I was outside like 15 minutes ago and as always I looked at my zuk. for some reason I shoved the front tire and thought I noticed slack. the wheels are turned all the way right now and it's locked there by the suspension geometry like it does at low speed (thinking it's the lack of alighnment with the lift which is going to be done asap) so I continued to do that and noticed there is slack. the other side didn't seem to have it but of course I didn't bother to turn the wheels the other way and check to make sure. the slack seems to be in the camber.

I have 3 potential reasons for the slack:

A- strut bolts are coming lose (checking that first thing in the morining)

if that's not it

B- slack in the strut as in defective and I'd be super pissed because it's an ome and it's hella spendy

C- it's a suzuki thing (like the jeepers say) and I just don't understand yet (hoping this is the answer


oh yea.... bonus potential reason when you least expected it: the alighnment will fix it due to the camber ajdustment (like the suspension geometry having slack there with the off camber for some reason. (hoping this is the answer even more)

any input is greatly appreciated, I don't know if this is a big deal or not but I sure as hell hope not
 

I don't think its C.  It could just be E - play in the wheel bearing.  If not, A would be my expectation.  I'd be highly surprised if the aligment fixes it (except if it's A, of course).

#6 balljoint?

k. found the problem, it was A. the nuts holding the strut bolts in somehow were not on! . either we didn't tighten them, didn't put them on or someone sabotaged it. who knows. I am very grateful it did not come apart on the road and I think someone was looking out for me and the passengers I've had in the past few weeks. going to napa in a little bit to pick up the camber bolts that were in stock and I'll put a good stock bolt from the other side on this side and intall the camber bolts and schedule an alighnment


by the way, those stock bolts are getting lock tight this time for sure

and I will be really freaking sure they are tight

thanks for the input

Very intersting.  I only had about 100miles on mine before I got into the alignment shop and when I did the bolts for the drivers side strut had fallen out and were nowhere to be found.  I know I torqued them to spec, because this was my first time getting into suspension work and I checked the torque against the factory spec twice on everything.

Very intersting.  I only had about 100miles on mine before I got into the alignment shop and when I did the bolts for the drivers side strut had fallen out and were nowhere to be found.  I know I torqued them to spec, because this was my first time getting into suspension work and I checked the torque against the factory spec twice on everything.

yea, the passenger side is fine and I made sure to hammer them a bit with a moderate setting with the impact wrench the second time I had to put it together and I thought I did it to the drivers side the day we put it together. perhaps I lost the nuts. did you mean you lost the nuts and not the bolts?

yea, I'm using some medium grade lock tight on the lower bolts this time and I really hope it holds. getting an alighment today, just have to swap a bolt from the passenger side to the drivers and put in the camber bolts

I've gone probably around 500 miles without an alighnment. been working on getting camber bolts and such. doing that may be good with poly spacers in case there is any settling to be done so that's out of the way before the alighnment

Hmmm...that's weird.  I had mine out a little over a month ago on the p-side and we've put close to a thousand miles on it up until this weekend when I changed them.  They were good and tight yesterday.

Can't say enough about having a FSM and all the specs handy at your finger tips.  Torque wrenches and torque values keep your vehicle moving, literally.

Irregardless I'm going to pay attention to mine.

Hmmm...that's weird.  I had mine out a little over a month ago on the p-side and we've put close to a thousand miles on it up until this weekend when I changed them.  They were good and tight yesterday.

Can't say enough about having a FSM and all the specs handy at your finger tips.  Torque wrenches and torque values keep your vehicle moving, literally.

Irregardless I'm going to pay attention to mine.

yea, I need a smaller torque wrench for smaller things like my front 3rd member, the big one I have didn't work well at all on that. I used an impact wrench and used certain settings for different things and a friend of mine who's built many many things seemed to think that was more than alright so that's what I did. I am going to have the strut bolts to spec this time though and with lock tite

Heh, I actually have three torque wrenches.
I started out with the 150ft/lbs one my grandpa left me.  Solid, made in America Proto brand tools.  Find one of those anymore.  Typical 2' or so torque wrench.

However it didn't have enough capacity for the bearing nuts on my Ranger (225ft/lbs) so I went-a-searchin' and found a Husky Brand 0-250ft/lbs torque wrench at Home Depot.  Lifetime replacement and about $75 if my memory serves me, but not overjoyed with it.  I broke two of them on stuff that they shouldn't have had trouble with...but Home Depot replaced both with little questions.  I still use it because well, it hasn't broke yet.  I'm guessing 3' long.

Then there's the little Craftsman inch pound one my dad gave me.  He bought it for working on his mountain bikes but never used it.  He was going to get rid of it but offered it to me first.  Damn it's handy.  Lots of the little stuff that have important yet small torque values are too small for the Proto wrench but this does them perfectly.  Not to mention I can fit it in a lot of places the bigger two can't go.  Maybe a foot long.

the one I use is my dad's american made proto probably like yours. works great as well

yea, the passenger side is fine and I made sure to hammer them a bit with a moderate setting with the impact wrench the second time I had to put it together and I thought I did it to the drivers side the day we put it together. perhaps I lost the nuts. did you mean you lost the nuts and not the bolts?

yea, I'm using some medium grade lock tight on the lower bolts this time and I really hope it holds. getting an alighment today, just have to swap a bolt from the passenger side to the drivers and put in the camber bolts

Yes, you're right it was the nuts and not the bolts.  I just remembered think "How could I have been driving around like that!!!"  I was also questioning myself if I had really torqued it correctly even though I was sure that I had.  Since I'm not the only person it has happened to I feel a little better... at least in my mechanical skills.  That could be some scary !#|removethispart|@$!|removethispart|@#$ though.

I did install mine with a 150ft/lbs Harbor Freight special... maybe I should get a higher quality torque wrench. 

yea, now mine are torqued however the alighnment shop did it but I am sure as hell keeping an eye on those now. I originally tightened them with an impact wrench probably tigheter than spec. they are not self lockers or anything so I'm really glad I used green lock tite on them. I don't think it was your wrench, just use lock tite next time and keep an eye out for it happening

a friend of mine likes to lower hondas and stuff and on his first one he lost a lower control arm bolt and did it twice with the one he had last I checked. dented the crap out of his fender it would be allot more scary for the strut to come lose on a lifted track/vit than a lower control arm on a lowered honda I'm sure though