Balljoint problems.

[PHYLLIS]

Ive got a renault clio 1.2 mk2 phase 1 grande.

Ive having real problems with the balljoint,ive fitted a new balljoint and the ball joint on the driver side the bolt's that hold it to the lower arm keep coming loose,ive tryed 3 diffrent sets of bolts tigtened to 75nm's and yet they still come undone,So i went to renault and got the official bolts and nuts for £11 and ive put them on and its doing it again and when i go to tighten it,the nut is just spinning and not tightening....any idea's?

Ive changed balljoints in the past and never come across this before.

 

[MartinR]

Are they lock nuts? Have you put a spanner on the bolt and tightend the nut?

 

[PHYLLIS]

Theyre the standard lock nuts from renault, they have nyloc in them.

Yes ive had a spanner and a socket, this tightened it up then used a tourque wrnch to 75nm and the nut just spins round and doesnt tighten.

I just cant understand it i changed them on my old vtr no problem!

 

[MartinR]

Get someone to hold the spanner on the bolt whilst you torque the nut up.

 

[PHYLLIS]

tryed it the nut is just spinning as if theres no thread there, its not the bolts ive replaced them twice ?

 

[PHYLLIS]

sorry what i mean is the nuts not tightening its just spinning and the bolt is staying still.

 

[Dan1587]

Sound like you've stripped the threads in the nut! You need a new nut and bolt and try that!

Getting the old one off might be a pain, might need to cut it off!

 

[PHYLLIS]

yes thats what i think but its the third set its happened to?

i had to cut the last set off.

 

[Dan1587]

Oh, I have no idea then unless they are cheap bolts, over tightening or cross threaded?
But if it's the third set I don't really know what to suggest I did mine not long ago and used my battery nut gun to do them up so I expect they are tighter than 75Nm.

 

[swellybro]

Look at the thread of the bolt it's probably spinning when tightening the nut.

Easy way is to use a jack and jack up to the bottom of the ball joint. That will hold it in place and let you tighten the nut.