LCP HD sway bar bracket ripped out of frame w Whiteline sway bar.. ? (3 Viewers)

[Brav]

After doing Runithon last year, I severely banged up my rear sway bar and brackets. I already had LCP Brackets and links in anticipation. But the links were slightly lower than the trailing arms and would hit here and there.

After Rubithon, I bent one of the HD links, and bent the rear sway bar. One heim was blown out.

I later replaced the bad heim and bent links (said to be indestructible….?) and then added the white line rear sway bar. Haven’t done any hardcore wheeling since but the white line bar and fresh bushings really helped body roll. I dediced to shorten the links as to avoid them being the low point on the rear axle..

Anyway, fast forward to today and heard some clanking noises after doing some relatively easy trails in Arrowhead. Just one really big rock/hole that I went through easily but probably flexed the rear to max.

And then found the passenger rear link bracket ripped out of the frame.. bent the hole w the nutsert. Bracket then was flopping around and must have tore off the shock resi from the mount …. Wtf!

Has anyone had this problem/possible interference before? Was shortening the links the problem?

 

[Nad Aitch]

I'm inexperienced with rivnuts, but is that rivnut fully compressed/ expanded?

I've got a set of these waiting on my bench to install. Ironically I've been debating just running a bead because the rivnut thing just seems like trouble and this is exactly what I was afraid of.

Did you reach out to @LandCruiserPhil before posting? I'm sure he'll take care of you.

 

[Brav]

I'm inexperienced with rivnuts, but is that rivnut fully compressed/ expanded?

I've got a set of these waiting on my bench to install. Ironically I've been debating just running a bead because the rivnut thing just seems like trouble and this is exactly what I was afraid of.

Did you reach out to @LandCruiserPhil before posting? I'm sure he'll take care of you.

Good question. We use these fairly often in my shop so I would assume so.. but this would explain it.

 

[NeverFinis]

I thought maybe the rivenut wasn't fully compressed as well, but I am leaning towards it being installed correctly or maybe overly compressed.

It looks like they were overly compressed, but hard to tell with the photo angle. Pulling through the frame may have changed it.

Maybe a job for a plusnut instead of a rivnut.

 

[lumbee1]

I thought maybe the rivenut wasn't fully compressed as well, but I am leaning towards it being installed correctly or maybe overly compressed.

View attachment 3929704

It looks like they were overly compressed, but hard to tell with the photo angle. Pulling through the frame may have changed it.

Maybe a job for a plusnut instead of a rivnut.

What keeps a plusnut from spinning? There doesn't appear to be anything that grips the hole like the ribs of the rivnut. I'm interested in a solution since I also have the same swaybar and droplink combination.

 

[NeverFinis]

What keeps a plusnut from spinning? There doesn't appear to be anything that grips the hole like the ribs of the rivnut. I'm interested in a solution since I also have the same swaybar and droplink combination.

Don't know. I only used them a couple of times to mount rear drawers and I wanted something with more pull-out resistance. They installed fine and I didn't have an issue with spinning. I used a rivnut compression tool, which was barely adequate to install the plus nuts due to their length.

 

[ttmon]

Looks like the hole for the rivnut was too big. It got set and pulled itself into the hole. If it was set properly there would be a gap the thickness of the frame material between the rivnut flange and your bracket and the rivnut flange would be mangled when it got ripped out.

 

[lumbee1]

I used the drill provided by LCP. I knew that rivnuts in a hole too big could allow them to spin so I wanted to keep the hole as tight as possible. My rivnuts had to be tapped with a hammer into place and I've fairly certain they have max gripping power due to that.

@NeverFinis do you remember if the hole was tight when you installed the rivnuts?

 

[NeverFinis]

I used the drill provided by LCP. I knew that rivnuts in a hole too big could allow them to spin so I wanted to keep the hole as tight as possible. My rivnuts had to be tapped with a hammer into place and I've fairly certain they have max gripping power due to that.

