steering and suspension Please Verify I Did This Right (Safety Wire)

[Beach_Bum]

First time safety wiring and I've talked myself in circles trying to figure out if I did it correctly or not. It seems I can justify it being right AND wrong   Can someone please verify if this looks good or if I need to start over.

 

 

 

[jgerock]

Nice job!  Key is to wire so that the hardware is tightening with the pull/twist of the wire, not loosening.  Looks easier than it actually is to replicate..

 

I used the wrong size safety wire (too thick).

[Beach_Bum]

Nice job!  Key is to wire so that the hardware is tightening with the pull/twist of the wire, not loosening.  Looks easier than it actually is to replicate..

Thanks! Yeah, that's what I was having a hard time wrapping my head around. Trying to visualize if I pulled the wire from one way, how it would effect the other bolts. I stressed myself out looking at it for too long haha.

[Beach_Bum]

:deleted:

Edited December 6, 2013 by Beach_Bum

[roadhog0]

The second one is wrong. I'm pretty sure at least. But I'm no expert. Shit mine arent even safety wired...

 

Your first one is gorgeous! 

[182kartracer]

If you are just going through the bolt to keep the nut from coming off then it doesn't matter which way you loop them through but if you had say a castle nut then jgerock is correct

[TobyB]

...except that those are bolts...

 

Yeah, the first is almost textbook  The second will probably be fine.

 

t

[Beach_Bum]

The second one is wrong. I'm pretty sure at least. But I'm no expert. Shit mine arent even safety wired...

Your first one is gorgeous!

...except that those are bolts...

Yeah, the first is almost textbook The second will probably be fine.

t

Thanks guys. I think you're correct Roadhog, I noticed I did the second one wrong when I compared it to the first set of pics. I'm going to redo it tonight. Edited December 5, 2013 by Beach_Bum

[bnam]

Second strut is wrong.

[jgerock]

Yes - the second one isn't tightening the bolts (lefty-loosey, righty-tighty except if you have a weird Chrysler product).  Don't feel bad, I struggled with the wiring when I did it.

 

BTW - I have the same ball joint/tie rod/pitman arm tool and it works fine.

Edited December 5, 2013 by jgerock

[2002Targa]

Something else to consider.  Ditch the nut/lockwashers that came with the ball joint and put on crimped or nylock nuts with a washer.  That's definitely not something you want coming loose.

[Beach_Bum]

Something else to consider.  Ditch the nut/lockwashers that came with the ball joint and put on crimped or nylock nuts with a washer.  That's definitely not something you want coming loose.

 

Thanks for the tip. I was going to put some Loctite on them as well.

[Pamola]

Please see Carroll Smith's Nuts, bolts, fastners, and plumbing handbook. The link below will take you to the index. There is a nice picture of a suspension saftey wired on page 123. I'd also highly recommend picking up the book as a refrence.

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=A81HmmRCN7YC&pg=PA222&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false

[peterschop]

Please see Carroll Smith's Nuts, bolts, fastners, and plumbing handbook. The link below will take you to the index. There is a nice picture of a suspension saftey wired on page 123. I'd also highly recommend picking up the book as a refrence.

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=A81HmmRCN7YC&pg=PA222&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

The link takes you to a preview that excludes pages 3-193. Guess you have to buy the book. Even from the index. Does look like an educational book though.

[Beach_Bum]

Re-did the second strut last night...what a pain! No matter what I did the wire wasn't wrapping properly. I believe it was because of the way the holes in the bolt heads were facing.

 

I finally had to take two of the bolts out and switch their locations so that the holes would line up in different directions. After I did that it was a piece of cake. Forgot to take pics though, by the time I finished it was pretty late.