good looking out. post up a good place to get the grade 8 bolt.

 

good looking out. post up a good place to get the grade 8 bolt.

I always use FASTENAL. Sometime there is a min quantity, if they don't have a broken package in stock.

I do not have a part # yet since I want to be sure the one I select has at least 1 3/4" unthreaded length. Usually the threaded length for lets say a 1/2" dia less tha 6" long, is 2 x 1/2" + 1/4" = 1 1/4" thread length. I want to be sure this applys for the one I select.

Hope this helps.

 

Amazing that QA1's bushings are so soft. Most of their applications are on heavy muscle cars and have poly bushings in them. This could be the culprit for my camber being off.

Let us know how you convert to the spherical bearings.

Good job catching this Terry!! Thank you!

 

DB.. I think poly bushing are okay for lighter vehicles, but at 2100 lbs front end weight and their dimensions they are not large enoguh to handle it

The shock loop ID is 1" and the steel bushing is 3/4" OD meaning there is only 1/8" wall thickness in the poly bushing. The steel bushing is 1 1/4" long, but the effectinve load bearing surface is only about 3/4" which is the thickness of the shocks lower loop. Stock is 1/2" thickness over the full 1 1/2 loop width.

The shock was developed for racing applications which use spherical bearings. Metal ball to metal race -or- metal ball to teflon lined metal race.

I will be using the metal to metal spherical bearing as I listed in the original post.

 

Weren't these originally a rear shock application, but were the right length for what we needed? :clueless

 

Weren't these originally a rear shock application, but were the right length for what we needed? :clueless

No. QA1 makes their shocks the same whether they are for the front or back. The end loops are the same either way.



TW- Still, the old muscle cars made of thicker sheet metal, heavier frames and iron block V8s weigh more up front than our trucks do. That's why it surprising to me that the poly bushings are inadequate.

 

TW- Still, the old muscle cars made of thicker sheet metal, heavier frames and iron block V8s weigh more up front than our trucks do. That's why it surprising to me that the poly bushings are inadequate.

Yes, but they had different length lever arms. On our trucks the shock arm is 9 " and the Wheel CL is at 18" The wheel supports 2130/2 or 1065lbs at 18", but the shock at 9" is supporting 2130 lbs before any shock angle adjustment .

If you look at QA1 charts you will note the "tanks" run 350#/inch spring rates where as ours run 500-600. The only way this is possible is, if the lever arm dimensions (and shock angles are) are different.

Not trying to be argumentative.

 

Ahh, sorry, I didn't take into account the shock angles and mounting points differences between them.

 

I edited the original post to include photos of poly bushing deformation/distortion.

 

That's good info you've got going here, twgiffin. I assume you'll document your conversion? I'd like to see how it goes. I've got a regular cab and intend to put install the QA1's eventually. Lighter, yes, but I'd like to avoid any complications.

What's the difference between the steel races and the kevlon coated steel races?

 

What's the difference between the steel races and the kevlon coated steel races?

The race-to-ball interface - steel to steel is offered to stand up to heavier side loads and hammering seen in the racing environments. Mike at NAAKE suggested skipping the TEFLON/KEVLAR bearings (Street version) due to the condition I have with the POLY. The TEFLON/KELVAR posses a self lubrication interface, but in a race environment with heavy side loads, are prone to wear.

The poly bushings are a lower cost approach to deal with imperfect shock axial alignment yet able to suit different mount bolt diameters using different sleeve ID's.

I elected to use the steel race bearings for their higher load characteristics.

 

Alright, cool, next question. Since the holes in the shock mount are 9/16" and your new bolt is 1/2", what are you doing (if anything) to take up the extra slack caused by using a smaller bolt?

 

Alright, cool, next question. Since the holes in the shock mount are 9/16" and your new bolt is 1/2", what are you doing (if anything) to take up the extra slack caused by using a smaller bolt?

I assume you mean the bolt holes in the lowere arm mount tabs.

I measured the OEM metric bolt
Thread OD = 0.540"
Shank OD = 0.500"
Serrated area right next to bolt head flange = 0.520"

I don't know what the mounting tab's hole ID is, but it has to be > 0.540" which is 0.040" greater than the 1/2* bolt OD.
There is play between OEM bolt and the OEM lower shock loop ID whereas there is very little play between spherical bearing ID and the 1/2" bolt shank.

In short, I am going to ignore the difference on the basis that I am trading the play in the OEM shock loop for the play in the tab bolt holes.

If that is not a quid quo pro trade, I'll use COYOTE's suggestion and tack weld some heavy close tolerance 1/2" washers to ourtside of each tab.

Actually, the original QA1 approach using a 9/16" ID sleeve in the poly bushing and the OEM metric bolt, there was a measured difference of 0.085" play.

I think I'll be alright since there seems to be alot of slop in the OEM mounting at all four corners.

 

Seems like a good trade-off, then. Less play, in any case.

 

poly binds in this application, which'll destroy it and cause ruff riding. bearings or rubber only.

 

The bushing is mainly there to locate the bolt sleeve and the bolt slides freely in the sleeve. The poly bushings are just too soft.

The softness of the bushings allowed the torsional movement if the shocks to destroy the bolt sleeve :shock:

 

Alright, cool, next question. Since the holes in the shock mount are 9/16" and your new bolt is 1/2", what are you doing (if anything) to take up the extra slack caused by using a smaller bolt?

i made a spacer that replaces the washers. it has a small boss on it to go inside of the mounting tab, then has a counter bore on the other side to trap the sleve in. Terry, Dan, Ronnie, and myself all have these.