Community Forums

HGC · 07-01-2016, 10:59 AM

While driving back from St. Louis on I 70 we stopped to walk the dogs at a rest stop and noticed something hanging down underneath. I was stunned to find the front sway bar loose w/ both class 8 metric bolts missing,( the two bolts that bolt into the axle). Thought we heard more banging and clanging than usual. But we had sumo springs installed and I guess they took up much of the front sway. My question is how they came loose or broke. They use lock nuts and are a very tight hole.
I have since ordered two more bolts and locknuts and replaced them and torqued them down to over 100fps. It was not fun trying to realign the cast mount with the axle.
Do you think that I should redo them and use Loctite Blue? And has anyone else had this experience ? We have a 2014 Tiffin LA called "Kaboom".

IdahoSRT10 · 07-01-2016, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HGC

While driving back from St. Louis on I 70 we stopped to walk the dogs at a rest stop and noticed something hanging down underneath. I was stunned to find the front sway bar loose w/ both class 8 metric bolts missing,( the two bolts that bolt into the axle). Thought we heard more banging and clanging than usual. But we had sumo springs installed and I guess they took up much of the front sway. My question is how they came loose or broke. They use lock nuts and are a very tight hole.
I have since ordered two more bolts and locknuts and replaced them and torqued them down to over 100fps. It was not fun trying to realign the cast mount with the axle.
Do you think that I should redo them and use Loctite Blue? And has anyone else had this experience ? We have a 2014 Tiffin LA called "Kaboom".

If you have a few threads remanding just add a back-up nut to the bolt.

mrt_1111 · 07-01-2016, 01:50 PM

I would use blue loctite and look up the correct torque for the bolts. On mine a F53 1999, it is 67 foot pounds.

TeJay · 07-01-2016, 01:55 PM

I have not heard much about the fronts coming loose. I'm assuming you're on the F-53 chassis. I have read and seen that several of the rear bolts came loose and almost destroyed the bracket.

It is recommended that they be torqued to 66 ft lbs and add the blue lock tight as added insurance. You know that now. All bolts on the front and rear sway bars are torqued to 66 ft lbs. Well all except yours. LOL

I really doubt there's room for any extra nuts on the back side but it is possible I guess. The lock tight should be your insurance.

We have 15,000 miles on our coach and all of the sway bar bolts have been off several times and all torqued and with lock tight. None have ever been loose.

If I were a guessing guy I'm sure they were not correctly torqued from the factory. That may seem strange and very problematic but I don't see how they could come loose when torqued properly. Think about it this way. The prescribed torque from the manufacturer isn't 60 to 70, or 80 or 90 but specifically 66 ft lbs. Why not a range like 65 to 70?? The engineers must know something that we don't know.

If they say 66 then by golly it's going to be 66. If yours came off they just were not tightened correctly at the factory. Well that's just MHO!!

TeJay

HGC · 07-01-2016, 04:02 PM

Thanks for the quick response. Also for the correct amount of torque on the bolts. There were no bolts left so put in new ordered from Ford. Still scratching my head over this. maybe as you said they were never torqued correctly. Either way I will have to loosen them and retorque and put some Loctite on them. Thanks!

z3406 · 07-02-2016, 10:49 AM

I would take the bolts you torqued to 100 and throw them away. They are possibly weakened now due to being over torqued and stretched.

TeJay · 07-02-2016, 11:32 AM

z3406,

Hey man that's an excellent point. I should have thought of that but missed it. I guess my age is catching up with me.

A bolts torque is not determined necessarily by what it is holding together. It is determined by the tensile strength of the steel in the bolt, the hardness, threads and class or grade of the bolt. Bolts will have a range of torque but we don't know what that range is. In this case 66 was the specified torque and If 100 is beyond its range it will be stretched beyond its elastic limit and therefore will eventually fail.

It's a bummer but, "Better safe than sorry."

TeJay

HGC · 07-04-2016, 10:01 PM

Thanks for all your responses. Want to clarify that these are not the bolts holding the bushing bracket but are the 4inch bolts holding the cast iron anchor which fits on the main axle to which the bushings attach. Are we talking of the same bolts? The sway bar is attached by "u" bushings bolted to a cast iron wedge type piece bolted to the main axle by the 4in. bolts I torqued down 100ft.lbs. Not the same as the bushing bolts.Please let me know if we are talking about the same set of bolts. Thanks. In the mean time maybe ford can help clear this up. Will call the parts people tomorrow. See if they know for sure.

