I haven't done Red loctite yet, just used fresh blue.
Alternative impact arms coming loose every ride
- Thread starter Falcon1772
- Start date
You're not the only one, mine worked their way loose too. Piled red loctite on it too before install, now my spindles are pretty trashed from the bushings digging in. I piled more red loctite on, and tightened them to the point where I thought I'd wreck something but it's held for 4 rides now.
I use grade 8 bolts to replace the two sided studs on the uppers for 1.5 seasons on my XM and again on my AXYS. Between the two I've mangled the front arms in every imaginable way, and the bolt does fine, and no way the nylock can thread off.
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And you can still use the washers... I know what I'm doing when I get back from Lolo and Seeley 1 week from today!
I ran mine alt arms for 2 years. Just installed them as per instructions on my pro. Nothing ever loosen off. But I do use blue loctite religiously and the nuts were all locking nuts. Arms worked awesome and now my buddy is running them with no issues. Dan always answered my question usually within a hour on emails.
Same here, running them on a Pro right now and probably run them on the Axys. Dan is a great guy and is always super helpful!
This is the spindle bolt that I have bending. You can see its bent in the picture. Both sides are bent like this.
I am having a problem with my right side upper spindle bolt. My riding season is over but in 550km's I have lost the nut on the spindle side twice. My left side is solid and always tight so I was thinking maybe it was something to do with a defective stud if possible? Everything was installed with blue loctite and this right side is the only concern. A-arm bushing mounts, tie rod jam nuts were all tight after the first trip West. The lower rod end jam nuts needed a little bit of attention but everything has been tight after the second and third trip to the moutains.
The second time I lost a nut was coming down a heavily whooped trail, and unfortunately drove my ski under itself and I bent a lower rod end.
I haven't talked to Dan yet, but I love my 36" Ti kit and am going to keep running it. If one side is staying tight, I'd like to know why. I'd rather not run a bolt, but Frisco that looks like a viable solution which would be done to both sides - no rush for me, this will be a summer fix with more attention later.
Does anyone know what the tolerance is on the threads? Sounds to me like a loose fit and they just keep backing off because of it
I'm keeping an eye on this thread and baffled. The thread tolerance again doesn't raise a red flag. I haven't installed a one that was any different than any other. "RED" loctite with a proper degrease on the threads seems to be relevant, and why with a nyloc nut with 100%+ contact can back off..? I cannot answer. The only thing I can come up with is proper torque or possibly a variance in maybe spindle thickness that is bottoming out the nut before it gets tight as loudhandle mentioned, and of course the shorter studs and guys using the stock flat washer with them. If your having issues call and I'll send out the bolt set up.
Dan
Falcon I sent you a pm and haven't heard back.
Dan
Dan
Falcon I sent you a pm and haven't heard back.
Dan
I didnt seem to get the PM. However does anyone else think that Red loctite is just an overkill solution for what seems to be a problem for a few of us? Isn't red the stuff that breaks stuff before it lets go?
Just put in the new replacement spindle bolts sent to me by A-I for free (Thank you!). Took everything apart last night and did red loctite and tightened the **** out of it all again. So we'll see how it does. Taking it out this weekend. I would imagine that with the Red it will be fine. Just seems like it shouldnt have needed red but oh well I guess
KMOD. They stay tight. No problems.
No, problem changed.
I had an Aluminum one snap on me on the trail out at 30+ mph. Sled went from fine to upside down in half a second and I hit the ground HARD. Scariest and worst thing I had happen to me this season. If it happened 20' feet sooner I would have been in a creek.
Bent a tie rod too when the ski got flipped around.
Went back to steel rod ends, I'll happily bend an a-arm rather than repeat that event.
Alternative impact's heavy duty lower arms have held up good this year.
The thinwall front tube and upper arm dents easily but they haven't folded like a cheap lawn chair like the last set of standard arms i had.
I'm running cromoly rod ends.
With an upsized lower rod end.
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So everything seems to be holding together still, however one of the aluminum nuts has cracked in half sometime at the end of spring 2016. Hasn't Moved, but still strange. been riding with it like this for awhile as I got kinda sick of messing with it all, and the position of the crack hasn't moved meaning its not loosening anymore and everything feels fine. So I guess the red loctite worked. haha
Ended up bending my uppar arm titanium stud also. Didnt want to wait for shipping so I drille through it and used the bishings on a bolt instead. I think it bent because it came loose, so i chevked the other side also. That was also loose, but when i tried to tightened it the nut almost immediately ripped the threads of the titanium stud. So now i cant get to tighten it more, or get it off either. So i installed another nut to lock it in place. Hope that holds.
I like the rest of the a-arm kit, but i dont think the titanium studs work very well. Why not stick to the old style with only bushings and a bolt straight through? And why are they so soft? Would be better with stainless.
I like the rest of the a-arm kit, but i dont think the titanium studs work very well. Why not stick to the old style with only bushings and a bolt straight through? And why are they so soft? Would be better with stainless.
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C
Clarke673
Somewhere between too dumb to quit and flat earth
great luck hear. Dan does very good work. Trust me when i say i am hard on them. Running choly lower and upper.
With the axys spindle you have more leverage. Id call dan, tell him what happened and i guarantee he takes care of you. Just Run a normal ball joint if you think those studs won't work.
Do you think the stock parts would have failed? bet it would have been way more damage.
also, stainless is soft. Use a graded bolt with zinc coating. Yeah it may need a dab of oil once or twice a year.
With the axys spindle you have more leverage. Id call dan, tell him what happened and i guarantee he takes care of you. Just Run a normal ball joint if you think those studs won't work.
Do you think the stock parts would have failed? bet it would have been way more damage.
also, stainless is soft. Use a graded bolt with zinc coating. Yeah it may need a dab of oil once or twice a year.
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I talked to Dan late this fall and purchased a few of these Ti bolts with bushings. I installed one on the right side to test, degreased and used red lock tite. After one trip to the mountains (120miles), it was still tight - where as my first trip out West last year I had lost the upper nut and bushing from the stud. I'm now running these Ti bolts on both sides and carrying one setup as a spare.
Thanks Dan!
Thanks Dan!
I smoked a hidden rock doing 30 which sent sled flyin- bent upper stud and slightly bent lower rod end. Arms still perfect. Quick replacement and back out ridin. Take a grinder to your carbides
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