Halfshaft bolts for newbies

[GKW05GT]

Halfshaft bolts for newbies DONE SEE UPDATE

Having read most everything I could search on this subject I was wondering if there is a definitve way to know if these were changed for those of us who purchased our GTs used. I bought mine last July with 1100 miles but there was no paperwork confirming this has ever been done. I assume the replacements are still available but most of the threads are old and this appears to be a non issue for most. Without a way of knowing should I go ahead and have this done?
thanks
gary

 

[dbk]

Gary, who did you buy your car from? I would say that if anyone that works on GTs involved on this site ever touched the car, they'd be changed. Replacements are available and cheap and it's not a terrible process if your car in fact hasn't had it done. If you can't confirm it was done, I would definitely take it to the shop and check. They will break eventually.

 

[Steve Schneider]

 

[Steve Schneider]

Hello Gary

You can look at the axle 1/2 shafts and see the bolts if they have paint marks on the bolt head that line up with the plate washers they have not been done. See picture attached, red mark is not on bolt head. You will need to replace the inner Flange bolts as well, can't easily see them. I called my local Ford dealer and he searched the V.I.N. and pulled up history of Ford repairs on my car, also showed my bolts were not replaced. (I had the report faxed and kept it for my records) Definitely replace the bolts so you are not stranded as you don't want to trailer the car if you can help it. I had a qualified Ford teck come to my house and install Acufab replacement ($225.00) bolts and do it with me in my garage.for $300.00

Steve

 

[GKW05GT]

halfshaft

Here are pics of mine. Nothing on bolt heads appears on flange.

 

[Fubar]

You can visually tell the difference between the Accufab bolts and the stock bolts. One would 'assume' that if the hub bolts were changed, the half-shaft washers were done at the same time.

Looking at those pictures, the stock bolts are gray, while the Accufab are black, chromoly looking jewels.

 

[shelbyelite]

Your bolts have been changed. Otherwise, the markings would continue on to the bolts

 

[tmctguer]

Aren't the original bolts "star Pattern" bolts? That would be one way to possibly tell.

 

[STORMCAT]

Unfortunately for you newbies the bolts that break are the inner two bolts and one retaining washer which are inside the coupling and not visible.

If you are do not have first hand knowledge of when the bolts were replaced it may be difficult to know for sure and here's why. When it first started to happen. There were cars that were fixed under warranty and they got new version 1 of the updated kit. The new kit had bolts and a new black hardened washer vs the original silver washers.

Than some of those broke and the SVT group was coxed in to looking at the problem and they came up with a second kit. This 2nd kit had a thicker washer and slight recessed pockets for the bolt heads. There was a letter sent out to all owners to have the bolts replaced.
There was a cut of date if I recall. I have the letter somewhere. If you can confirm through a dealer's history report if replacement was done a second time or at the time this new kit came out that would be the only way to know.

With that said looking at your flange and seeing Ford bolts with none matching paint marks is not a sure sign you have the latest version. It only means it's been apart. You need to know the history and the dates it was serviced to confirm you have the Version 2 kit.

I did both my cars with the Accufab kits before the second version was released. Someone may have the letter on hand to confirm the release time frame for the version 2 Ford kit. The benefit of The Accufab kits is that all of the bolts are reusable. Ford recommends their outer bolts are one time use only.



Post # 3 by Steve Schneider clearly shows the Accufab bolts on the outside. They are a dark alloy, 12 point head , bolt. This is a good sign that the inner bolts are Accufab's kit.


The long thread is in the : Ford GT - F.A.Qs

You can see a picture here:
http://www.fordgtforum.com/forums/s...action-Program&p=228536&viewfull=1#post228536

 

[GKW05GT]

Thanks for all the great information. Does anyone have a copy of the TSB 05-10-13 outlining the procedure for replacement?

 

[ChipBeck]

Although I had already replaced mine with the Accufab bolts my Ford dealer gave me a set of Ford's bolts in the box as I had them comming under warranty. They were black as I recall so if the originals were grey/silver it should be easy to visually destinguish them right??? The Accufab bolts also look very different than the Ford bolts.

Chip

 

[Empty Pockets]

I had a qualified Ford teck come to my house and install Acufab replacement ($225.00) bolts and do it with me in my garage.for $300.00

Steve

Lucky you - literally. I tired to have my local GT certified tech come to my place and do the same (didn't want the car sitting in the dealer's shop), but, the dealer wouldn't go for it - even though I told him I'd pay for travel time, blah, blah, blah.

The ONLY reason I wanted a Ford tech to do it was so that I'd have official Ford paperwork to document the fact that the work had been done.

 

[Fubar]

EP, you realize how sad that is? You wouldn't even drive it to the dealer.

You can't take it with you.

 

[shelbyelite]

The replacement bolts are silver, just like the originals. The only ones that are black are the accufabs

 

[Empty Pockets]

EP, you realize how sad that is? You wouldn't even drive it to the dealer.

Yeeeeew MIZZERbull!!!...I said I didn't want to LEAVE IT IN THE DEALER'S SHOP!!!!!! :mad

You can't take it with you.

You watch! My hearse will be closely followed by a small fleet of U-Hauls. Attached to both sides of the lead one will be signs that read, "Yes, as a matter of fact, I AM taking it with me". It'll probably be in all the papers - and on the t.v. news too! :tongue

 

[STORMCAT]

The replacement bolts are silver, just like the originals. The only ones that are black are the accufabs

You may want to clarify your statement. All of the external Flange OEM bolts are Silver / zinc plated Torx head . All of the internal OEM bolts have been Black. The only thing Silver inside the coupling was the original or early OEM washers. I still have the new Version 2 kits with the extra thick washers and the bolts. I will dig them up and post some photos

 

[Indy GT]

myyellowc5- What StormCat has posted above is accurate. You cannot tell if the two failure prone internal bolts have been replaced by looking at the exterior flange bolts. With the exception that if the external Flange bolts appear to be Accufab bolts (ARP) then you can probably deduce the internal bolts were changed out with an Accufab kit. However it is unlikely the Ford database OASIS with have this work recorded against your VIN as the customer performed this work himself.

Shelby has weighed into this thread and said your bolts were changed. If you bought your GT through Shelby I would certainly trust what he says. He has seen a "few" GT's go through his hands and knows what to look for in the paperwork.

And there is always the alternative for replacing the bolts again if you want to. The Ford generation 2 kit, as Stormy describes above, will certainly address the bolt hydrogen embrittlement problem (root cause of the bolt failures) as will the AccuFab kit. Neither kit, IMO, is better than the other, both fix the problem adequately.

 

[BIGFOOT]

OK
Maybe this is a proxy for others as well . I can see it went in for the update but was is done?
Thanks for any help

 

[BIGFOOT]

Hopefully you can all read that. This is the doc from the Ford database.
Its the first one that is relevant to this discussion. Not sure what the second "issue" is dated May 20.
Thnx

 

[RALPHIE]

If those dates are '06 (hard to read), that was probably the 1st Ford replacements. The final (2nd) Ford replacement was approved and authorized in 2008.