Stripped bolt hole

[o1951]

Good point o1951.
You can go to any tire shop and watch them blast lug nuts on with an impact gun, not good. It's all about speed today, get it in, tear it down and repair it, and get it out. .

Been thru the over tightened, busted studs scenario. Learned fast.
When I buy tires, I have salesman list torque on sales slip - I have it posted on door jamb below tire size/GVWR tag on each of my vehicles. I have him write all nuts to be started by hand, either torque wrench or torque stick to be used. Lots of tire places near me. Never got any BS on this, if did - would go down the road.
I stay and watch.
Not afraid to holler if I see something I do not like.

 

[Hasdrubal]

At least the tire shop I used knew to tighten the lug nuts to 100 ft/lbs. Years ago I had a mechanic whom I had known for many years previously replace my front axle u-joints. Imagine my surprise when just over a year later I went to service my hub bearings and found that one nut was definitely not torqued to anything near 160 ft/lbs. It was in fact loose and he didn't appear to have bothered to slap any grease into the bearings while he was at it either. Wont use him again. So..the moral of this story is question everything, its all suspect.

On another note, went to visit the shop. Senior mechanic was most embarassed, apologised profusely. As it was 5 months ago, couldn't remember if he had installed that brace. When I asked about hand starting the thread, I got that look that said "yes thats how one should do it, but.." Anyways, they have the heli-coil size and will do the repair next week. That being said, I think part of the problem arises from the use of loctite on the threads. I only used never seize on these bolts, but I see that they used lock-tite. I would have taken a die and chased the thread to clean it up as frequently you cant get it to thread by hand easily with the old lock-tite still in the threads.

 

[steelandcanvas]

Glad to see you're going to get it fixed with no argument. If their shop paperwork is any good, they will know who made the error. Hopefully it will be a lesson learned for the person who is responsible.

 

[o1951]

I see that they used lock-tite.

Very Bad with anything Aluminum that may be dissasembled again. Galls aluminum.
I have been using Permatex anti- sieze for last 5-6 years. Think it is a tad better.
Aluminum is so soft, that if they do not hand start, doubt would feel bolt is cross threaded at the end of an impact.

 

[Hasdrubal]

Even worse... it was "red" loc-tite.

 

[PAm1009]

I have my spacers on the underside of the frame (I do have a 4" lift kit). Does having these outside the frame have a ill effect I mean they are spacers to either raise or lower the t-case? Thanks much Kyle

 

[wayne pick]

The crossmember should be bolted tight to the frame. Having the crossmember spaced like you discribe could cause the frame to flex, the bolt holes in either the frame and the crossmember to elongate, or snap the bolts. Heavy loading, like off roading could cause the body to flex with the frame, causing glass to crack and make doors, hood and tailgate seams uneven, or cause the doors to not open or close properly. The spacers are not ment to adjust the transfer case hight, and truthfully, I do not know why they are used. All I know is every Chevy or GMC truck i've seen from this era have the spacers inside the frame.

 

[dependable]

What Wayne says is true. I just parted out a 1983 chevy K-10 with a 208. The spacers were above the frame. I unbolted them rather than cutting cause they guy who bought the transfer case and transmission needed the cross member. I was thinking, 'I wonder why these spacers are here' each time the box wrench slipped off.

 

[wayne pick]

I have replaced a few transmissions on these trucks, all civi except for mine, and found the bolts to be rusted to the point of taking on an hour glass shape where the bolt passes through the spacer. Most twisted right off using an impact gun. Replacing the bolts with shorter grade 8 flange bolts and nuts is the best fix. The spacers create a collection point where wet salt and road sand sits inside the frame rails and rots out the bolts. Any southern guys find this to be true on your trucks also? Up here they have begun using a Calcium Chloride, salt brine mixture to treat the roads during snow events. After a storm, the roads are pure white with the stuff.