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How tight are you guys tightening your suspension nuts?

Assuming you are using grade 5 or better 3/8 bolt, you should be in the range of 30-35 ft/lb.
Add 20% if you lube the hardware. You do not want to deformed the mount bracket ears. Install spacers, i.e. washers between the control arm bushing and the bracket if necessary. It is not a bad idea to go back and re-check all the suspension mounting hardware after a few thousand miles. After that I suggest that you do a 10,000 mile check on all major hardware. I always find 1 or 2 bolts on the control arm bolts that need a 1/4 turn when I'm going thru my 10K maintenance check list.
Davew

Wouldn't it be reduce? Less torque is being lost to friction.

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The majority of my bolts are half inch. Is it okay still?

I probably went about 50 ft-lbs or so on my 1/2" grade 8 hardware. Also used nylocks whenever possible.

I used my German Torque guidelines. I torqued them to "Gutentight". Seriously! Torque is not a one and done number. Many applications do not tighten the bolt just short of yield strength. In a suspension system using thin walled spacers being compressed against a soft steel brackets, possibly with a wall thickness thinner than the clearance hole, you don't want to deform either the spacer or the bracket. So what torque do you use? Gutentight for me. With a little experience, one can actually feel when you're approaching the gone too far state.


As for Nylock nuts, or elastic stop nuts if you prefer, Some say they are supposed to be a one time use fastener. Others say under certain conditions they can be used multiple times. I used the deformed nut style which is multi-use.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Oh, I should have mentioned.. I also bought regular nuts for fit-up, and then switched to the nylocks at final assembly.

You can typically Re-use Ny-lock nuts ten times, unless a high speed electric nut runner is used, which melts the nylon. Adding lube, plating, wax, E-coat, etc., requires that you increase torque. If you have a combination of those, you have to add even more. In a racing vehicle you can add a paint mark on the flat of the nut each time you re-use a Ny-lock nut, then replace it after 6 times.
Davew

Dave, I'm pretty sure you have that backwards. With lube, one reduces the torque to get the same stress/clamping force of a dry joint. Here are a couple of references to verify my position.

https://www.engineersedge.com/calculato ... e_calc.htm

https://www.fastenal.com/en/83/torque-calculator

Your comment "You can typically Re-use Ny-lock nuts ten times" is better stated as "up to 10 times" A lot of that is dependent on "conditions" of which we have no control over. The temperature during application, how old the nut is, moisture content of the Nylon etc. all have an effect on their reuse. You have that covered with your wording of "typically". The truth is that I have reused nylocks on occasion. I prefer the deformed nuts (Stover nuts) in the Locost suspension.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Yes !!!! lube reduces the torque !!! You have to increase i.e. add to the initial torque spec to compensate for the loss/reduction. That is why you sometimes see a dry and a lubed torque spec on some equipment. The only way the mfr really knows what torque spec is required, is by testing. Auto manufactures will physically test a bolted joint 100's times, because there is so much variation in joints surfaces and the hardware. It is only recent auto history with all the electronics in autos now days, that it is now the highest failure rate, and has surpassed the bolted joint, relative to frequency of failures. All major auto companies 100% electronically monitor all chassis/suspension hardware torque valve, which is traceable to the vehicle VIN including sub-suppliers parts. Davew

OK Dave, I'm not sure exactly what your are saying.

What I am trying to put forth is Lube doesn't "reduce torque". It reduces the amount of applied torque necessary to obtain the same clamping force (aka bolt tension) as a dry bolt. In other words, to get identical clamping forces, a torque specification for dry will always be higher than a lubed nut and bolt.

Think of it this way. Not all applied torque is transferred to the bolt. There is a bit of torque that is lost due to friction. When that loss is reduced by adding lube, and the same torque is applied, the bolt is being now being over torqued. A reduction in applied torque is necessary to achieve the same stretch of the bolt.

It sounds like you are disagreeing and more torque needs to be applied in a lubed joint. If not, then I apologize. If I mis-read, then probably someone else may misread it also.

For example, from one of the links I provided:

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766