[urq] Delrin bushings

[isham-research.freeserve.co.uk at pop.pol.net.uk]

>> Why not double nut? It's real tought to get up inside the control arm
>> to get a wrench on a single nut!

> I disagree, I have double nutted mine, the second nut is much easier
> since it can be tightened right in the opening in the sub frame, not buried
> like the first one.  This is not what I would call a "tough" procedure.

The following was already written and will appear in the November UK
club newsletter:

      It goes in BACKWARDS!?!

      Audi's service documentation states quite explicitly
      that some bolts MUST be inserted from the rear of
      the car with the nut facing the front.  One prime
      example is the lower ball joint clamp bolt on each
      suspension strut.  The reason is safety - the
      longtitudinal G-force experienced during braking is
      much greater than anything achieved during
      acceleration - should the nut ever fall off, natural
      use of the car will cause the bolt to slide forward
      during braking and remain in place - even without a
      nut.  Of course, the nut shouldn't ever fall off -
      for this reason Audi recommends that both the
      self-locking nut and the bolt be replaced each time.
      Self-locking nuts should only ever be used once -
      but the bolt is a different issue.  Where there is
      no corrosion (e.g., on the bolts securing the pedal
      frame to the car inside the passenger compartment)
      then it's OK to replace just the nut.  Where there
      is corrosion - nowhere more of a problem than on the
      suspension - then the bolt must also be replaced.
      Winding a self-locking nut over a corroded bolt just
      destroys the self-locking function, regardless of
      whether this is achieved with a plastic insert or
      deliberate nut malformation.  Of course, as many of
      us know, corroded bolts have a self-locking function
      all of their own.  Don't forget that wishbone bushes
      must not be fully tightened until the car's weight
      is on its wheels.  If they're tightened with the car
      in the air and the wheels unsupported, putting the
      car back on its wheels applies a strong bias to the
      bushes leading to early failure.

--
 Phil Payne
 UK Audi quattro Owners Club
 Phone +44 7785 302803   Fax: +44 7785 309674