MM IRS Bushing install ? (did I break something?)

jrh99

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Alright, that was one crazy install. I just finished aligning the last rear IRS bolt but...

On the rear bolts there is an anchor/tab that the bolt screws into. Well, I did the one side and the tab tightened up nicely. But when I finally got the drivers side bolt in all the way, I noticed that the tab is still moving freely.

My thoughts are that something snapped. I don't want to back the bolt out now only to find it's busted. As it is right now, I'll at least be able to but the wheels back on and back the car into the garage until I can buy a new clip/tab.

Does anybody even know what I am referring to??? I'll try and post a pic to help out.
 

Dana

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IF you were able to torque the bolts to the correct specs, I would leave it alone.
That nut is part of the bracket, and according to Ford, is not sold seperately. $26 for the bracket. The tab is part of the assembly.

I'll know a little more tomorrow. A friend was not as lucky as you. The nut broke loose from the tab and bracket and now spins and won't tighten up or loosen and you can't get a wrench on the nut with the bracket in place.
So, a new bracket is ordered and we are dropping the old one tomorrow. We'll see...
Dana
 

jrh99

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Thanks for the reply. I tightened the bolts down good enough. It's definitely grabbing something. I'll torque them to spec tomorrow. I've got to put it on a lift in order to torque the front bolts, cause my torque wrench is way to long to do it on the ground.

Here's the pic just so everyone knows what I'm talking about. The tab I'm speaking of has a white strip of paint on it.

Rear IRS Bolt anchor
 
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Dana

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Ok, an update.
We dropped the bracket this morning and found that the cheap piece of tin that holds the nut had loosened up and rounded both the nut and the inside of the tin piece.

The problem was getting the bolt out of the bracket because all it would do is spin. We did finally get it out, and then were able to remove the bracket for inspection. We ended up jamming a screwdriver in behind the nut to prevent it from spinning. Removing the 4 bolts that the bracket mounts to the frame with helped us gain access to the nut.

If that tin plate is loose on yours, chances are you will face the same dilemma, if and when you attempt to remove that bolt. You might as well order the bracket before hand. There is no repairing it.
We concluded that the 2 probable causes (besides the tin plate being cheap) were (1) using an impact gun to remove and install the bolts and (2) the threads on the bolt being damaged slightly when it was installed at the factory. You could see the damage on the original bolt. It can, and apparently did, come in contact with the bracket when it was originally installed. If this happens, the threads on the bolt get flattened and then damage the threads on the inside of the nut. All this puts an added strain on an already flimsy retainer for the nut.

If I were you, I would hope that I can torque the bolts down to specs and leave it and not worry about it until it has to be removed for some reason, which may be never.


Dana
 

hmwave

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You did apply the prothane grease liberally to the bushing faces, right??
I don't see any in that photo.

If you didn't put enough on the bushings might start squeaking.

Originally posted by jrh99
Thanks for the reply. I tightened the bolts down good enough. It's definitely grabbing something. I'll torque them to spec tomorrow. I've got to put it on a lift in order to torque the front bolts, cause my torque wrench is way to long to do it on the ground.

Here's the pic just so everyone knows what I'm talking about. The tab I'm speaking of has a white strip of paint on it.

Rear IRS Bolt anchor
 

Silver10thAConv

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Just curious, why would you lubricate the bushing? It's a mount not a moving suspension point. The only purpose it serves is to reduce NVH. If it squeaks, that IRS sub-frame is flexing pretty bad.
 

03yllwguy

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Originally posted by Silver10thAConv
Just curious, why would you lubricate the bushing? It's a mount not a moving suspension point. The only purpose it serves is to reduce NVH. If it squeaks, that IRS sub-frame is flexing pretty bad.
This was my thought on mutliple bushing's I replaced on my last Cobra that I did not lube, they WILL squeek, don't ask my how, but if you do not lube them they wills queek until you go insane.
 

hmwave

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The MM instructions state the bushing end and shell faces must be lubricated.
It is a mount but I'd think there could be a very small amount of movement that causes the bushing to move against the metal frame causing a squeak.

I recall a post on here a while ago where someone had not greased the new bushings on his wife's Mustang and he said the squeaking drove him crazy. He redid the job.

I greased mine with the prothane as instructed so I can't confirm that no prothane causes squeaking.
 

Silver10thAConv

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Now that I've thought about it more it makes sense. The whole point of the new Steeda/Mathis bracket is to cure the flex at the rear of the IRS sub-frame. When the rear flexes the front is pivoting up and down a tiny(squeaky) bit. When you look at how beefy(aka: heavy) that IRS structure is, it's amazing our cars have enough torque to flex it. Maybe that new bracket will help.
 

jrh99

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Originally posted by hmwave
You did apply the prothane grease liberally to the bushing faces, right??
I don't see any in that photo.

If you didn't put enough on the bushings might start squeaking.

No, not on the fronts. I didn't see that in the directions. (maybe I overlooked it)
I did use grease on the rears to help the alignment process.
 

jrh99

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Originally posted by Dana
Ok, an update.
We dropped the bracket this morning and found that the cheap piece of tin that holds the nut had loosened up and rounded both the nut and the inside of the tin piece.

The problem was getting the bolt out of the bracket because all it would do is spin. We did finally get it out, and then were able to remove the bracket for inspection. We ended up jamming a screwdriver in behind the nut to prevent it from spinning. Removing the 4 bolts that the bracket mounts to the frame with helped us gain access to the nut.

If that tin plate is loose on yours, chances are you will face the same dilemma, if and when you attempt to remove that bolt. You might as well order the bracket before hand. There is no repairing it.
We concluded that the 2 probable causes (besides the tin plate being cheap) were (1) using an impact gun to remove and install the bolts and (2) the threads on the bolt being damaged slightly when it was installed at the factory. You could see the damage on the original bolt. It can, and apparently did, come in contact with the bracket when it was originally installed. If this happens, the threads on the bolt get flattened and then damage the threads on the inside of the nut. All this puts an added strain on an already flimsy retainer for the nut.

If I were you, I would hope that I can torque the bolts down to specs and leave it and not worry about it until it has to be removed for some reason, which may be never.


Dana

Thanks for the tips! I'll definitely won't take the bolt out unless I've got a bracket on hand.
 

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