Suspension retorque

[Danny15l]

Hey everyone,


Did a suspension retorque this weekend and now my truck is quieter on the road over bumps and the steering feels more spot on. A year ago I took it to the dealer asking for them to retorque it due some cold start clunking from my steering. I left it over night for that, an oil change, tire rotation etc. The next day they said they couldn’t repeat the the clunking. Makes sense to me since they don’t drive our trucks/vehicles do they don’t notice the small things immediately.

So I figured out how to lift the truck on jack stands using the manual, took the wheels off and torqued every bolt down to specs found in the manual online in the forums. Torqued the ball joints, tie rods, the upper strut mount bolts (x3) and the lower strut mount bolts (x2). I torqued each bolt while jacked up except for the strut bolts and sway bar bracket bolts which I did when the truck was lowered. Each bolt had about a half turn before my torque wrench clicked. I then checked with another spare torque wrench of a different brand for a second verification (each torque wrench is less than 4 years old and in great condition mechanically). This indicates to me that the suspension on this ranger sport has 1 of 2 possible things.

1: the suspension has settled from the factory and the bolts have have slightly loosened due to many possible dynamics from normal to offset suspension travel. This would be remedied by retorquing the suspension.
2: the bolts were never properly torqued down from the factory or the torque specs need to be higher than what was done at the factory.

I would say from wrenching experience when I torqued the upper strut mounts with it lowered they were probably around 30ft/lbs when the expected torque value is 41ft/lbs. I could turn them quiet a bit with a 3/8 socket wrench. Sorry no photosss taken.

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[RedDakooter05]

With how some of the factory workers do their jobs, would not surprise me if some hardware wasn't torqued down properly.

Although some "settling" is also expected I would say.

 

[4rd SVT]

Where did you find these torque values for the front suspension?

Post up the link or a screenshot...

 

[Danny15l]

Where did you find these torque values for the front suspension?

Post up the link or a screenshot...

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/2019-ranger-technical-shop-manuals.1548/

The values can be found in a previous thread.

 

[Danny15l]

as a guy who torques things daily for my job, a properly torqued item rarely comes loose.
however, some parts due to their design can and will have to be re-torqued at varying intervals.
sometimes once, sometimes repeatedly.
suspension parts would qualify for this extra torque sequence in my opinion. Personal use might dictate when and how often you should do re-torques. I guess if ya got noises, that's your first sign it may need to be done.
I wouldn't be blaming the guys on the assembly line, although we know a lot of them just punch the clock and go home.

It felt like the ball joints were moving around or the upper strut mount shifting slightly into place when the suspension settles during a Parked period. Almost the same type of popping sound that comes from a loose CV joint. Some things I noticed, all the boots and suspension components felt great and properly greased, no dry joints at all. All rubber bushings look great after 2 winters here in WA. I do not like the factory ball joint bolts without castle nuts/pins. I noticed lots of self locking nuts on these suspensions also.
I don’t see ford having suspension issues, if they do it’s usually very rare at least. Or they get rid of them immediately with the first model year. Each time I have put a leveling kit on my previous cars (Jeep Patriot and ford f150) the auto shops I went to have recommended a retorque on things after 500 miles. Each time I’d get an alignment in the Patriot the steering wheel would be straight for about 2 miles and then get crooked 30 degrees going straight.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Okay...I sat back on this thread for a bit as I do not understand what is really going on here... Ford runs a durability cycle of the equivalent to 150,000 miles for a 90% customer...a very sever test. For each durability vehicle build all critical fasteners are torqued to value and a yellow paint strip is painted down the fastener and a scribe line is created in the dried marking paint. At every inspection point of the durability cycle, the fasteners are checked for a shift in the scribe line. If noted the fastener is off scribe the design engineer is notified as to what to do...Retorque and continue, Replace the fastener or increase torque to a different value, install a different fastner etc. If loosening is noted on several vehicles, this particular joint is then set up in the Fastener Lab, and I got involved as my Engineer Steve M ran all the Torque/tension testing for Light Truck Engineering. Then there was a test fixture built in Bldg 4 durability lab and testing began to produce the same loosening and then apply and test proposed fixes.

