HELP! - Just snapped a fricking front top mount stud!!!

Anonymous · October 26, 2004, 20:24

PANTS, PANTS, PANTS, PANTS! s:evil: :evil: s:evil: s:oops: :oops: s:oops: s:(

s:( s:shock: :shock: s:shock:

I was just finishing fitting my front strut brace and though - I've made a super job of this; I'd used some rubber edging strip to hide the cut edges of the plastic and it that this was sooo easy to do.

What a mistake!

I was just torque-ing up (to 40 Nm) the penultimate nut when the stud snapped, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

So my question is this; is the stud double threaded? - i.e. can I take it out throught the top, or do I have to remove the whole of the offside front suspension?

If it isn't - any tips!

BTW, does anyone have a part number for a new stud?

Plus - is my car safe to drive (careful driving of course - not like I stole it!) with only 2 of the 3 top mount nuts done up?

Any help at all would be very much appreciated.

I'm going to stare at it for 1/2 an hour then I'll be back! s:(

s:(

GSB · October 26, 2004, 20:34

My guess is that you will have to remove the front suspension leg and put a new top mount on, as the stud will be welded in to the top bearing shell. You can drive it on 2 studs, but i'd get it sorted reasonably quickly for piece of mind...

Anonymous · October 26, 2004, 20:50

yes the studs are welded into the top of the mount, it's a complete removal and replacement of the top.Don't worry too much, the bolts aren't holding the suspension on, the weight of the car does enough, they are there to stop the arm dropping out when you jack the car up or when you go over bumps. Two bolts is not going to be a problem but your never going to feel safe till you sort it.

markiii · October 26, 2004, 21:07

top mount

(up to November 2002) 48609-17050
(onwards) 48609-17051

Anonymous · October 26, 2004, 21:43

Cheers lads!

After consulting my technical consultant (Dad) he confirmed this - although thought that the studs may be pressed into the mount from the other side and are on a spline, rather than being welded (you can feel the other flat end of the stud from the underside). However even if this is the case, that one stud won't be coming out as it's probably pressed in with about 2 tonnes of force! s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

So, to fit a new top mount - is the protocol roughly,
1. jack up car,
2. remove wheel,
3. attach spring compressors to spring (which shall be borrowed from my bro-in-law s:wink: :wink: s:wink: ) and compress the spring.
4. Undo the two bolts that hold the end of the damper on to the suspension upright.
5. Remove old top mount and place on new one.
6. Re-fit everything!

Then does the whole lot drop out?

Do I have to undo the nut on the top of the damper - the one that's under the little round rubber cover in the centre of the top mount?

Have I missed anything (probably!) s:?: :?: s:?:

If this is the case, I take it that I won't need to get the suspension geometry checked - as I'm only removing the spring and damper assembly - not altering any of the other parts of the suspension!?!

I was planning on driving in the '2 to a mates birthday on saturday - he lives in stevenage, which is about a 140 mile round trip.

Do you think this will be safe to do?

Obviously I won't be trying to get some air by flying over a speed bump super fast! s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

BTW, does anyone have an idea of how much the top mount is gonna cost?

I still don't understand how this happened - my torque wrench was definitely set to 40Nm s:? :? s:? Pops thought it may have been just a duff stud!?!

markiii · October 26, 2004, 22:01

well I've had a wheel stud go due to a bad stud, so it's possible.

you will need to undo teh top centre nut, the same as when changing teh springs.

since you wil have to remove teh strut assembly ideally you should get an alignment afterwards.

In practice you will probably be ok, but you should ideally.

markiii · October 26, 2004, 22:02

oh and loosen teh centre nut before removing it from teh car, it's a royal PITA afterwards.

roger · October 26, 2004, 22:08

I am not too good on the old search button - but wasn't there a discussion about torquing this and 29nm was the probable setting?

Hope to be doing mine tomorrow, so confirmation would be appreciated.

roger

Bongo · October 26, 2004, 22:10

m http://www.spydermagazine.com/2001/Apri ... nstall.htm m

29 ft/lb s:)

s:)

roger · October 26, 2004, 22:11

I just posted that link onto TRD GB s:oops: :oops: s:oops:

Moral - read your own links!!

roger

Anonymous · October 26, 2004, 22:39

Cheers for that Mark s:D

s:D

Don't do that Roger - you had me worried there for a mo that it may actually be my fault s:shock: :shock: s:shock: s:wink: :wink: s:wink: Panic over! s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

So does anyone have any thoughts on whether they think it'll be okay for me to drive to Stevenage and back on saturday with only 2 out of 3 studs done up on one side?

