Torque Settings for Turbo and Coil Spring replacement

[Geoskoda]

Hi all, anyone is able to point me in the right direction to get torque settings in general ? and more specific for turbo replacement and front coil springs... thanks

[Derbyshirebod]

I don't think any of those torque settings are particularly critical. I recently changed both my front springs & dampers and didn't use a torque wrench. Though the strut pinch bolts have to be done up tight!

 

The Haynes Superb II online manual doesn't list any torque setting for the turbo. The front strut torque settings are as follows:

 

 

Strut top mounting bolts 15Nm + 90°  X 3

Strut lower Pinch bolt 70Nm + 90°

Lower ball joint 60Nm though you don't have to undo this to change the damper  

Piston rod nut 60Nm,  the piston rod has to be stopped from turning using an allen key while tightening the nut with a 21mm deep cranked ring spanner. It's very unlikely you'll have a specialised crow foot type spanner to use a torque wrench https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313846673443?hash=item4912b83023:g:1gEAAOSwkXZh7rmw I'm not even sure you'd get on the piston nut with that?

 

[DEL80Y]

17 hours ago, Derbyshirebod said:

 

 

 

Strut top mounting bolts 15Nm + 90°  X 3

Strut lower Pinch bolt 70Nm + 90°

 

 

They torque settings are for new bolts (which should be replaced but even the dealers dont)
Dont use them on on old bolts or you will snap them as they are stretch bolts

You can go tight then a weee  bit more and all shall be good😉

[DrCorbyLee]

On 03/02/2022 at 01:30, Derbyshirebod said:

I don't think any of those torque settings are particularly critical. I recently changed both my front springs & dampers and didn't use a torque wrench. Though the strut pinch bolts have to be done up tight!

 

The Haynes Superb II online manual doesn't list any torque setting for the turbo. The front strut torque settings are as follows:

 

 

Strut top mounting bolts 15Nm + 90°  X 3

Strut lower Pinch bolt 70Nm + 90°

Lower ball joint 60Nm though you don't have to undo this to change the damper  

Piston rod nut 60Nm,  the piston rod has to be stopped from turning using an allen key while tightening the nut with a 21mm deep cranked ring spanner. It's very unlikely you'll have a specialised crow foot type spanner to use a torque wrench https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313846673443?hash=item4912b83023:g:1gEAAOSwkXZh7rmw I'm not even sure you'd get on the piston nut with that?

 

If you do use a crowfoot spanner remember you need to correct the torque setting to allow for the offset position of the torque wrench relative to centre of the nut. Maths is easy but Norbar also make a neat android app to do these calcs for you.

 

Neatest solution is to use something like

Laser 6496 Strut Nut Socket Set 5pc

 

 

1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 

 

Which can be used with a standard torque wrench at factory setting

[Derbyshirebod]

DrCorbyLee, those look good! I've not seen those sort of sockets before and being Laser brand probably reasonably priced 🤔 

 

Though I'm not a mechanic and I don't change front coil springs or dampers that frequently and can do it easily enough with the tools I have so not inclined to buy any 🤔 YET! 😉

 

[DrCorbyLee]

1 hour ago, Derbyshirebod said:

DrCorbyLee, those look good! I've not seen those sort of sockets before and being Laser brand probably reasonably priced 🤔 

 

Though I'm not a mechanic and I don't change front coil springs or dampers that frequently and can do it easily enough with the tools I have so not inclined to buy any 🤔 YET! 😉

 

Yep, Laser make some interesting tools at sensible price but unfortunately they only appear to offer as set of 5 for 50 quid odd rather than selling individual sockets.  If you needed a specific size then I reckon the purchase of a cheap 1/2" drive deep socket of the appropriate size to suit strut nut and some "minor" fettling with an angle grinder you could likely make something that wouldn't be pretty but would work the same.

[Derbyshirebod]

4 minutes ago, DrCorbyLee said:

Yep, Laser make some interesting tools at sensible price but unfortunately they only appear to offer as set of 5 for 50 quid odd rather than selling individual sockets.  If you needed a specific size then I reckon the purchase of a cheap 1/2" drive deep socket of the appropriate size to suit strut nut and some "minor" fettling with an angle grinder you could likely make something that wouldn't be pretty but would work the same.

£50 is rather more than I'm willing to pay! 2 new front gas struts only cost me £61.95. If I have to ever change another I'll just use my deep cranked 13/16" ring spanner again! :-) 

[J.R.]

A 13/16" spark plug socket which usually has a hexagon on the top can be used in conjunction with a long reach (110mm IIRC) hex key bit as you will see the mechanic doing in the Autodoc videos.

 

You can use a simple Allen key and whilst it will be fine for fitting new struts the old ones on the Yeti dont have a water cover so sit submerged throughout their life, will be very corroded and likely to round out or split the thin wall around the internal hexagon, I bought a longer hex bit to be safe, mine were just a bit too short.

On 03/02/2022 at 19:34, DEL80Y said:

Dont use them on on old bolts or you will snap them as they are stretch bolts

Two words, one starting with B, the other S.

[Derbyshirebod]

19 minutes ago, J.R. said:

 

You can use a simple Allen key and whilst it will be fine for fitting new struts the old ones on the Yeti dont have a water cover so sit submerged throughout their life, will be very corroded and likely to round out or split the thin wall around the internal hexagon,

I guess it depends what tools you have in your arsenal. I've got a reasonably sized compressor and air impact gun with spring compressors attached I've undone difficult piston damper nuts with it when I've been struggling.

[J.R.]

One of mine came free that way, the other spun so I had to retain it with the internal hex, I even tried big mole grips on the piston rod, it was being scrapped anyway.

 

I didn't have access to all my tools where I was in France so did not have my customary 13/16" double offset ring spanner, it was worth waiting 24 hours for the correct tool (very cheap) from Amazon.fr, I released the nut with great care, it was on the point of stripping out the internal hexagon, the ones I did in the past with a spanner flat were much easier.

[Derbyshirebod]

Boing! said Zebedee !  He was French wasn't he! 😅😅

 

 

 

[chimaera]

Not all torque+angle bolts are stretch bolts - it's a good way to guarantee a robust joint on bolts/nuts that may not be in perfect condition, and where rust/debris/oil/grease would affect the tension you get from a specified torque setting. Bolts which will get axial loads in service are never going to be stretch bolts as they would be extremely likely to fail under that kind of load. Stretch bolts tend to be used in situations where high clamping force is needed, and the space isn't there for a larger bolt to do the job.

 

When I did the rear dampers on my car, I couldn't undo the nut that holds the top mount onto the stanchion, and the internal hex had stripped. Since I was scrapping it anyway, I got out the angle grinder and ground some flats on the stanchion so I could clamp it in the bench vice to open it up.

[DEL80Y]

54 minutes ago, chimaera said:

 

 

When I did the rear dampers on my car, I couldn't undo the nut that holds the top mount onto the stanchion, and the internal hex had stripped. Since I was scrapping it anyway, I got out the angle grinder and ground some flats on the stanchion so I could clamp it in the bench vice to open it up.

These Vice grips are great at holding piston rod and anything circular or 3 sides of a nut without damaging surface
 

Edited 6 February, 2022 by DEL80Y

[J.R.]

Oooh another must have tool to add to my list that I did not know the existence of 👍

 

Damn and double damn you Sir!