At no time is the objective to have the customer retorque critical fasteners, particularly. I can see where one fastener might slip through the cracks but almost the complete suspension. At the Assembly Plant, critical fasteners are subjected to Torque audits and the new electric guns are spot on accurate vs the old air tools.

...Something is going on here that I do not understand...

Best,
Phil

 

[Danny15l]

Okay...I sat back on this thread for a bit as I do not understand what is really going on here... Ford runs a durability cycle of the equivalent to 150,000 miles for a 90% customer...a very sever test. For each durability vehicle build all critical fasteners are torqued to value and a yellow paint strip is painted down the fastener and a scribe line is created in the dried marking paint. At every inspection point of the durability cycle, the fasteners are checked for a shift in the scribe line. If noted the fastener is off scribe the design engineer is notified as to what to do...Retorque and continue, Replace the fastener or increase torque to a different value, install a different fastner etc. If loosening is noted on several vehicles, this particular joint is then set up in the Fastener Lab, and I got involved as my Engineer Steve M ran all the Torque/tension testing for Light Truck Engineering. Then there was a test fixture built in Bldg 4 durability lab and testing began to produce the same loosening and then apply and test proposed fixes.

At no time is the objective to have the customer retorque critical fasteners, particularly. I can see where one fastener might slip through the cracks but almost the complete suspension. At the Assembly Plant, critical fasteners are subjected to Torque audits and the new electric guns are spot on accurate vs the old air tools.

...Something is going on here that I do not understand...

Best,
Phil

I would imagine maybe the torque differences in air tools on the assembly line and the clicking 1/2” torque wrenches I have used are slightly different in the reading they give out. But for me, 11 ft/lbs missing from each upper strut mount is too much to rationalize the difference in how the two tools measure torque.
Another thing Worth mentioning: when taking the front wheels off the front wheels lugs were only torqued down to like 50ft/lbs when they rears were torqued to 100ft/lbs. all tire rotations have been done the Everett epic ford dealer up to this point…

 

[P. A. Schilke]

I would imagine maybe the torque differences in air tools on the assembly line and the clicking 1/2” torque wrenches I have used are slightly different in the reading they give out. But for me, 11 ft/lbs missing from each upper strut mount is too much to rationalize the difference in how the two tools measure torque.
Another thing Worth mentioning: when taking the front wheels off the front wheels lugs were only torqued down to like 50ft/lbs when they rears were torqued to 100ft/lbs. all tire rotations have been done the Everett epic ford dealer up to this point…

Sorry Dan,

Going to play the BS card. You have something going on that is not as delivered Ranger and I believe you are not being forth coming with the whole story. There is very little likelyhood of a vehicle being delivered with 50 ft lb wheel lug torque.... The machine that tightens the wheels on the line is extremely sophisticated and measures torque angle as well as lug torque...if it does not get the right readings It alerts the tech, Alarms go off the suspect vehicles are flagged and the back up tool is placed on line. You and your clicker torque wrench are confusing break away torque with install torque. And your wrenches are not calibrated and as such any data generated is suspect.

The old saying is "when you find yourself in a hole, first thing is to stop digging"

Phil

 

[khyros]

