First daft build question

[Mucus72]

hi all,

does anyone know how I am supposed to torque the upper front suspension 6mm Allen bolt to 20NM when I can't fit an Allen socket in the hole be use the bodywork is in the way?

thanks

marcus 

[Jonathan Kay]

I think that most assemblers either do it by feel without a torque wrench or use a wobble extension bar.

Jonathan

[Mucus72]

Thanks JK. I did the lower one with torque wrench and it kind of gave me the feel. As an IT geek and not a mechanic I feel the urge for more accuracy. But it'll do!!

[Jonathan Kay]

Exactly/ I was about to say that you could calibrate yourself a bit more by practising on one that's easy to get at with and without the torque wrench, but you've already done it.

And as a geek I hope you've worked out the correction factor for angular driving with a wobble bar...

:-)

Jonathan

[Wrightpayne]

It should be torqued up with the engine in and on the ground so the bushes are gripped at their normal rest position. If you torque whilst on stands when you drop onto the wheels you introduce a permanent twist in the rubber in the metalastic bush.

hope that makes sense.

Regards

Ian

[Sim]

And don't forget - there's no such thing as a daft build question.

[Jim 123]

Have you tried an Allen Socket with a ball end.  It should allow torquing without fouling the body.

[ScottR400D]

From memory I used a long ball end hex socket on a torque wrench. Sets are available for not a lot of money. You could cut the short end off a ball ended Allen key then drive it with a socket.

Also from memory the manual says tighten the suspension in the horizontal position (?) which was fine for me, as the wishbones are about level sat on the ground, completed. 

[Mucus72]

Thanks guys. All these years I've been on here and passing the odd comment, now I am in that 3 ish month window of REALLY needing your help. Interesting comment about tightening the wishbones. As per Scott, the build manual specifically calls out torquing them up to their final tightness whilst each wishbone is horizontal, which I did. Made the shocks/springs easy to fit because it was exactly the right distance apart. Although I understand your point of view Ian, it makes sense too.