TeJay · 07-04-2016, 10:21 PM

HGC,

This is a description for the stabilizer bar bracket bolts per your quote.

" I was stunned to find the front sway bar loose w/ both class 8 metric bolts missing,( the two bolts that bolt into the axle). "

Those bolts might be 2" long. Now you are saying they are 4" long. Yes you described the wrong bolts.

From your description and without a picture I don't know which bolts you are trying to refer to. I do know there are large U-bolts holding the leaf springs to the differential or rear axle. I'd check with Ford and have them show you a picture so you can get the correct torque. I have a CD with this stuff but it's on my other computer and I'm not sure it will boot up.

I'll see if i can get it to work and if I can I'll get back to you.

TeJay

SuperGewl · 07-05-2016, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HGC

While driving back from St. Louis on I 70 we stopped to walk the dogs at a rest stop and noticed something hanging down underneath. I was stunned to find the front sway bar loose w/ both class 8 metric bolts missing,( the two bolts that bolt into the axle). Thought we heard more banging and clanging than usual. But we had sumo springs installed and I guess they took up much of the front sway. My question is how they came loose or broke. They use lock nuts and are a very tight hole.
I have since ordered two more bolts and locknuts and replaced them and torqued them down to over 100fps. It was not fun trying to realign the cast mount with the axle.
Do you think that I should redo them and use Loctite Blue? And has anyone else had this experience ? We have a 2014 Tiffin LA called "Kaboom".

You say you had SUMO Springs installed

I wonder is the installer may have loosened the missing bolts and forgot to retighten them

Just a thought.

HGC · 07-05-2016, 08:36 AM

I also thought the the mechanic from Ford may have loosened them and forgot to tighten them when putting on the Sumo Springs. Will try to get the proper torque measurements from Ford if you all can't find it. I bought two extra bolts from Ford in case I have to redo them. Thanks for any help.

TeJay · 07-05-2016, 10:12 AM

HGC,

I'm not sure which Ford Company made your 2014 or 2013 F-53 chassis. I have a 2013 chassis (2014 MH) and a CD for the 2014 Chassis. So if there's any differences between the two years then I should see it. I've also looked at the rear of my 18,000 lb chassis and the bracket that holds the SB to the differential is welded onto the differential housing. There are no bolts holding it to the DF.

There are no 4" bolts under that rear end. There are (1-side) 2- 12" or longer U- Bolts which hold the leaf spring to the differential. There are 2 bolts holding the U- shaped brackets which go around the poly bushings for the stabilizer bars and those are probably 1-1/2" long.

There are shorter bolts 2" or so holding the front and rear brackets to the frame. Those brackets are what the the spring shackles are bolted to. None of those bolts are 4" long and there would be absolutely no reason for those to be removed.

Now there are two jounce bumpers bolted to the frame. They are not the 4" to 5" tall yellow ones like in the front but short maybe 1" to 1-1/2" tall black rubber jounce bumpers that would need to be removed to install Sumo Springs. But they sure wouldn't need to be replaced.

If you were missing 2 4" bolts I'd sure like to see a picture of what you were seeing.

I also looked at the 24,000 to 26,000 chassis picture on the CD and I still can't see any 4" long bolts.

I realize that Ford can and does from time to time make changes that don't get put into or onto the CD's. I've seen more than one F-53 chassis and still can't picture what you are seeing.

The U-bolts are torqued to between 280 and 300 ft lbs. That varies depending on your chassis weight. I can and will get you an exact torque for any bolt that shows up on a drawing. I can not get torques for bolts that don't show up on the drawings. Get me a picture.

TeJay

HGC · 07-06-2016, 09:27 AM

Went down to our Ford Truck dealer and was reluctantly given a copy of the front end assembly in a piecemeal diagram. The 4inch bolts attach the wedge shaped cast iron piece to the main axle with locknuts. To it is bolted the sway bar bushing. The bolts that were "no more" are approximately 4" grade 8 and metric. The Ford parts guy gave me a diagram and torque specs for most of the bolts in the diagram. The correct torque, if I am reading the correct description, is 74ft.lbs. So I am certainly over torqued and I will remove the ones I put in with new bolts and Blue Loctite even though there are locknuts on these bolts. Thanks for your helpful info.

TeJay · 07-06-2016, 11:01 AM

HGC,

Thanks for the update. When you have time and the know how please take a picture of that set up and post it on this thread. I'm still mystified at what it there. This is the Ford MH forum but maybe you don't have an F-53 chassis.

I won't loose any sleep over this but I just like to see and know.

Thanks,

TeJay