Rear shock bolts torque - PSA

[syncroserge]

Bentley page 42.2 has annoyed me since the first time I looked at it. It can easily lead to confusion
and mistakes so here is my corrected version.
Highlighted in yellow is what I have added.

THIS is the original/confusing version. You could think that the bolt near the brake drum is the top shock bolt
with a torque of 101 ft-lbs because it lines up with the top shock sleeve and bushing.
But it is the bearing housing bolt.

The Haynes manual shows the correct info, the bolt for the top of the shock and the dashed lines that show
the proper location of the bearing housing bolt. But it is missing the torque values.

I believe this has been mentioned here before but I had time today for a few pictures for those who didn't know..
...fix your Bentleys...

[bobbyblack]

Just to clarify this, I would guess the top and bottom shock bolts are both 65 ft lb? I just don't see it explicitly there.
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[syncroserge]

Yes..my 1st picture is a little dark but there is a bolt at the bottom mounting point that the 65 ft-lbs points to.

I added a bolt close to the top mounting point as in Haynes and added the line to the 65 ft-lbs.

[bobbyblack]

Ahh yes, now the part where I thought it was upside down makes sense. It is BOTH top and bottom.. the way it is drawn in your first pic almost makes it look as if the shock mount is just one location.. I see what you are doing now with the addition.
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[ALIKA T3]

Merci Serge!

I never had a doubt though, the bolt at the top and bottom are the same, so same torque.
140Nm is way too much for the M12 shock bolt anyway, and drawings are most of the time accurate. You don't see an unthreaded shoulder on the hub /bearing carrier bolt, another clue.
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Silicone Steering Boots and 930 Cv boots for sale in the classifieds.
Syncro transmission upgrade parts in the Classifieds.
Subaru EJ22+UN1 5 speed transmission
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget

[ZsZ]

They forgot to draw the upper shock bolt while copying the factory image.
The factory manual has the same picture as the Haynes and it has a shared label with the lower nut. Both are 90Nms

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Zoltan
1.9 MTdi 2wd Multivan (ex Caravelle)
Van since 2006, engine since 2008

[syncroserge]

[syncroserge]

[crazyvwvanman]

I'm sure I've tightened many of them to 100+ after having them come loose from hours of Baja washboard. I use lock-tite on mine now.
And I carry spare sets. Walking back and forth on dirt roads looking for the lost ones isn't always successful and takes time.

Mark

[ALIKA T3]

[Microbusdeluxe]

Just to add some confusion to this thread. I'm installing some new Bilstein shocks on my 16" syncro. The installation directions that came with them claim that an M12 bolt should be tightened to only 46 nm or 34 ft lbs., Hmmm. I'm sticking with the VW/Bentley/Samba consensus of double that, but it is curious why Bilstein cites such a low number.

I used anti-seize on the previous pair, can't really remember what I torqued them to, probably the 65 ft lb number, but they never came loose after many miles of Baja, mainland Mexico and Pacific NW logging roads. So I'm sticking to anti seize rather than thread lock.
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'69 Squareback RIP
'65 21 window deluxe sold before the price spike, damn it.
'70 rhd bay now a taxi in South Sudan
'81 Westy sold
'89 hightop Westy Joker syncro 16" now with Bostig!

[VicVan]

Tightening torque depends, among other things, on the grade of the bolt, i.e. what type of metal alloy it's made of. The 46 Nm value for an M12 is correct for a 8.8 bolt (that's your standard - not reinforced bolt). For other grades of metal, toghteniq torque increases. See here: https://mechanicology.com/metric-bolt-torque-chart-class-8-8-class-10-9-class-12-9
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'90 Little Blue Truck, 2WD auto, FAS GenV 2.0 NA (AVH)

[DanHoug]

[markswagen]

the stock bolt is M12X1.5mm 65mm long.
a longer bolt and either a nyloc nut on it, or a small hole drilled for a wire tie, like aircraft, would solve the issue.
personally, l have NEVER seen a shock bolt back out, top or bottom.
several of the vans l look after go all over Baja, and endure a LOT of washboard.
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markswagen {mobile mechanic} san diego area all early VW's cared for.

619 201 0310

[jlrftype7]

I had an R/R upper rear shock bolt come loose on me on the '84. Not a lot, just enough to make noise over bumps at times. I tightened it back up and it never came loose again. I chalked it up to user error.....
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'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto

[Sodo]

But 65 or 101 in this case.... 101 can't hurt.
I think 101 with a thread sealer or anti-seize is a good thing.
If the shock sleeve is the rolled type with a slot in it - that can fill with water it should have anti-seize on the bolt.

I had this trouble, the shock bolt head wore the hole 'loose'.
I knew the head was wobbling in the hole, but there was nothing i could do about it (other than go thermonuclear on it).

Thinking of all the shock bolts in the world.....they're generally a reliable bolted connection.

I don't think I've ever considered a torque wrench for this application.
And yet I had some 'trouble'.

At shock-replacement time I cut the bolt with a sawzall.
Then welded a 'fresh new hole' onto the trailing arm.

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This Bentley issue could be added to the Samba thread.
Bentley Errors, Omissions, and Inadequacies
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb