Hi Stoney,

Thick wall SS! .025 shim in Dave's case! Guess you didn't have to get them real straight to push the top eye over the stud the first time.

But, I suspect you made up the clearance more evenly with tubing than could practically be done with shim, and still the nut wouldn't hold the eye still.

So it sounds to me like one of the quality skimps is the eye is too soft and is being deformed by the shock action and the nut's clamping. So the torque you applied to the nut to install was probably not the torque to remove. Once the fastener's clamping was reduced the clunk was initiated by the first expansion joint your 240 encountered, potholes notwithstanding.

I think those eyes need to be pretty hard -- the trailing arm's spacer surely is judging by the lack of damage I can do trying to turn one with vise grip pliers.

Did you notice any deformation of the eye tubing? Having some second hand and very peripheral contact with a major heat treating house, I'm aware of some of the "problems in the kitchen" and variation of quality in the competition. And I know you make it your business to know the strength of materials.

Thanks again, for the good discussion. Don't think I'll be ordering t/c's tomorrow anyway, but I had no idea until this thread they could be had for so little money.


--
Art Benstein near Baltimore