Check YOUR Nuts!

And no Im not talking about testicles.

While out on the laning trip yesterday I was hearing a funny clunking sound. At the first lane I stopped and had a look but couldnt see anything amiss. I put it down to the new tires rubbing at lock and/or suspension travel.

As I have a loose wire on the starter motor I have reason to get under the car sometimes to get it started and today when I was under the car I noticed that 2 of the lower ball joint nuts had come off and 2 of the bolts had escaped. On both the remaining bolts the nuts had loosened.

I shudder to think what might have happened had the remaining 2 nuts come away.

It must have been when the diff was dropped that the bolts weren't tightened up properly. Unfortunately it was the side that I tightened so I cant blame anyone else but myself.

So... In conclusion: CHECK YOUR NUTS! Then CHECK EM AGAIN!

Glad you found it, get some nylolock nuts, put two on sure to be sure :wink:

well i did think what i might find Doris with a title like that

good post glad you ok

Which side? the ones I did or the ones you did?

Just a quick point to anyone who has changed or modified any componant on either there steering or suspenstion ........

DO NOT TIGHTEN NUTS AND BOLTS UP TO THE CORRECT TORQUE UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS LOWERED TO THE GROUND AND IS RESTING ON THE VEHICLES FULL WEIGHT

As Trugga found out when he nearly lost his rear shackle. :shock:

Yup, thats stated several times in the Haynes manual where suspension is concerned.

Cheers bud, I gave the pas side a few gut pulls on the big bar, never trust a wizzer, ask Goldfinder.

When I did all the balljoints last time I used the air gun on em. Still no harm done (touching wood) and new bolts on the way.

Been there done that and got a degree in it :lol:

After changing the front arms on mine 2 months down the line it started clonking from the front, checked and the bolts holding the fulcrum pin to the chassis had worked loose :roll:

After that I gave them all a tweak to make sure they were ok and then last week it started pulling to the left while driving and then to the right under braking

Had a shifty and the bl***y top suspension arm bush was out and resting on the chassis :oops:

I must be losing it :roll:

So now I am ultra paranoid, check, check, check again and then check a month later and don't ever stop checking :!:

I surprised myself as well as Im normally pretty good at that sort of thing. Must have been the early start, I was pretty knackered when we were finishing up.

Timing belt and sort out the loose wire on the starter tomorrow as well as check/tighten the suspension bolts.

Im hoping I dont have a 'where does this go' moment. Pretty straightforward changing the belt and idlers on the 2.2

Changed the water pump on a 2.2 Frontera, there was about 7 days between stripping it down and putting it back together, took a few goes before the timing belt went the right way round the pulleys :lol:

There's a nice little tension indicator which is a great help when doing the belt

The timing belt box (Gates) has a nice neat diagram on it of how to route the belt.