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We're a bolting everything back up in the rear (rear,trailing arms,etc) and noticed a slight gap when attached the composite leaf to the rear. Not sure if the below pic shows it clearly, but its on the upper right side. Will this be okay once we let her down with weight on it?
Your photos are not showing anything. I doubt the area you are concerned with is a part of the rear end cover that is machined FLAT so the spring has a flat surface to mate against..
Your photos are not showing anything. I doubt the area you are concerned with is a part of the rear end cover that is machined FLAT so the spring has a flat surface to mate against..
DUB
Actually that is the area of my concern. In the pic below (red circle) is the area where there is a slight gap as opposed to the opposite side.
How tight are those mounting bolts? They should be fairly loose. Do not torque those bolts to the specified torque until the car is sitting on the ground and the spring is at ride height. That should also take care of any gaps you're concerned about.
How tight are those mounting bolts? They should be fairly loose. Do not torque those bolts to the specified torque until the car is sitting on the ground and the spring is at ride height. That should also take care of any gaps you're concerned about.
On a composite spring it DOES NOT make a difference. Due to the block of material that makes contact with the bottom of the rear end cover is already FLAT....thus...you are NOT needing to compress it by having the weight of the car on it. But do it if you wan to..but it should not make a difference at all.. The reason I say this is I have done it both ways and when I set the car down and checked the torque on these bolts when I tightened them when it was up in the air did not change.
BUT..if it were a STEEL rear spring. That spring has an arch to it that WILLNOT allow the bolts to be tightened to correct torque due to the bolts do not have the ability to compress the arch in the spring.
SO...IF the block that is taped to this spring is FLAT...then it will not make any difference at all...as LONG AS the bolts used are not bottoming out in the threaded holes that are towards the front of the car where the threads do bottom out./
All I hope for....for you... is that that those four bolts DO have enough t reads going into the rear end cover to make them effective.
I ALWAYS check to make sure the bolt is long enough and yet not too long.... to where it bottoms out at the front.
The reason is this...I have lost count on the number of steel rear springs I have had installed that were actually THICKER than the original due to the actual leaf being thicker or the insulator liners are thicker. And the bolt kits sold...the bolts are too short due to they are being sold as a replacement bolt for the factory spring which is thinner. SO..I have to go out and buy Grade 8 bolts form a hardware store and cut them to the correct length. So...regardless if it is a composite spring or a steel spring.....I check them. Because is that not what all you guys out there want there mechanic to do?? Be competent and pay attention and not assume just because they sell it...that it is correct. Just saying.
Rear Leaf question
