CHE K-Member brace w/Torque Limiters install write-up.
01-01-2008, 08:38 PM
#1
4th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 1,081
CHE K-Member brace w/Torque Limiters install write-up.
The install is pretty much straight forward.
I will give a little write up for those that are considering this, I apologize for not having more detailed pictures but I was busy, LOL.
I will check the torque on the bolts this week end and will try to snap some more pictures then.
For those that are considering this mod, DO IT!!!
The car handles better, the front is stiffer and handles better.
The drive train is secure in place, this can be seen even on start-up as there is no movement from the engine as it cranks over.
The car feels quicker because more power is getting to the road.
Shifting is MUCH improved as a result of the torque limiters.
Things that you will need in addition to the normal stuff:
17mm standard depth socket
22mm standard depth socket
21mm deep socket
21mm combo wrench
Good torque wrench (very important because you will torque suspension parts.)
Prep, getting the car in the air[/b]
Get the car on four jack stands as high as you can but safely.
Make sure you do not put the jack stands under the front A-arms as the front tires need to hang free.
Installing the K-member brace[/b]
I had a factory K-Member brace that had to be removed, I did not think there was one on the coupes but I suspect it is on the newer coupes because of the reported clunking problem.
Remove ONLY the inner bolt from the K-member and do not touch the outer bolts.
The inner bolt is a carriage bolt on the bottom and a locking nut on the top.
It is sort of a PITA to get to and requires a 21mm wrench to break free.
You can not loosen it from the bottom as there is only a round carriage bolt head and no way to get a breaker bar in the top so use another wrench on the 21mm as leverage.
Save the locking nut because you will need to reuse that and toss the carriage bolt.
Install the CHE K-member brace with the supplied 10mm bolts on the rear side of the brace, but keep the bolts loose.
Installed the new 14mm bolt with the locking nut you removed earlier through the lower A-Arm.
Snug up the rear bolts first to get proper alignment and then snug up the bottom bolts.
Using a 22mm socket for the bottom and a 21mm wrench for the top, torque the A-arm bolts to 100 ft-lbs; make sure you have a good quality torque wrench because this bolt helps holds lower A-arm in place.
Next torque the rear bolts to 25-35 ft-lbs using a 17mm socket; I chose to torque to 30lbs.
Installing the torque limiters[/b]
The hardest part of the install was getting the torque limiters adjusted to the proper length.
The directions in the manual are confusing as to what they want you to do with the link limiter; but it all amounts to the following:
Torque down the poly bushings per the directions
Screw the turn-buckle(limiter link), spherical bearing and all of the jam nuts all the way down on to the poly bushings
Hold the spherical bearing with your hand while turning the limiter link to the proper length.
[ol][/ol]
By doing this you make the length equal on both sides of the limiter link thus making it stronger.
Once you have checked for clearance issues and installed the bolts into the bell housing torque those bolts to 33 ft-lbs.
Drop the car and go drive it like you stole it, LOL.
[sm=gears.gif]
I hope this helps you all.
I will give a little write up for those that are considering this, I apologize for not having more detailed pictures but I was busy, LOL.
I will check the torque on the bolts this week end and will try to snap some more pictures then.
For those that are considering this mod, DO IT!!!
The car handles better, the front is stiffer and handles better.
The drive train is secure in place, this can be seen even on start-up as there is no movement from the engine as it cranks over.
The car feels quicker because more power is getting to the road.
Shifting is MUCH improved as a result of the torque limiters.
Things that you will need in addition to the normal stuff:
17mm standard depth socket
22mm standard depth socket
21mm deep socket
21mm combo wrench
Good torque wrench (very important because you will torque suspension parts.)
Prep, getting the car in the air[/b]
Get the car on four jack stands as high as you can but safely.
Make sure you do not put the jack stands under the front A-arms as the front tires need to hang free.
Installing the K-member brace[/b]
I had a factory K-Member brace that had to be removed, I did not think there was one on the coupes but I suspect it is on the newer coupes because of the reported clunking problem.
Remove ONLY the inner bolt from the K-member and do not touch the outer bolts.
The inner bolt is a carriage bolt on the bottom and a locking nut on the top.
It is sort of a PITA to get to and requires a 21mm wrench to break free.
You can not loosen it from the bottom as there is only a round carriage bolt head and no way to get a breaker bar in the top so use another wrench on the 21mm as leverage.
Save the locking nut because you will need to reuse that and toss the carriage bolt.
Install the CHE K-member brace with the supplied 10mm bolts on the rear side of the brace, but keep the bolts loose.
Installed the new 14mm bolt with the locking nut you removed earlier through the lower A-Arm.
Snug up the rear bolts first to get proper alignment and then snug up the bottom bolts.
Using a 22mm socket for the bottom and a 21mm wrench for the top, torque the A-arm bolts to 100 ft-lbs; make sure you have a good quality torque wrench because this bolt helps holds lower A-arm in place.
Next torque the rear bolts to 25-35 ft-lbs using a 17mm socket; I chose to torque to 30lbs.
Installing the torque limiters[/b]
The hardest part of the install was getting the torque limiters adjusted to the proper length.
The directions in the manual are confusing as to what they want you to do with the link limiter; but it all amounts to the following:
Torque down the poly bushings per the directions
Screw the turn-buckle(limiter link), spherical bearing and all of the jam nuts all the way down on to the poly bushings
Hold the spherical bearing with your hand while turning the limiter link to the proper length.
[ol][/ol]
By doing this you make the length equal on both sides of the limiter link thus making it stronger.
Once you have checked for clearance issues and installed the bolts into the bell housing torque those bolts to 33 ft-lbs.
Drop the car and go drive it like you stole it, LOL.
[sm=gears.gif]I hope this helps you all.
01-02-2008, 08:47 AM
#10
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Ewing, NJ
Posts: 740
RE: CHE K-Member brace w/Torque Limiters install write-up.
thanks for the write-up! i had been thinking about buying one of these suckas, but i was unsure about the install since i'm green. now, no worries, order has been placed