Norm Peterson

If it's anything with a flag nut and there is big torque involved, don't rely on the flag nut 100% to hold it still (the flag can be bent over leaving you wondering why you aren't getting anywhere with the torque but the bolt isn't breaking). Put a box end wrench or six point socket on the nut's hex.

Never mind how many times I had to straighten one particular strut to knuckle nut flag last weekend before figuring this out (and yes, I could still get 150 ft-lbs once I kept the nut from spinning).


Norm

Rubrignitz

Amazingly (or maybe not so amazing) the bushing diameters of all three different sets of LCA's I've had on the car were slightly different. The BMR's didn't rattle on the chassis side but did on the axle side, even with replacement bolts so I sold em. The Spohn's rattled on both ends with the stock bolts but are completely quiet with 14mmx100's on the axle side and 9/16x4 on the chassis side. The BMR's had a full rod-end on the axle-end so I guess that also had something to do with it. The delspheres are much quieter with the right hardware installed.

Rubrignitz

I removed all the flag nuts from my suspension other than the UCA (just due to the restricted space it's easier to torque with the flag) because of this. Everything is now grade 8 bolts and nylock nuts/washers.

Riptide

This business of replacing that hardware can get pretty costly if you are one of those that disconnects the components regularly. There are people on this forum that re-grease their poly bushings every 1000 miles. Not all of them have a zert point to grease from so the arm has to come off and hence the hardware replaced if you opt to do that as Ford recommends.

The bolt and nut that connect the bracket to the upper control arm isn’t sold individually. It’s only available as an assembly with the stock bracket and control arm.

Imagine ordering that whole assembly just to get the replacement Ford hardware every time you had to remove that to regrease the bushing.

Rubrignitz

Wow...yeah that's going a bit overboard. I find it more important to have the correct 'size' bolt than swapping it out every time you dis/reconnect. The Grade 8 hardware I have isn't tty. All of my parts have zerks, including my hotchkis swaybar mounts and even my steeda X5 balljoints so nothing needs to come off the car.

Riptide

I thought every 1000 miles was ridiculous as well. But I read it on here. Someone was doing it. Steeda told me you shouldn't have to re-grease but every 30 THOUSAND miles. lol good thing I guess since their non adjustable LCAs don't have a zerk point to grease from. One of my minor complaints about that (expensive) part.

EDIT:

Holy SCHEIT. If you plan on replacing the nuts and bolts on your upper, the bracket, and everything on the lowers be prepared to spend $100 from Ford. And if you want a new bolt/nut on the upper arm where it mates up with the chassis mount be prepared to buy the whole assembly for $145.

To hell with that. I'm definitely reusing the hardware now. If I have to replace any of it permanently I will find some other solution than this one time use trash.

Rubrignitz

to hell with those short-shoulder overpriced stock bolts. check out this thread, good pic of the short-shouldered stock bolt alongside a grade 8 long shoulder aftermaket bolt. They're a couple of bucks each with washers and nylock nuts!

http://www.svtperformance.com/forums...vs-9-16-a.html

Just1Guy

Are you aware that a 8.8 standard bolt/nut is not the same a a metric one? A 12.9 metric fastener is roughly equal in strength to a 8.8 in standard.

It's dumb, I know.

Just1Guy

I paid $36 for everything.

Rubrignitz

Yeah, the svtperformance link lists the strength of 9/16 as opposed to 12-14mm metric. The 9/16 @ 10.9 is more than strong enough. Those are beefy freakin' bolts.