@NeverFinis do you remember if the hole was tight when you installed the rivnuts?

I am not the OP, and I haven't had rivnuts pull out...yet.. <knocks on wood>

 

[ttmon]

I used the drill provided by LCP. I knew that rivnuts in a hole too big could allow them to spin so I wanted to keep the hole as tight as possible. My rivnuts had to be tapped with a hammer into place and I've fairly certain they have max gripping power due to that.

@NeverFinis do you remember if the hole was tight when you installed the rivnuts?

Well shoot. I know we've always had trouble getting consistent results with rivnuts so they're kinda a no-other-option type thing for us.

 

[Brav]

Here are some close ups. this is the rear nut/bolt. the front one is gone, and you can see how it stretched the hole upon departure. The rear hole doesn't look pulled like this.

Full failure is probably my fault, as I did notice a clanking sound that was intermittent when turning. kept checking the front... looked at the back but didn't see anything wrong, and seemed to go away after driving. maybe one bolt was loose and bracket still in place.. not sure.

Seems to be properly set? Maybe hole too big? In either case, I am going to weld-nuts after this..

 

[mudgudgeon]

I'm surprised rivnuts are the go to for something like this.

I've used them for a bunch of little projects, but never looked at them as something that would stand up to heavy loads.

FWIW, with my lifted 105series, I messed around with sway bar and shock mounts to increase stock length for more travel. As I got more travel, it became the rear sway bar links that bound up first and limited travel.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Here are some close ups. this is the rear nut/bolt. the front one is gone, and you can see how it stretched the hole upon departure. The rear hole doesn't look pulled like this.

Full failure is probably my fault, as I did notice a clanking sound that was intermittent when turning. kept checking the front... looked at the back but didn't see anything wrong, and seemed to go away after driving. maybe one bolt was loose and bracket still in place.. not sure.

Seems to be properly set? Maybe hole too big? In either case, I am going to weld-nuts after this..

View attachment 3929925
View attachment 3929926

Sorry you are having an issue, these can sometimes be troublesome at times. From your pics it did not seat correctly for whatever reason. At this point you have 2 choices install a new rivnut using an official rivnut tool or weld it in place.

 

[Brav]

Sorry you are having an issue, these can sometimes be troublesome at times. From your pics it did not seat correctly for whatever reason. At this point you have 2 choices install a new rivnut using an official rivnut tool or weld it in place.

Thanks. Do you think shortening of the links has an effect or higher forces on the mount?

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Thanks. Do you think shortening of the links has an effect or higher forces on the mount?

No I can get and frequently get full rear articulation with a Whiteline rear swaybar at 140% stiffer than stock.

 

[landtank]

I use rivnuts for the same purpose and am not aware of any issues. However you have to be aware of what you are doing. I use them for inserting a thread in a frame that didn’t get the welded nut from the factory. You need an insert that has a thread of m8x1.25. I found 2 different inserts with the same thread size but required different hole sizes.

One required some weird drill size which looked like a conversion of a metric size drill while the other one required 7/16 hole.

I use the ones that require a 7/16 drill. Guaranteed perfect fit.

 

[Brav]

No I can get and frequently get full rear articulation with a Whiteline rear swaybar at 140% stiffer than stock.

Good to hear, also what I have read. but I had shortened the links to as short as possible for clearance.. to keep them at or above the lowest level of the lower link arms. just confirming that this does not add risk to binding/stress?

 

[Rwhat]

Well, at least you didn’t have to drive back with bent rear control arms. Those look beefy.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Good to hear, also what I have read. but I had shortened the links to as short as possible for clearance.. to keep them at or above the lowest level of the lower link arms. just confirming that this does not add risk to binding/stress?

That is the way my links are set up and I still was able to bend my Whiteline swaybar. Nothing is safe if you wheel

 

[alia176]

just curious about the rivnut that came through. Is it made of SS, Alum or mild steel?