ok i got a set of zero rates from somewhere and a set of front ubolts. however they sent me the rears. can i use the long bolt on my 10b front again with new nuts or should i just refrain completely. i can get a set made up today but the place that does it is 45 miles away. and its friday at 2 right now. this place has had trouble sending me the right ubolts before and it took four days. what can i do?
CK5
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reusing a front ubolt
- Thread starter obijuan
- Start date
vortec
1/2 ton status
i doubt many will agree with me, but i'd say it's fine to reuse them for a while, especially if you aren't going to do any heavy wheeling on them. just my $.02
sure use em for now, but check torque for the first few days, then like once a week after that. Ultimately, I would replace with new, but you can get by for a while with the old ones as long as there is no significant damage to them
yeah but im wheelin sunday. i forgot to include that. i figured im not gonna be wheeling hard but its my front axle, its a chance i cant take right now. so i went out and hunted for a new one at the local liftem shop. amazingly he had one new. one. lol and he also had a set that were KNEE HIGH!?!! how can that be sold. it was crazy. thanks for yalls suggestions and i could probably get away with it but a little sense came into me and ill pass. thanks again guys.
vortec
1/2 ton status
did you even consider duct tape?
yes. i was also considering just welding the leafs to the axles....
vortec
1/2 ton status
haha. i'd be curious to see how much it would take, actually. that's a worthwile study for one of the major universities, isn't it? some guy's going to do his masters thesis on it.
beyond the huge wad required and overall ghettoness of it, duct tape tends to melt in texas.
Some reading for you Eaton Springs U-Bolt - Click
Everywhere I have read, you shouldn't reuse U-bolts. Once torqued, they cannot be effectively retorqued.
You run the significant risk of breakage.
Question for the masses: Anyone actually experience this or know someone who has with used U-Bolts?
Everywhere I have read, you shouldn't reuse U-bolts. Once torqued, they cannot be effectively retorqued.
You run the significant risk of breakage.
Question for the masses: Anyone actually experience this or know someone who has with used U-Bolts?
60-65mph highway driving with 1tons and 38" tires. when turning the steering wheel would not recenter in the same spot over and over again. stoped and found my close to new but reused ubolts were junk. thay were tight and then loosened up on me.
almost lost complete front end on highway
. not fun at all. never reuse if at all possible.
almost lost complete front end on highway
. not fun at all. never reuse if at all possible.thats a great link, and i used a new bolt. just for that risk.
just for instance if you reused one what would happen if you double nutted it with a lock nut???sweetk30 said:60-65mph highway driving with 1tons and 38" tires. when turning the steering wheel would not recenter in the same spot over and over again. stoped and found my close to new but reused ubolts were junk. thay were tight and then loosened up on me.
almost lost complete front end on highway
redneckdude
1/2 ton status
AZ79K5Project said:
ive been in a POS cj7 when the rear u bolts decided to let loose...pushed one side into the tub and clogged up one part of the trail for 3 hrs...this was probably a pretty extreme case since the guy had been, from what i had heard, working a lot on getting a leaf pack he liked in there...lots of pulling apart and reworking.
Not quite sure why a u-bolt is any different than any other bolt, my understanding (which isn't from professional knowledge, anyone care to elaborate?) is that most bolt threads are rolled.
Does that mean you can't reuse any bolt that might cause a catastrophic failure? U-joint bolts, leaf spring shackle bolts, body bolts, engine or tranny mount bolts, and so on? Yes, the u-bolts probably take a huge load, they are also huge bolts, and fine thread. Not torque to yield or whatever, so no different in design than any other bolt on older rigs.
I wouldn't be surprised if like everything else, there are cheap non-OEM u-bolts out there that have been around long enough to be re-used, and those are what are failing.
Of all the people I know that have re-used u-bolts, one has had a leaf spring pin failure which could have been a loose u-bolt issue, or just that it is a 33 year old piece. Regardless, it had been assembled for 15+ years at time of failure, and used towing up to 10,000 pounds on multiple occasions for long distance.
