Installed the Pedders Radius Arm Inserts, Feel Like the stockers.

[Joe.G]

Hi, I installed the PEDDERS-EP6578, I have not driven the car yet but they feel very similar to the ones I took out, i figured they would be stiffer then they are. I did it with the front on ramps, so I am hoping that the ride height is close enough for the bushings to be timed.


I Torqued them to 45 LB with Blue Loctite but I didn't feel it was tight enough so I went to 55 LB, The factory had them on very tight, I have zero rust on the car the bolts looked brand new but they were tight coming off. I did have to loosen the Washer bottle to get the Drivers side out. I am waiting on my Hotckis Brace to come ( Was supposed to be here today) while I have it up then I will try it out.

[cdb95z28]

I believe they make the most difference under heavy braking, since the radius rod takes on alot of the loading under braking.

55 lb/ft is nowhere enough. I used non factory bolts on my setup and I was torqueing them to 190 lb/ft. I'm at work right now, but I can look up the OE spec from the service manual.

[Joe.G]

45 LB is what I found on a google search, If you could please post the GM Spec

[Joe.G]

https://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=552871
This says 37 LB plus 120 Deg

https://www.bmrsuspension.com/index.cfm?page=technical
BMR Says 45 LB

[cdb95z28]

Yeah, the BMR specs are way off. I'm night shift right now, I'll look tomorrow.

[AlanRubin]

I used the Whiteline, and could feel the difference right away.

The inserts not only tighten the up and downward movement, but also tightens
up the lateral movement.

[cdb95z28]

Joe G. got the bolt torque correct, 37 lbs/ft + 150 degrees. So go to 37 lbs/ft and then turn the nut 2 1/2 flats. Each flat is 60 degrees (6 flats on a hex bolt/nut, 360 degrees divided by 6 flats = 60 degrees each flat).

I was wrong in what I was tightening my fasteners, I set mine to 140 lbs/ft.

It is worth noting that the OE bolts on the radius rod are not torque-to-yield, which would mean they are single use only. Some think because there is an angle element to the tightening, that automatically makes them torque-to-yields. That is not correct. They are torque-to-angle. It's just how GM wants them tightened and the are reusable. The service manual does not call out replacing the bolts.

[Joe.G]

Thank you for getting back to me cdb95z28.


Took the car out today and I think I feel it more in the braking then the steering, I did the Hotckis Chaise Brace today as well and that tightened things up for sure.

[kevint]

Originally Posted by cdb95z28

Joe G. got the bolt torque correct, 37 lbs/ft + 150 degrees. So go to 37 lbs/ft and then turn the nut 2 1/2 flats. Each flat is 60 degrees (6 flats on a hex bolt/nut, 360 degrees divided by 6 flats = 60 degrees each flat).

I was wrong in what I was tightening my fasteners, I set mine to 140 lbs/ft.

It is worth noting that the OE bolts on the radius rod are not torque-to-yield, which would mean they are single use only. Some think because there is an angle element to the tightening, that automatically makes them torque-to-yields. That is not correct. They are torque-to-angle. It's just how GM wants them tightened and the are reusable. The service manual does not call out replacing the bolts.

I've been thinking about single-use hardware a lot. I believe most of the bolts are reusable, but their accompanying nuts are single use because they're deformed-thread lock nuts.

[cdb95z28]

Originally Posted by kevint

I've been thinking about single-use hardware a lot. I believe most of the bolts are reusable, but their accompanying nuts are single use because they're deformed-thread lock nuts.

I can agree with you on the nuts, but I've reused them many times and the GM nuts are very robust. I paint stick all nuts/bolts that I tighten. I had my strut to knuckle bolts/nuts loose for alignments so many times over the 7 years and the nuts still required the use of a tool to fully loosen/remove as the drag from the locknut was still pretty good.

Between street use and track use I've never had a used nut or bolt back off except an OE factory tightened bolt/nut at the rear upper control arm forward vertical mount. I never laid hands on those bolts and I had heard of other guys finding them loose. When I checked mine, they were indeed loose.

[kevint]

Originally Posted by cdb95z28

I can agree with you on the nuts, but I've reused them many times and the GM nuts are very robust. I paint stick all nuts/bolts that I tighten. I had my strut to knuckle bolts/nuts loose for alignments so many times over the 7 years and the nuts still required the use of a tool to fully loosen/remove as the drag from the locknut was still pretty good.

Between street use and track use I've never had a used nut or bolt back off except an OE factory tightened bolt/nut at the rear upper control arm forward vertical mount. I never laid hands on those bolts and I had heard of other guys finding them loose. When I checked mine, they were indeed loose.

Yeah, I'm not disagreeing at all about the nuts. I can usually only turn them by hand until the last thread of the nut. When I last did my strut clevis bolts I hammered them with my impact until they stopped turning and the bolt only stretched 0.3 millimeter, which is way under the yield strain of the bolt. I've never actually gone over the entirety of my suspension hardware, besides what I've needed to change or adjust, but maybe I should, per your observation.