Loading the Suspension Before Tightening the Bolts Clarification

[arjun90]

I just recently completed the driver side as part of my prolonged suspension rebuild project.

I understand the car needs to be loaded prior to tightening the bolts on the bushings.

Prior to beginning work, I measured the ride height to be 16" inches (from center of axle bolt to fender liner border) // I believe ride height is also described as being measured from ground to fender liner border

When I torqued the bolts yesterday, I recall maintaining the distance of 17" from axle bolt to fender liner. Car was on jack stands and bottle jack was used to raise the driver side.

Is that one inch going to make a difference? Or am I better off loosening and re-tightening the bolts with the distance measured in the beginnining (16" inches to be exact)?--mind you that these bolts are apparently one-time use only--the ones attached to upper mounting bracket (upper control arms) and subframe (lower control arms))

[Scotty@Advanced]

You want to be as exact as possible, any preload on the bushing will wear it out prematurely.

[glennda5id]

You won't get it any closer unless the wheels are on. The wheels load at a farther distance from the chassis which gives more leverage and more compression.

[arjun90]

My issue is that I have the vehicle on Jack Stands, not on shop ramps. The accessibility is pretty limited when using the jack stands.

Have I already caused damage to the bushings? Will I need new hardware to go along with the re-tightening of the bolts now? I believe these are one-time use bolts. Or can I just loosen the bolts--and re-tighten at the appropriate height?

[PaperToast]

loosen and re-tighten
ive used the same bolts before, it holds in place just fine

[arjun90]

Thank you PaperToast, will do once I'm done with the passenger side

loosen and re-tighten
ive used the same bolts before, it holds in place just fine

[PaperToast]

Thank you PaperToast, will do once I'm done with the passenger side

kool, anything to help you sleep at night

[julex]

I normally just put a car jack under the wheel hub knuckle and lower the car onto it. Then I manipulate the jack under the hub to obtain ground-to-center-of-hub distance EXACTLY to what the other side of car is at right now, assuming it has wheel on and it is on the ground. IF the other side is in the air, then using jack stand or another car jack I put down too to the same height as if it had a wheel on and was on the ground. All of this to ensure that everything sits at normal ride height.

You might ask why am I doing this to the other side before settling the side I am working on down? This is to eliminate any influence of sway bar as sway bar is nothing else than additional spring force provided by linked spring on the other side.

Once this all is settled, you preliminarily tighten the bolts as much as you can to ensure they don't move and if you have access with torque wrench then finish the job, if not, mark the the bushings-to-bracket line across the ones you're working on and jack the car back up. Verify nothing moved, that's why the markings, and go all out on torque wrench.

It is very simple but I little daunting at first.

And no, you haven't destroyed bushings yet but driving around with improperly tightened-at-ride-height ones would eventually do that.

[arjun90]

Thanks julex, by the way, does the following diagram hold true for the Audi A6 C5 3.0L?

[julex]

It should since it is using the same parts as other C5s and ride height is about the same.

[arjun90]

Sway Bar Bushings

[PaperToast]

i never have, just the c-arms

[CJKaz]

Don't sweat it. Remember that the allroads vary ride height by several inches (sometimes more when the air bags fail).

[arjun90]

Thanks, although I must say--torquing the upper control arms then adding that extra 90 degree turn was dreadful with the upper control arms already in the car, lol
I did not torque them at exactly the 57mm (+2/-2) specification when outside the vehicle; I'd be surprised if anyone can be that precise . I jacked the suspension up through jack stands to load the suspension--both sides are at equal ride height now; should be around 57mm.

I believe the sway bar bushings need to be torqued to 18 ft lbs

The sway bar links are apparently supposed to be torqued when the suspension is loaded, I think I did somewhere close to that--its what happens in limited space and when there is lack of access to a hydraulic lift. The Bottle Jack worked perfectly though, the car "almost" lifted off the the jack stand.

i never have, just the c-arms

[arjun90]

Pretty satisfied with how it all went with the suspension refresh.

[julex]

I just did coil over swap to ST Coilovers this weekend, plopped each corner on second jack stand, exactly 13.5" from ground to center hub to simulate height that it would have when on wheels and impact wrenched lower bolts with 80lb +-200% until I could not move the bolts/nuts with my hand wrench, good o'le gutentight. It is not going anywhere.