Anybody who has installed the Tokico D-specs - what is the secret to torquing the top nut on the struts?The top nut is suppose to be torque to 38-49 ft-lbs according to Tokico. See the picture below. The shaft of the strut extends up through the strut tower in the engine bay. The top nutscrews onto the threads of shaft. To torque it I first tried using a deep well socket right onto the top nut. This won't work becausewhen you tighten the top nut, the shaft will turn with it. So next I tried to use a crowfoot on my torque wrench to tighten the top nut while applying opposite pressure with an 8mm open end wrench to the very top of the shaft (youcan see it is smaller than the main part of the shaft. This top area is flattened on two sides, allowing you to put a 8mm open end wrench on it). This also won't work because the top nut sits a bit below the top of the strut tower, thus making it impossible to get the crowfoot in there.

So what is the secret? Is there some special tool? How did you guys do it? Even if I could get the crowfoot onto the top nut, the threads of the very top of the shaft are very soft, and since you can only put an open end wrench on them, its too easy to bung up the threads when applying opposite pressure.

 

Honestly I kinda guessed when I did it...mainly because I was pressed for time and couldn't have my car down. It seems to have worked because I didn't have any trouble...I used a wrench for the larger nut and a small wrench for the smaller nut and just tightened until I felt it was snug enough...good luck with your install the way I went about it seems to have worked fine for me...

 

Whats Up Guys? With the amount of press the D-Specs get I figured plenty of you had installed them yourselves. Isn't there anybody who can explain how to torque the strut top nut?

 

you should torque it before you install them in the car

 

PM F1Fan

 

I wish - but unfortunately all suspension components must be torque while fully loaded. At least thats what every article on the subject I've read says.

I'm going to PM F1Fan...

 

i looked at the taco bill write up and
it looks like he tightened that nut
while the assembly was off the car.

strangely, it doesn't show any torqueing
to any specific value, but rather just tightening
real good

 

Thats all I did and it seems to be just fine...I performed the same steps for the front and back...

 

I had them professionally installed last night. I'm not a wrench, so I let the pro's do it.

 

sherwood, how do you like the
new setup