SVC bolt on install

[zombiekiller]

I started w a corded AC Delco, it’s big but I don’t know specs. No dice. Went and bought biggest Mikita brushless, 1100+ reverse ft lbs same lack of result lol. The rack I think twists enough it absorbs all the impact. Should have left both bolts in partially till all out in retrospect I think.

Any signs the bolts were coming out as you drove?

"signs" would be relative. Drove south through the pines from the tecate area towards Canon de guadalupe, then onto Just North of San Felipe for 9 hours in the mud. Cut onto zoo road and suddenly steering got funky. Looked under the truck, bolt was there, no captive bushing to be found. A baja Legend was our trail mechanic on the run and he got me patched up, we Ratchet strapped the rack to the crossmember and drove out and to the hotel.

The bolt will come out. It has a crap ton of thick blue locktite on the end of it. Does the makita have a 3 position switch on it? The dewalt that I use is 3 position 100/400/900 tighten and 200/600/1100 loosen.

 

[Pure745]

Titan7 T-AK1 Forged with Duratracs

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Wheels look great - the finish matches the accents on the blue. When does the bumper go on?

 

[rlj676]

"signs" would be relative. Drove south through the pines from the tecate area towards Canon de guadalupe, then onto Just North of San Felipe for 9 hours in the mud. Cut onto zoo road and suddenly steering got funky. Looked under the truck, bolt was there, no captive bushing to be found. A baja Legend was our trail mechanic on the run and he got me patched up, we Ratchet strapped the rack to the crossmember and drove out and to the hotel.

The bolt will come out. It has a crap ton of thick blue locktite on the end of it. Does the makita have a 3 position switch on it? The dewalt that I use is 3 position 100/400/900 tighten and 200/600/1100 loosen.

Oh it’s out now. Did it all with breaker bar. Thought it was going to break a half in breaker.

I loctited the bolts back in... but probably not near as much as the factory. Will crawl under and make sure there’s no “gap “ from it backing out.

 

[gordo]

I dunno what sort of tools that yall are using, but you should be using one of the BIG electric impacts that go up to 900 or 1000 ft lbs.

Word of warning, If you did not put new threadlocker on those steering bolts, or buy new ones, take it all back apart and do it.

If you do not, and those bolts loosen, they will eventually back out, then put the captive bushing on the back of the rack out.

Once that is gone, the steering rack is garbage. Ford does not sell the bushing separately. That means you need to purchase an entirely new steering rack to fix it.

IIRC the torque spec is 400+ ft/lbs on those bolts. They are special, with 3 different shank sizes. You wont find a non-ford bolt that works. you cannot buy the bolts one at a time. The minimum quantity is 4 or 5 IIRC. They are $19 EACH.

Hey @zombiekiller - are you sure of the torque specs? When I originally took it to Ford, the mechanic said 400 but then SVC said only 150. I took it to my friends shop and he thought 400 was pretty high too. So right now its 150 and I am going off roading next weekend. Hope it doesn't fall apart!

 

[rlj676]

I think it is 300, I had found it online. My big torque wrench only goes to 250 so I did 250 plus all I could do lol. I’d retighten for sure more than 150. Problem is you have to back out and re-loctite.

A lot of work for a bolt on bumper lol, too bad it doesn’t ship w instructions. I guess we should all just know the details of these critical steering rack bolts off hand.

Hey @zombiekiller - are you sure of the torque specs? When I originally took it to Ford, the mechanic said 400 but then SVC said only 150. I took it to my friends shop and he thought 400 was pretty high too. So right now its 150 and I am going off roading next weekend. Hope it doesn't fall apart!

 

[Raptor911]

It's not 150 as the wheels are 150 and removing the wheels is pretty easy. The steering wheels bolts is a bitch remove.

 

[gordo]

I think it is 300, I had found it online. My big torque wrench only goes to 250 so I did 250 plus all I could do lol. I’d retighten for sure more than 150. Problem is you have to back out and re-loctite.

A lot of work for a bolt on bumper lol, too bad it doesn’t ship w instructions. I guess we should all just know the details of these critical steering rack bolts off hand.

Yeah pretty frustrating how much research it takes to get these mods done correctly. Thank god for this forum! On a positive note I feel so much more comfortable around my truck now.

 

[zombiekiller]

Hey @zombiekiller - are you sure of the torque specs? When I originally took it to Ford, the mechanic said 400 but then SVC said only 150. I took it to my friends shop and he thought 400 was pretty high too. So right now its 150 and I am going off roading next weekend. Hope it doesn't fall apart!

Let me put it to you this way. I set my impact to 300 ft/lbs, Once it stops turning, I set it to 900 and give each bolt 3 or 4 zaps with it. Havent backed off since I started treating them that way.

I'm sure that you could call a dealer's service dept and theyd give you the torque spec.