[Luke AUS]

Hi All,

Recently installed SPL rear toe and traction links on the M2. over the course of a few days and a long drive to a track near me the arms had loosened with the car throwing a series of codes, the car feeling pretty skittish and one of the rear wheel visibilty toe'd out. i did have a bit of weight in the rear of the car with a jack, track bits and pieces and a set of track wheels/tyres.

• the installer was adamaent they were fully tight when he installed them
• i managed to have a shop near the track correct the alignment
• when i returned to the original installer following the trackday for him to check his work a few days later two of the four arms had worked themself loose again

SPL's recommended setting for the locking collars is very low at 150 in-lb / 17nm so im pretty confident they were well above that

Anyone with a similar experience or advice?

[inTgr8r]

First I've heard of this!
I have some to be installed soon.
VERY interested to see a solution.

It might be worth contacting SPL on this.
This style was supposed to be an improvement over the jamb nut style

[Track/S]

Originally Posted by inTgr8r

This style was supposed to be an improvement over the jamb nut style

In real life the best option is a lock nut, the spl style is valid for use on a broom and sweeping, for use on car arms it is wrong.


OP uses M4 GT4/M2CSR arms and you won't have problems again.

[Luke AUS]

Originally Posted by inTgr8r

First I've heard of this!
I have some to be installed soon.
VERY interested to see a solution.

It might be worth contacting SPL on this.
This style was supposed to be an improvement over the jamb nut style

I have, the response was the torque settings and, after sharing a photo, advice to improve the alignment of one of the rod ends in the picture... if it happens again i feel i'll have the option to either remove/replace the SPL items or install some alu jam nuts as insurance.

dissapointing

[inTgr8r]

Originally Posted by Luke AUS

I have, the response was the torque settings and, after sharing a photo, advice to improve the alignment of one of the rod ends in the picture... if it happens again i feel i'll have the option to either remove/replace the SPL items or install some alu jam nuts as insurance.

dissapointing

Not a very good response from SPL!
Did they give you a torque spec?

Just to clarify;
It's the blue clamping bolts that are becoming loose?
And not that they don't clamp tight enough?

It shouldn't be needed, but what about some blue loctite on the bolts?

[Luke AUS]

Originally Posted by inTgr8r

Not a very good response from SPL!
Did they give you a torque spec?

Just to clarify;
It's the blue clamping bolts that are becoming loose?
And not that they don't clamp tight enough?

It shouldn't be needed, but what about some blue loctite on the bolts?

the advice is that pink/purple is suitable but shouldnt be required.

i havent fully got a handle on how the failure is occuring, ie,
-is the bolt backing out, or,
-is it tight but just insufficient to hold it

...the end result is that you can twist the arm by hand when off the ground once whatever is happening has happened.

ill be driving it for a week or so then jacking it up at home and investigating further.

[AUSf22]

Although this may not be the cause for the issues with your toe arms, I'd strongly suggest getting a eccentric lockout kit for the spl arms to hold the toe in place under heavy cornering. They are made by SPL also

(Eccentric Lockout Kit for Rear Toe Arms (F8X M2/M3/M4 EL F8X 2014+)

[Luke AUS]

Originally Posted by AUSf22

Although this may not be the cause for the issues with your toe arms, I'd strongly suggest getting a eccentric lockout kit for the spl arms to hold the toe in place under heavy cornering. They are made by SPL also

(Eccentric Lockout Kit for Rear Toe Arms (F8X M2/M3/M4 EL F8X 2014+)

They are installed.

[AUSf22]

Originally Posted by Luke AUS

They are installed.

Ah yes I can see them now on the second picture

[ashmostro]

Are the locking bolts stripped in the threads? If you over tightened them, they couldhave deformed threads which could lead to back out.

[FaRKle!]

I've had zero issues with the SPL arms adjustments loosening up. I torque everything to their specs.

[ashmostro]

Same...

[D.Yooras]

I deal with a fair amount of SPL stuff and the first thing I noticed was the clamping bolts do NOT need loctite, they need anti-seize. When you thread a steel bolt into aluminum with no lubrication, you loose too much torque to overcoming friction which, in turn, doesn't provide the clamping force it should be on the torque being applied.

Leaving my personal and professional feelings aside about SPL parts, this is a must-do to get that design to clamp (or at least have a chance of it clamping). I agree with the other comments in this thread that jam nuts are likely a better way to this, but if that isn't an option try anti-seize on the clamp bolt.

[inTgr8r]

Originally Posted by D.Yooras

I deal with a fair amount of SPL stuff and the first thing I noticed was the clamping bolts do NOT need loctite, they need anti-seize. When you thread a steel bolt into aluminum with no lubrication, you loose too much torque to overcoming friction ...........

Sounds interesting, I see your point.
The SPL bolts are Titanium, is the theory the same as steel?

[D.Yooras]

Originally Posted by inTgr8r

Sounds interesting, I see your point.
The SPL bolts are Titanium, is the theory the same as steel?

In this case, Ti is more similar to steel than aluminum in that it stretches and springs back far more than aluminum does. From my experience with SPL parts the threads usually seize up due to friction and the head and shank of the bolt twists until the torque spec is "achieved." Because the head is also seizing to the clamp ring, it gives a false sense of sufficient torque.

During usage the bolt (head/shank) can unwind returning to same position there were when the threads seized which is why there is a loss in overall clamping force. That's why putting anti-seize on the threads and the head of the bolt, where is interfaces with the clamping ring, makes such a great difference in actual clamping force. It also prevents the bolt from getting stuck when you go to remove it, so it's a win-win.

[Luke AUS]

Originally Posted by ashmostro

Are the locking bolts stripped in the threads? If you over tightened them, they couldhave deformed threads which could lead to back out.

na they werent that tight!

[Luke AUS]

Originally Posted by D.Yooras

In this case, Ti is more similar to steel than aluminum in that it stretches and springs back far more than aluminum does. From my experience with SPL parts the threads usually seize up due to friction and the head and shank of the bolt twists until the torque spec is "achieved." Because the head is also seizing to clamp ring, it gives a false sense of sufficient torque.

During usage the bolt (head/shank) unwind returning to same position there were when the threads seized which is why there is a loss in overall clamping force. That's why putting anti-seize on the threads and the head of the bolt, where is interfaces with the clamping ring, makes such a great difference in actual clamping force. It also prevents the bolt from getting stuck when you go to remove it, so it's a win-win.

Thank you for this, will try this approach.