Keep in mind that every joint is going to have a torque-to value, and then a residual torque value, typically about 30% lower than the applied torque. That initial torque is with a brand new fastener, and if the fastener is selected correctly, is going to stretch when you hit that final torque number, holding everything tightly together. It takes more energy to stretch it that first time, thus why residual torque numbers are lower than torque values. Also, the torque spec is typically +/- 15%, so a 41ft-lbs nominal is actually 34.85-47.15ft-lbs. And taking a 30% reduction for residual, and you'd expect the fastener to be 24.4-33ft-lbs.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Keep in mind that every joint is going to have a torque-to value, and then a residual torque value, typically about 30% lower than the applied torque. That initial torque is with a brand new fastener, and if the fastener is selected correctly, is going to stretch when you hit that final torque number, holding everything tightly together. It takes more energy to stretch it that first time, thus why residual torque numbers are lower than torque values. Also, the torque spec is typically +/- 15%, so a 41ft-lbs nominal is actually 34.85-47.15ft-lbs. And taking a 30% reduction for residual, and you'd expect the fastener to be 24.4-33ft-lbs.

Hi Jeff,

Thank you....you are spot on... Well said... There is little likelyhood wheels were torqued to 50 fl lbs in production. I was trying to get ahold of Steve M for his take but your post is likely what Steve would have said...

I still wonder if there was not a lift/level involved here before the truck was sold...JMO

Best,
Phil

 

[JDG]

As someone who had this happen on my Tremor with just a few thousand miles on it, the fact that bolts were loose does not surprise me one bit.

Note that this is my driver side leaf spring bolt. The nut completely fell off. I had to tap the bolt back in and drive about 50 miles back to civilization, pulling over every few miles to check that the bolt hadn't backed out. I am running a nylon lock nut from an Ace Hardware with plans to go to dealership to have nut and bolt replaced (since bolt is torque to yield) as well as have them check every suspension bolt on the truck.

Definitely caused me to lose some confidence in the build of this truck..

 

[JDG]

This is what it should look like (photos from passenger side):

 

[Danny15l]

Hi Jeff,

Thank you....you are spot on... Well said... There is little likelyhood wheels were torqued to 50 fl lbs in production. I was trying to get ahold of Steve M for his take but your post is likely what Steve would have said...

I still wonder if there was not a lift/level involved here before the truck was sold...JMO

Best,
Phil

I don’t understand what you are trying to defend by calling battle ship. This truck has never seen anything more than maybe 5 miles of logging roads. Other than that it’s a pavement prince.

also I am not talking about the wheel lug torque from production. I checked that the moment I bought my truck what those were torqued down to (they were properly torqued to about 100 ft/lbs). I am talking about tire rotations every 5k miles. My truck has 14000 miles in it right now and I’ve had them rotate twice so far. I have noticed each time they do not torque the front wheels down as much as the rears.

 

[Danny15l]

As someone who had this happen on my Tremor with just a few thousand miles on it, the fact that bolts were loose does not surprise me one bit.

Note that this is my driver side leaf spring bolt. The nut completely fell off. I had to tap the bolt back in and drive about 50 miles back to civilization, pulling over every few miles to check that the bolt hadn't backed out. I am running a nylon lock nut from an Ace Hardware with plans to go to dealership to have nut and bolt replaced (since bolt is torque to yield) as well as have them check every suspension bolt on the truck.

Definitely caused me to lose some confidence in the build of this truck..

That’s a little concerning. Imagine being an older gentlemen and not being able to crawl under as easily to check things out. How much off roading have you done, in a percentage? I have done maybe 5 miles of off roading total in this truck.

 

[gwhalin]

I don’t understand what you are trying to defend by calling battle ship. This truck has never seen anything more than maybe 5 miles of logging roads. Other than that it’s a pavement prince.

also I am not talking about the wheel lug torque from production. I checked that the moment I bought my truck what those were torqued down to (they were properly torqued to about 100 ft/lbs). I am talking about tire rotations every 5k miles. My truck has 14000 miles in it right now and I’ve had them rotate twice so far. I have noticed each time they do not torque the front wheels down as much as the rears.

Few years back I had Mavis do a tire rotation on a Subaru I was driving. Pulled into my garage, slammed the door and a lug nut fell off onto the garage floor. Now I do my own rotations and if I take any vehicle anywhere where they need to take my wheels off for any reason I retorque immediately when I get home.

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