Halfshaft Bolt Answers (all threads merged)
- Thread starter dbk
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STORMCAT
GT
I just purchased two sets of the Accufab Axel bolts and washers. This is some serious Hardware !! I've seen the Ford Parts first hand, don't waste your time with that stuff !! I wish I would have posted this sooner maybe I could have got a discount on the second set I just received !! :biggrin But seriously there is no comparison...
BlackICE
GT Owner
HiloDave
GT Obsessed
Hey Gimbal,
I will ask about the broken parts but I think it is too late. To be fair to the Dealer, they may not have assigned a mechanic as soon as I rolled in on the flatbed. They have treated me like a king there even though I bought the car elsewhere.
HiloDave
GT Obsessed
Yo Pockets,
Without doing measurements, it looks to me that the gap on the right side is wider than on the left. Does this mean anything?
Empty Pockets
ex-GT Owner
We don't KNOW (yet), Dave. But, I find it interesting that so far ONLY cars with these uneven gaps have had the problem. At least no "even gap" cars I'm aware of have been reported.
It's a long held little "theory" of mine that it does have something to do with it - though for the life of me I don't know why it would.
Maybe it's just "wishfull thinking" on my part since mine is an "even gap" car!:biggrin
Gulf GT
GT Owner
I agree, I have an Accufab bolt kit and am installing it next week in the mean time, even though I believe Ford may come up with another solution later. Certainly using Ford's bolt kit doesn't make sense with Accufab's being available.
- Aug 25, 2006
- 4,436
I have a new spare set of the OEM Ford hardware and a new spare set of the AccuFab hardware. Now having shared this I installed the AccuFab hardware because when comparing the two the AccuFab is much more robust; the washer is thicker and harder as such I doubt that it will distort. I also feel that the hardware as spec'd by John aka AccuFab when he worked with ARP is much better.
Now will this solve the problem over time; I hope so but have my doubts which is why a spare set rest on my shelf.
Takes care
Shadowman
Now will this solve the problem over time; I hope so but have my doubts which is why a spare set rest on my shelf.
Takes care
Shadowman
SuperB
Board of Directors/Owner
My car was in for tires a while back and the dealer replaced the bolts as a precaution. :banana
I don't think something like this will affect long term value, now something very unsafe might, but even that would not affect long term value. Look at the Ford pinto! :thumbsup
I don't think something like this will affect long term value, now something very unsafe might, but even that would not affect long term value. Look at the Ford pinto! :thumbsup
STORMCAT
GT
I just installed my Accufab axel bolts this weekend. I could wiggle the unbolted flanges with two fingers. Is this considered a loose fit or should they be tighter ?? Maybe some of you that have seen multiple cars can comment ??? Thanks Brian
FLASH
GT Owner/Board of Directors
Autoweek Article
On page 9 of the April 9th issue of Autoweek the heading reads "GT OWNERS BEWARE" Hermann Salenbauch, Ford's new Special Vehicle Team director said the company is aware that someGT half-shafts might come loose and that he personally is aware of eight incidents.52 cars have alreadt been fixed in addition to those eight. Salenbauch said Ford is investigating the cause of the problem but hasn't issued a technical bulletin or a recall. The problem will not occur at speed only at launch, Ford says.
This is a link to the online article:http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070403/FREE/70402012&SearchID=73278271822793
Flash
On page 9 of the April 9th issue of Autoweek the heading reads "GT OWNERS BEWARE" Hermann Salenbauch, Ford's new Special Vehicle Team director said the company is aware that someGT half-shafts might come loose and that he personally is aware of eight incidents.52 cars have alreadt been fixed in addition to those eight. Salenbauch said Ford is investigating the cause of the problem but hasn't issued a technical bulletin or a recall. The problem will not occur at speed only at launch, Ford says.
This is a link to the online article:http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070403/FREE/70402012&SearchID=73278271822793
Flash
B O N Y
MODERATOR & FGT OWNER
Just ordered a back up set from Accufab. Replaced mine with Ford replacement hardware at my expense and The Gt Guys did the install.
Gimbal
GT Owner
I replaced my bolts as a precaution and saftey wired them. I also noticed my flanges wiggled when unbolted. Radially they seemed to be tight but rocked or wiggled side to side. More so the further I pulled them out. Seemed to me they are on the loose side, maybe too loose. The only thing attempting to keep the flanges from rocking is the tightened washer. Seems the wrong way to do it to me.
Someone said the Accufab washers are thicker. I know there is no more than about 30 thou or so of space for a thicker washer before the bolt heads hit the CV assembly unless thinner heads are used.
I also have ordered an Accufab set, I'm sure they are a better alternative to the Ford kit. At least till the real fix gets figured out.
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STORMCAT
GT
Thanks for the feed back. I expected the flange to be a little tighter on the splines !! Yes the Accufab kit has a thicker washer and the two bolts have a shoulder not like the Ford bolts that have the threads cut all the way to the head. I also followed the TSB which is related to the seal leak. You apply a form able gasket gel to the spline joint before installing the washer. I figure it will prevent any leaks and may help take up some of the gap in the splines??
isaakgt
GT Owner
I also replaced mine with the Accufab set at my expense. Had the 'GT Guys' do the work at Shadowman's shop. It would have been just a matter of time for failure. The washers were cupped more than .020.
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STORMCAT
GT
Empty Pockets
ex-GT Owner
isaakgt
GT Owner
isaakgt
GT Owner
Howdy Larry, my gaps have always been uneven. The gap on the drivers side is a bit tighter. The repair really didn't change anything as far as the gap goes.
Gulf GT
GT Owner
This past week, one of my clients and a good friend popped in from Europe for a quick visit. He is one of premier racing engineers in the business. For decades he has worked in Formula 1 and beyond. This a famous man and out of respect, I don't want to name him, because he is doing a favor off the record for me, but trust me, you know who he is. He didn't have much time, but we did look over everything on this post about this problem while he was in my office. He asked for more info, specifically, schematic drawings of the design on the transaxle and photographs. Could someone please send me these if you have them? I remember some photographs of the inside of the transaxle where the problem originates being posted I had thought, but I can’t find them (please don’t refer me to do a search on the forum). And one of you engineers out there, please send me a brief synopsis of the problem in proper engineering language along with one in simple English. Gimbal, Jay, Kendall, please anyone…? It's racing season for him, so he is incredibly busy. I need the right information in a concise package that I can email to him so we don't waste his valuable time. I want to make sure we take the best shot at this. In addition, he is personal friends with the chief designer at Ricardo (actually he joked about giving me his personal cell phone number so I could ask him how to fix it). I am not promising anything, but it's a rare chance to have what many people would say is one of the top racing engineers in the world take a glance at the situation and render his opinion. And with his connections, who knows?
Send it to: gulf_gt@att.net
Send it to: gulf_gt@att.net
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