, when or if the nut becomes hard to turn then you have encountered the stretched portion of fastener.
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From: Miami, Fl
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Laughing Gas
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Just my personal opinion but if the ubolts are being held in their proper orientation--not moving on the hangar-I think it would probably be fine to put new nuts on. I would test the torque on them after a week to be sure they are properly tightened. Metal tends to creep over time. If you just had new springs put on recently it's probably not an issue. If they have been on, say a year, I'd replace the entire ubolt
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Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 8,259
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From: Northern California
If you want to know what actually happens to metal as it is being stressed then
Rather then get deep into an engineering rant that nobody is likely to read much less learn anything from I will just leave this link
Yield Strength - Strength ( Mechanics ) of Materials - Engineers Edge
Rather then get deep into an engineering rant that nobody is likely to read much less learn anything from I will just leave this link
Yield Strength - Strength ( Mechanics ) of Materials - Engineers Edge
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 8,259
Likes: 346
From: Northern California
And for good measure here is a explanation of torque to yield fasteners in laymen a terms
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torq...yield_fastener
And from that link.
A drawback with TTY hardware is that it normally has to be replaced when loosened.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torq...yield_fastener
And from that link.
A drawback with TTY hardware is that it normally has to be replaced when loosened.
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Senior User
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From: Miami, Fl
After speaking with the good folks over at ATS I feel good about moving forward with my installation. The nuts will torque down on a different part of the threads than before so, there should not be any issues. They assured me that this is very common when installing the steering stabilizers.
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 8,259
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From: Northern California
If you were using a washer before then you have already accounted for its thickness in relation to where the nut engages the bolts treads. Did ATS recommend new nuts or just use the ones that the threads have already been torqued to yield ?
Any how, just because it is a common practice doesn't make it correct. But at least you know what to check first if you get, death wobble, wander or some other handeling quirk.
Any how, just because it is a common practice doesn't make it correct. But at least you know what to check first if you get, death wobble, wander or some other handeling quirk.
