Spring bolt failure
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,229
Likes: 656
From: Thunder Bay
Spring bolt failure
Here's a new one. Driving home tonight. Big bang and the rear suspension collapsed on the passenger side. Of course I'm thinking my spring broke. Crawled underneath and turns out the nut came off the spring bolt. The bolts were installed close to 20 years ago when I installed the Vette Brakes Grand Touring suspension kit and are the adjustable bolts with the nyloc nuts. Bolts seem to be Ok, but the threads have all pulled out of the nut. Anyone else run into this? I'm thinking the solution is to replace the nuts with two nuts on each side. I have the threads available. Interested in ideas.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2003
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From: Fernandina Beach FL
2023 Restomod of the Year finalist
2020 C3 of the Year Winner - Modified
Here's a new one. Driving home tonight. Big bang and the rear suspension collapsed on the passenger side. Of course I'm thinking my spring broke. Crawled underneath and turns out the nut came off the spring bolt. The bolts were installed close to 20 years ago when I installed the Vette Brakes Grand Touring suspension kit and are the adjustable bolts with the nyloc nuts. Bolts seem to be Ok, but the threads have all pulled out of the nut. Anyone else run into this? I'm thinking the solution is to replace the nuts with two nuts on each side. I have the threads available. Interested in ideas.
Or you could do coilovers...no spring bolts to mess with-
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,229
Likes: 656
From: Thunder Bay
I think the solution will be to replace the bolts and nuts and put an extra nut on there. They tell me a lot of the road racers do exactly that. Twice as many threads engaged distributes the load better.
Just when I think I've seen about every failure this car can throw at me!
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 23,367
Likes: 1,061
From: Virginia USA
How close to the end of the bolt was your nut? I have the same ny-lock nut setup on mine since I installed the composite spring about 15 years ago.
The spacer on my spring came apart so I have my spring out at the moment and when I took my spring off yesterday my spring to trailing arm bolt nuts were a good 3/4 to an inch away from the end of the bolt.
I think I'm going to go get some new nuts before putting mine back together because of what you just went through. Thanks for the heads up.
The spacer on my spring came apart so I have my spring out at the moment and when I took my spring off yesterday my spring to trailing arm bolt nuts were a good 3/4 to an inch away from the end of the bolt.
I think I'm going to go get some new nuts before putting mine back together because of what you just went through. Thanks for the heads up.
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Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
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From: Orange Park Florida
How VERY odd the timing of this thread.....It JUST happened to me also....and my 360 VBP spring/bolts/nylock nutz went in some 22 years ago also.....and yes, I put on double nutz too, on the pass side....
and yes, I have some mount problem, the top most piece of black material has slithered it's way to the driver side a good bit, so much that the pass side is bare to the metal.....
and yes, I have some mount problem, the top most piece of black material has slithered it's way to the driver side a good bit, so much that the pass side is bare to the metal.....
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: Austin Texas
Corvette of the Year Winner 2017
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the correct hardened castle nuts are slotted for cotter pins, they will not fall off.
if the threads pulled out, my guess is yours are not Grade 8.
if the threads pulled out, my guess is yours are not Grade 8.
Last edited by 69Vett; May 26, 2017 at 03:31 PM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,229
Likes: 656
From: Thunder Bay
How close to the end of the bolt was your nut? I have the same ny-lock nut setup on mine since I installed the composite spring about 15 years ago.
The spacer on my spring came apart so I have my spring out at the moment and when I took my spring off yesterday my spring to trailing arm bolt nuts were a good 3/4 to an inch away from the end of the bolt.
I think I'm going to go get some new nuts before putting mine back together because of what you just went through. Thanks for the heads up.
The spacer on my spring came apart so I have my spring out at the moment and when I took my spring off yesterday my spring to trailing arm bolt nuts were a good 3/4 to an inch away from the end of the bolt.
I think I'm going to go get some new nuts before putting mine back together because of what you just went through. Thanks for the heads up.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
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From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
You should buy the correct length bolts. I was trying to visualize how a nuts threads could strip out
If you were to jack up your car with the wheels hanging down. Do the spring ends and the nuts every loose contact. That would cause a hammering effect and beat the nut up
Maybe to lower the rear of your car you have very little tension cranked into the nuts. You can put a thinner spacer on the center of the spring and crank the nuts up to get the same ride height
I have done lots of road racing and miles on my vette and never double nutted any nylock
If you were to jack up your car with the wheels hanging down. Do the spring ends and the nuts every loose contact. That would cause a hammering effect and beat the nut up
Maybe to lower the rear of your car you have very little tension cranked into the nuts. You can put a thinner spacer on the center of the spring and crank the nuts up to get the same ride height
I have done lots of road racing and miles on my vette and never double nutted any nylock
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,229
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From: Thunder Bay
The bolts and nuts are grade 8, were supplied as part of the Grand Touring suspension kit from Vette Brakes, and are designed to be adjustable. My kit has been on the car for over twenty years, although there is less than fifty thousand miles on them. I am beginning to think they have a service life and should be replaced from time to time. I would suggest anyone with a similar setup keep that in mind. I will be installing new bolts, and adding a second nut.