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Hay, How much of the C6 Corvette, (or any year corvette) do you check with a torque wrench ? Like do you torque the wheel lugs, and how far do you go with torque settings ? What needs torqueing and what doesn't ?
Yes, I check the wheels with a torque wrench, had to replace the axle nuts once, checked those too. Drain plug, no. I can't think of much else that would get touched on the average C6.
Yes, I check the wheels with a torque wrench, had to replace the axle nuts once, checked those too. Drain plug, no. I can't think of much else that would get touched on the average C6.
Spark plugs and brake hardware to name a couple more common items.
Yes, I check the wheels with a torque wrench, had to replace the axle nuts once, checked those too. Drain plug, no. I can't think of much else that would get touched on the average C6.
I do all my own work. I have never found any original bolt or nut that has worked loose. I use blue Loctite and a torque wrench on everything I have loosened and never had a problem with that either. Always use a torque wrench on wheel lug nuts NOT AN IMPACT GUN.
These cars have lots of threaded aluminum parts and plastic parts with pressed in threaded inserts. In fact, bolts threaded into steel or iron are the exception, not the rule. There is a whole section in the shop manual covering how to install Heli Coils in stripped aluminum threads.
Use a torque wrench on everything to minimize unpleasant surprises and excessive cursing
Torque wrench on everything.
Hence rim lug nuts are torque to 100ft lbs and if you go over, you start to peen the rims.
Large bolt on the brake brackets are 135ftlbs, and just getting to that torque requires a 1/2 torque wrench to start with.
Spark plugs, 11ft lbs on a dead cold motor, and if you go over that torque, or try to torque to that on a hot motor, your going to strip the threads out of the heads channels.
Simply, you are bolting into aluminum channel threads/ down on aluminum parts, and if you are playing the lets tighten until you feel something give, you have already started to strip out the threads- peen/mushrooming a part.
All VERY GOOD ADVICE. So much of the se Corvettes are built like a airplane in materials and construction that using a torque wrench is MANDATORY ! I have a 3/8" & 1/2" tongue wrenches so I'm am going to make sure I check everything. How tight do you tighten a fastener before you set to it with a torque wrench ?
Keep in mind that the torque specs are for dry threads. If you put any kind of lubricant on the threads, and that includes paint, calculating the correct torque becomes pretty complicated. It's really easy to overtorque a bolt if you lube the threads. I've got good 1/2 and 1/4 " torque wrenches and I use them, especially on anything to do with brakes, suspension, wheels, and steering.
The HF Icon torque wrenches are really good and I have seen tests against SnapOn's and the HF Icon was more accurate and repeatable.
I saw the same. One note, for those who don't know - NEVER use a torque wrench to loosen fasteners (will destroy the calibration) and always store the wrench on zero.
The HF Icon torque wrenches are really good and I have seen tests against SnapOn's and the HF Icon was more accurate and repeatable.
Several years ago, just to find out for myself, I took a set of 1/4, 3/8, & 1/2 HF torque wrenches to a friend of mine who owns a calibration lab. That was not the case.
BTW, store your torque wrench on the lowest setting, not 0.
That piqued my interest! Front, back, or both, and why?
For my HPDE track car I burned through a few sets of GM sway bar links (rears only). They started knocking. One new rear set lasted less than 100 miles. In one link, the original to the car, it was obvious that the link failed. Rotating the link by hand I could feel the action was rough.
I read on this forum that the bolt hole clearance could be part of the knocking problem. The bolt could be slipping within the bolt hole. True or not I am not sure.
I bought the Moog sway bar links and over torqued the nuts by 15% and all is fine.
I have Tekton 3/8 and 1/2" torque wrenches. They are great and seem to be nicer than the HF wrenches IMO. The Kobalt wrench has a nice feel too but the numbers are hard to read because of the shiny chrome finish. The Tektons are very easy to read.
Another torque wrench tip. In addition to NEVER losen a bolt, ALWAYS return the setting to the lowest number when your done. I see folks all of the time that don't do this and over time, the spring inside can become weak which will throw the calibration off.