locking CV bolts - any interest?

[924Guy]

I'm pretty sure that at least the early cars use the same CV joint as our Porschii? We tend to have a real PITA on both the street and race cars with bolts backing out, particularly if you get CV grease on the bolts while installing. I finally said F it, and safety-wire 'em all... but now one of our guys is pursuing getting some made with locking tabs, not unlike the header lock bolt kits sold for V8's etc. Here's his group buy thread:
http://www.924board.org/viewtopic.php?t=31335&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Is this of any interest to you guys? Reply back or send me a message...

[racer_tim]

The problem I see with going with these types of locking devices, is that's it's already hard enough to get a good "bit" on them to torque them tightly, and now if you use one of these clips or locking tabs, that takes away even more "meat" on the bolt head to use.

Just drill them and safety wire them. Just tie two together so you don't have to be "gumby" trying to get your hands on the top side of the CV's to tie them together.

[924Guy]

Fair enough; safety wire certainly works fine. However, regarding torquing the bolts... just how much torque are you trying to put into them?!?

Not to mention, saves a bunch of time and a number of drill bits prepping the stock bolts... :)

[Lael Cleland]

Torque: 14.4v snap-on 3/8s impact! about 6-10 seconds..50% more than the book....I have never had one come loose on the track. Had an Audi Fox, seamed like that car didn't to want to keep the 6 bolts in, 20 years ago...

[racer_tim]

Well, that's why they went to the 8 port "torx" type bolt instead of the 6 point socket head cap style.

How many times have your stripped out a CV bolt, and had to use a vice grips to remove it?

[Sandro]

I use a high quality 12pt tool and always tap it with a hammer to make sure it is seated before loosening or tightening it, no more stripping.

I just safety wire them, but for someone who hasn't drilled their bolts this is a pretty smart idea.

[Lael Cleland]

Vice Grips? 200ish...... (in 18 years being in the Biz).....I am liking the safety wire idea.... a cheep V block and a drill press should make it quick....I replace my bolts every other time.Still 8mm trip square...
I have broken more snap-on bits, than rounding out the bolts...The MAC bits seam to hold up better..??..:shrug: Axle nuts are one use only...

Totally off the subject, but one thing I started dooing on MK1s ball joints, is drill the 3 holes in the C-arm&BJ to 5/16s, and use 12.9 8mm alan bolts....grade 8.8 7mm bolts scare me.....If the BJ doesn't come with hardware...good luck finding 7x1.0 nuts& bolts
Also Lots and lots of Metric wing-nuts to hold the starter, tranny, REAR Trans mount...Quick easy removal of bad parts...Hard to get a torque wrench on:D

[racer_tim]

Wing nuts on a race car? That sounds like a oxi-moron

I've only had to do the vice grips thing a couple of times, sometimes on my street car, and only once on the race car. If you drill out the CV bolts, you can re-use them over and over again. Also make sure to clean out the threads and remove all of the CV grease, but if you safety wire them, they will NEVER losen up, unless you safety wire them wrong.

I spent 5 years in the Air Force, and safety wiring critical bolts from loosening, is one the the best practices that I learned. BTW, I was in the USAF from 1981 to 1986.

BTW, my current HP Wabbit was my street car, and I purchased it brand new in Oct 1981 and put almost 300k miles on it as a street car, before I turned it into a race car, and started storing it in a garage.

[924Guy]

+1 to drilling out the BJ bolts (note that I have the same A1 front suspension), only we stick with metric instead of switching to SAE - consistency helps.

I'm not fond of the idea of wingnuts, but I suppose if you run safety wire in the ears, it could be passable. For non-critical stuff. I prefer to make sure I don't have to regularly change such items...

[Lael Cleland]

LOL! easy saftey wireing wing nuts...
I dream of buttons on the dash to push, that make parts change themselves....Like a 1998+ audi/passat rack&pinion swap button!!!!

I use 8x1.25x 35mm 12.8, alan cap screws....& 7.93mm dril bit......for the BJs...
Wing nut sockets are gettin hard to find.....

Off the subject again, but are the front spindles 924/MK1 interchangeable? say my buddy wanted to make his scirocco RWD? retain front suspention...

[924Guy]

The struts and a-arms are, so yes, I would 100% expect you could bolt a 924 front spindle and all in there. However, I'd suggest using an early 944 spindle instead of the solid-disc 924; it was an option to the 924, bolts right in, and give a much nicer vented rotor with more commonly-available pads. Of course, then you have to run Porsche rims, not a 4x110 (IIRC, think that's what the 4-bolt setup is).

[Lael Cleland]

I have this 81 scirocco..... no engine.trans....I have an Audi 5speed....and an abundance of engines....2.8L Audi V6......I would love to go mid engine...Track toy..
Possibly formula car front end...the Porsche spindles would make it happen quicker!

[jimbbski]

[QUOTE=924Guy;301201]+1 to drilling out the BJ bolts (note that I have the same A1 front suspension), only we stick with metric instead of switching to SAE - consistency helps.

+2 on drilling out the BJ bolts but I find 5/16 bolts easier to find and I can get them in AN style for not much more then an allen head.'
AS for being consistant, I'm use to having cars with mixed SAE & Metric. My first car was a Mercury Capri, the German built one of 1974. The car was a mix on metric and SAE. It helped me to be able to look at a bolt today and guess the size and thread pitch with good accuracy!