TF. Rear strut top nut.

Hi everyone.  I can't seem to be able to torque the top securing nut to the desired/recommended setting of 50Nm.  Doesn't seem possible to tighten it any where near what it should be without it turning, then if I try with a spanner and Allen key I just can't get enough purchase to turn the spanner.  So I'm looking for some ideas and advice from the forum.
   Regards as always Glyn  (D4KGP)

Tbh Glyn I have never torqued those nuts.
Always done it by feel. 50nm is not that much.
I know that is not the correct recommendatiin!!
Do you have socket allen keys?

 

They allow you a much better grip and you can get more purchase with a spanner on the nut.
How you would torque it with a conventional torque wrench is beyond me.
Had a look at mine because it is exposed just now. You cant even get underneath to grip the very top of the rod where it wouldn't hurt. Again not recommended unless you are in a forest changing a shock and needs must!!
Btw that kit was from Halfords, was not expensive and has saved me from so much grief eg. Anti roll bar struts to save getting the grinder out.
Good luck Glyn.

 

There is much fuss over the use of torque wrenches, for most automotive use the pros don't much bother with them they use their experience to feel how much torque is enough in relation to the diameter of the bolt verses the length  of the handle. There are of course certain applications where the torque is critical such as bearing preloads, cylinder head bolts, clutch bolts , adjusting automatic  transmissions. etc. but for most everything else......... near enough is good enough!
For doing up strut or shock absorber nuts It's going to be more important not to compress the bushes too much, the best guide for this is visual, if it starts to squeeze out from under and beyond the washer under nut torque then it's too tight for the bushing material being used.
For instance a soft rubber bushing material is going to ooze out all over the place, like stepping in a fresh laid dog turd with much less torque applied than a harder polyurethane bushing material would. 
And unless you're torque wrench has been recently calibrated.........It most certainly wont be accurate! So it's the value of using it is debatable, having said that if it's a Aussie made Warren & Brown duel signal deflecting beam type that has lead a protected life, then it probably will still be accurate, as these things are brilliantly simple and reliable. 

   



To use these you first press in that black pin, to arm the tool, then you adjust it by loosening that knurled nut and sliding the wedge till the black square alignment indicator lines up with the desired setting on the scale,  you then torque up your bolt the beam  (handle will deflect until the silver pin on the black static beam (the one with the connclal end) makes contact with the wedge, this trips that black pin you pressed in earlier to pop back out with a loud adible click. thus giving you both audible and visual signals to indicate that you had achived the desired torque.
All fitter and turner appentices in this country would have make their own as part of their training

 

I seem to recall Cobber illustrating a through socket arrangement, whereby you could nut up an outer nut, whilst restraining the inner thread, as it passes through the assembly.
I don’t think it was all that long ago & I'm sure our friend will correct me if wrong, I’m also sure he’ll have a workaround if I’m up the creek.
M

Yes they're called go thorugh sockets, they don't use a conventional square drive but have a spiled top on the hollow socket, the corisponding ratchet handle is also hollow this alows a long bolt to pass though the socket and handle, they even have splined hollow extensions to suit, they're made by various mamufacturers like Bacho, Kinchrome, Am Pro etc.
You probably wont be able to use these in conjuction with a torque wrench though....unless someone somewhere makes one with a hollow spline to suit.

 

 

 

 

 

Stahlwille do make a torque wench suitable for use with a special go trough ratchet ring spanner adapter, these are brilliant but seriously bloody expen$ive
I have one and it's treated like the bloody crown jewels

 

I think Teng do something similar and there are probably others but they will all co$t $hitload$.....ruinou$ly $o!

That Stahwhille looks awesome but way out of reach for me for the number of years I have left in this world to use it.
I always use a torque wrench on engine, gearbox and diff builds but not for the average nut and bolt.
I know that is not the correct proceedure and the figures are given by the manu for a reason.
Both Halfords and Kwik-Fit near me use torque wrenches on the wheel nuts then go and spoil it by tightening the nuts sequentially...🙄

No, but I've just ordered a set, I have looked at those through socket sets before that Cobber highlighted so now I'll order a set and give them a go. The front ones are a lot easier to get to and torque!
Thanks for your input Brian.
Regards Glyn.

Manfacturers  provide torque figures for every bloody thing mainly as an arse covering exersise so they can deny liability for any cockups!
Secondadry is that it gives the more knoledgable an indication of any unusual torque requirements a particular bolt may require.
The reality is the it is thougherly and utterly impractical to try and use a torque wrench on every fastener on a car and the manufacturers know it!
To try and do so would require more tools at your disposal than even I have, not even the autuorised dealers have all this shit!
To the reader of the manual it is implied that they'll need all of this, and it's gonna be too hard from them to do so they give up and take it to the dealer who will then proceed  to ignore it all and charge a fortune to do what you would've done anyway without elevnty seven specail tools!

Glyn..
Once you get them you will wonder how you managed without them.
Don't sweat the torque..the rubber washers have enough push back for it never to come undone.
Good luck.

Cobber wrote:

Manfacturers  provide torque figures for every bloody thing mainly as an arse covering exersise so they can deny liability for any cockups!
Secondadry is that it gives the more knoledgable an indication of any unusual torque requirements a particular bolt may require.
The reality is the it is thougherly and utterly impractical to try and use a torque wrench on every fastener on a car and the manufacturers know it!
To try and do so would require more tools at your disposal than even I have, not even the autuorised dealers have all this shit!
To the reader of the manual it is implied that they'll need all of this, and it's gonna be too hard from them to do so they give up and take it to the dealer who will then proceed  to ignore it all and charge a fortune to do what you would've done anyway without elevnty seven specail tools!

I agree! You can get away writing that I would have been flamed! 😁
 

Just don't compress the rubber much past the diameter of the washer, it can bag out a little bit.