On the flip side, there probably aren't many here that would re-use head bolts either, which I won't do.
Does that mean you can't reuse any bolt that might cause a catastrophic failure? U-joint bolts, leaf spring shackle bolts, body bolts, engine or tranny mount bolts, and so on? Yes, the u-bolts probably take a huge load, they are also huge bolts, and fine thread. Not torque to yield or whatever, so no different in design than any other bolt on older rigs.
I wouldn't be surprised if like everything else, there are cheap non-OEM u-bolts out there that have been around long enough to be re-used, and those are what are failing.
Of all the people I know that have re-used u-bolts, one has had a leaf spring pin failure which could have been a loose u-bolt issue, or just that it is a 33 year old piece. Regardless, it had been assembled for 15+ years at time of failure, and used towing up to 10,000 pounds on multiple occasions for long distance.
On the flip side, there probably aren't many here that would re-use head bolts either, which I won't do.
vortec said:haha. i'd be curious to see how much it would take, actually. that's a worthwile study for one of the major universities, isn't it? some guy's going to do his masters thesis on it.
beyond the huge wad required and overall ghettoness of it, duct tape tends to melt in texas.
I know someone that taped his drag link just so he could get out of the trail... worked good.. he drove slow getting home too...
dodge ram 1 ton on 40's.....10" lift.... 750ft-lb torque on a diesel
broncoman6524
1/2 ton status
Ive never bought a new set of u-bolts for my k5... Mainly becuase im cheap...IMHO tire size and application comes into play here as well...
I am runnin 33s and its mostly street driven maybe wheel once every 2months.
When i put my Add a leaves in, i torqued them down, drove for 2days, torqued again no problems. When i pulled the axles out to do gears same thing. I did notice that they backed off that time...I recently had to pull my rear out again...and they have backed off a bit. (I can feel the axle "move") SO its definetly time for new rears.
I would guess that a street/play truck with like 40s would require the new u-bolts everytime more than the DD with 33s.. Simply becuase of stress and the like.
Or maybe im jsut retarted
Mainly becuase im cheap...IMHO tire size and application comes into play here as well...I am runnin 33s and its mostly street driven maybe wheel once every 2months.
When i put my Add a leaves in, i torqued them down, drove for 2days, torqued again no problems. When i pulled the axles out to do gears same thing. I did notice that they backed off that time...I recently had to pull my rear out again...and they have backed off a bit. (I can feel the axle "move") SO its definetly time for new rears.I would guess that a street/play truck with like 40s would require the new u-bolts everytime more than the DD with 33s.. Simply becuase of stress and the like.
Or maybe im jsut retarted
Retard.broncoman6524 said:Ive never bought a new set of u-bolts for my k5...
I am runnin 33s and its mostly street driven maybe wheel once every 2months.
I would guess that a street/play truck with like 40s would require the new u-bolts everytime more than the DD with 33s.. Simply becuase of stress and the like.
Or maybe im jsut retarted
I am worried about hurting or damaging a spring with any small movement that may occur if they don't stay torqued. I would rather spend the $30.00 from Currie and be done with it.
need to replace mine. still running the old ones. i launched my truck bout 2 winters ago and knocked the arch out of my 6" lift. got new 8" bds springs at that time and reused my ubolts. the biggest issue ive seen with ubolts that need replace is people overtightening them and strippin the threads. i did double up a couple of the nuts for safety but ive never had any problems. ive been wheeling it for the past 2 years like that. but i did just the other day buy new u bolts so that i can replace them. the ones in the back have been on and off atleast 5 times.
did you guys notice the torque specs for 1 1/4" u-bolts? 1740 ft./lbs....dang!
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not cheap just didnt have the time to grab new ones. oh and btw ill sell them to you for $10.00 each brand new plus shipping thats what i just paid for mine. $100.00 are you serious? maybe if they were chrome plated lol!
