Spring clamp torque value?

Clem Clement

Clem Clement

Well-known member
Torque value for a '40 ford spring clamp, please? I suspect over 100 PSI. Nut is 7/8". 6 out of 8 are loose! None have washers.
Stay strong, Clem
 
Clem Clement said:
Torque value for a '40 ford spring clamp, please? I suspect over 100 PSI. Nut is 7/8". 6 out of 8 are loose! None have washers.
Stay strong, Clem
Click to expand...

Clem,
More often than not, there won't be any washers. The only washers that Ford utilized were hardened flat washers in the rare instance the cotter pin hole in the bolt didn't line up with the slotted nut properly.
If you have the correct U-bolts and bars then simply crank the nuts down as tight as you can and install a cotter pin to each.
There is no specification from Ford for this area that I am aware of.
 
Thanks. You are the goodoest.
The green book shows washers of various part numbers. Interested that the two spring sets with the sheathes on them, have the nuts loose. I thought maybe some of the sheathes were compressing/adjusting. I'll fix things.
 
Clem Clement said:
Thanks. You are the goodoest.
The green book shows washers of various part numbers. Interested that the two spring sets with the sheathes on them, have the nuts loose. I thought maybe some of the sheathes were compressing/adjusting. I'll fix things.
Click to expand...

Sheathes? Do you mean the tin covers? If so, the covers should NOT be beneath the clamps.
 
car resting on the ground. thread and cross pieces lubed with 30 weight oil. 39 pickup started with 10-20 Psi torque. Worked them all up the 50psi. Nuts are 7/8th. There was some crunching of dirt and rust as the spring leaves moved.
I'll retighten up to 76 after I gain strength form my nap
 
Just a note: Don't be tempted to over do it and tighten with a long pipe on your ratchet handle as it's easy to strip the threads.
 
19Fordy:
Thanks. I don't have many psi in these old skinny arms. I set both vehicles at 51 psi. All 8 bolts were loose. The tin sleeves over the springs did not extend to t6he spring clamp area.
 
Clem, That seems a little light on the torque. Wheel lug nuts are tighter than that.
However, I am no expert. If the nuts were tight and you turned them just a hair more to insert a cotter pin, then you are probably ok.
 
19Fordy,
Thanks. I used the twist bar/long pointer for the torque measurements. It seems that as I got near 50 psi, attaining the 50 moved away. I have a modern torque wrench, but it sets at 25 right now and I was too lazy to spend the time to crank it up to 75.

I suffered a little yesterday pulling on the wrench. Thanks for your opinion. I saw a number somewhere that a 7/8th nut design limit is 120 psi.

I just realized that I chose cotter pins new from my general pin jar. The Merc is a national car: I assume the cotter pins are checked for proper size?? If I have to change them, I want to get the torque correct.

The frame has a thick coat of white stuff under the black. Perhaps this is crumbling under the torque load??

Thanks all for your assistance
Clem
 
Clem, just to clarify when torquing nuts or bolts you go by the thread size and type and not by the physical size of the nut or bolt head. Regards, Kevin.
 
Thanks. I thought I read it some place. I'll see it I can find the source again.

Do you think 50 is good enough for the spring clip nuts? I started think task with several of the nuts hand tight and one cross piece moveable.
TIA,
Clem
 
Clem, I dont think you have to worry about a torque wrench on those spring clamp nuts. Just do them up fairly tight and leave it there. The split pins will prevent an tendency to come loose. By the way measurements are in ft/lbs of torque and not PSI as you suggested. (I know, just a slip of the finger). Regards, Kevin.
 
Clem Clement said:
car resting on the ground. thread and cross pieces lubed with 30 weight oil. 39 pickup started with 10-20 Psi torque. Worked them all up the 50psi. Nuts are 7/8th. There was some crunching of dirt and rust as the spring leaves moved.
I'll retighten up to 76 after I gain strength form my nap
Click to expand...

Fasteners should be tightened without any sort of lubricant unless specified. It will reduce the amount of torque required to reach X amount of bolt stretch, often in an unreliable manner.

These numbers are just wild examples, but a torque of 50 ft-lbs (lubricated) would be like 75 ft-lbs (unlubricated). It makes it very easy to over-stretch the fastener.

I doubt Ford specifies use of any lubricant on such spring fasteners.
 
You young fellers need to understand something. Old Ford mechanics or shade tree mechanics didn't use torque wrenches. We just tightened the nuts up till they felt right and went with it. Don't overthink a situation. My 2¢. Keep on V8ing.
 
Lawson Cox said:
You young fellers need to understand something. Old Ford mechanics or shade tree mechanics didn't use torque wrenches. We just tightened the nuts up till they felt right and went with it. Don't overthink a situation. My 2¢. Keep on V8ing.
Click to expand...

Lawson, I agree with you in part.
There is "good enough" and many times, that's just what it is - "good enough".
Then there is "done correctly" which will always be just that - done correctly.
Given the choice, I'd go with "always".
 
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