I doubt that Mr T will be able to get me a new top mount by friday, so I may have no choice about taking my '2, unless I don't go! s:cry: :cry: s:cry:

GSB · October 26, 2004, 22:53

Well, I'd do it....

Anonymous · October 26, 2004, 22:57

Quote from: "GSB"Well, I'd do it....

That's all I wanted to hear! s:lol: :lol: s:lol: s8)

s8)

I've posted some pics of the "results" in the other thread I posted if anyone wants to have a butchers... s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Anonymous · October 27, 2004, 01:05

Y'know, just a thought here, but since you're essentially pulling the strut out to replace the mount, you're performing 1/4 of the labor required to install lowering springs and/or a strut replacement. You'll have the car in position, you'll have the tools at the ready... If you have the cash, this might be an opportune moment.

Anonymous · October 27, 2004, 09:48

Unfortunately cash is the problemo - as I'm more than skint!

I must take a leaf out of Zammo's book and just say no.

To group buys! s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

I plan to eventually fit the TRD sportivo setup, so I can neither afford the £1000 to buy the kit, nor the insurance premium rise s:cry: :cry: s:cry:

But I will be able to in a few months s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted:

I'm sure it shouldn't take too long to replace the top mount anyway - 2 hours max!?

I rang my local Mr T and they said a new top mount will cost £58.16 s:oops: :oops: s:oops:

Hmm, think I may try a few scrappies first...

markiii · October 27, 2004, 11:58

Quote from: "Mr 2"Unfortunately cash is the problemo - as I'm more than skint!

I must take a leaf out of Zammo's book and just say no.

To group buys! s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

I plan to eventually fit the TRD sportivo setup, so I can neither afford the £1000 to buy the kit, nor the insurance premium rise s:cry: :cry: s:cry:

But I will be able to in a few months s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted:

I'm sure it shouldn't take too long to replace the top mount anyway - 2 hours max!?

I rang my local Mr T and they said a new top mount will cost £58.16 s:oops: :oops: s:oops:

Hmm, think I may try a few scrappies first...

have a word with JapGT300 he may have one lying around.

Anonymous · October 27, 2004, 13:59

Cheers Mark, but it looks like I won't have to do that...

I rang round 10 breakers; - out of them 3 said they had them, but would only sell it with the suspension upright as a whole unit s:? :? s:?

I was just chatting to my bro (he's the head of a drawing office for a company that produces food manufacturing equipment - or something like that!) and he said that if I got the top mount off the car and gave it to him he could get someone in their workshop to either press of drill out the old stud (depending on whether it's pressed or welded in) and then either press or weld a new stud in s:bounce: :bounce: s:bounce:

Cost = £0 s8)

s8)

Anonymous · October 27, 2004, 23:43

...and she's fixed! s:bounce: :bounce: s:bounce: s:bounce: :bounce: s:bounce: s:bounce: :bounce: s:bounce:

It was the top left stud that was snapped - you'd never tell s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

I dropped the suspension upright out and then managed to press the stud out of the top mount in my vice (they are pressed in - not welded!)

For the moment I have replaced it with an 25mm long M8 bolt, so I've just got to see if I can find a new stud to match the old one - Toyota don't do them, well according to my local Mr T s:? :? s:?

The whole thing took about 45 mins from jacking it up to lowering it back down onto the wheels s:D

s:D

TBH, I'm pretty sure the bolt should hold up fine, but for completeness I'll try and get a stud - I won't even have to drop the suspension out to fit it - as I'l just need to take the bolt out, pop the new stud in and the force of tightening the nut should pull it into the mount.

Looking at the suspension (as I took it apart and reassembled it) I don't think I'll need a suspension geometry check - as there is no area of adjustment in the parts I took off. I spoke to a tech at my local MrT and he thought that it should be okay too...

...although I haven't driven it yet - it's raining and my car is still nice and shiny from where I waxed it on sunday s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

So as long as it doesn't pull to one side and as long as my tyres wear evenly it should be okay s8)

s8)

Anonymous · October 28, 2004, 01:55

QuoteIt's raining and my car is still nice and shiny from where I waxed it on sunday

Nice to see I'm not the only guy who hesitates to ruin a perfect wax job if waiting awhile cheats a rainstorm.

Good job on the repair, too. From my own reading on the various boards, replacing snapped studs is a fairly common event and not that difficult to perform. When I removed my header, I replaced all three studs even though only one was broken. MrT only charged me parts on the deal. Do give us a report on your impressions of the tower mount upgrade.

Anonymous · October 30, 2004, 00:33

Quote from: "southerneditor"Do give us a report on your impressions of the tower mount upgrade.

I've written a bit of a review in the other thread I started called "Fitting TRD front strut brace and member braces..." s:wink: :wink: s:wink: