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Old 09-16-2005, 10:34 AM   #1
javid
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Member#: 54304
Join Date: Feb 2004
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04 STi
TopSpeed-dAng!

Default Poltec Lateral Links: Won't stay tight

Note: this is not a Poltec Bash. The links are light, fully adjustable, cheapest option for full pillow ball that I could find and the the pillow balls are easily regreaseable. I have not called them about this yet, figured you guys may be able to help.

The problem I am having is that the collars on the lateral links seem to keep loosening up. We did an install, I put 100 miles on them plus one evasive manuver on the highway (dodging an aligator). It seemed like some thing broke, so I onced over all the suspension and 5 or 6 of the 16 collars were loose. 1 had worked its way off the link shaft by a good1/8". So I tighten them down with more torque than before. Months later I finanlly get the car aligned, 1 or 2 of the collars had loosened, this was with only a couple hundred street miles and no track time.

Turned out that the 'broken feel' was all alighnment. The camber was random, front had a little toe in and the rear was a full inch toe out. No wonder the car rotated so well .

In any event, I am a little apprehensive about tracking the car (sole purpose) with collars that can loosen up on the street. I am also a little worried about torqueing down those smallish aluminium collars for fear that I will strip threads. Am I just a sissy? Lastly, I am also worried that with a lot of torque, those steal rods are going to tear up the holes in the collar... For those that haven't seen the links, the collars have 4 shallow holes 90 degrees apart. The two steel rods go in one hole of collars at opposite ends of the link and you tighten down.

Who else has the poltec lateral links? Do they loosen? What have you done to resolve?

Anybody strip the threads or holes?

I have been delaying using teh ol channel locks on the collars cause the links do look pretty pimp, but safety > pimpness.

I am not really pissed, but I think that the collars are not the best design.

If I were poltec, I would use 2 collars at each end of the link and sandwich one over the other. Instead of rods I would have made a channel with two 'bolts' 90 deg apart so you can spread the strain between two holes rather than just one.


Thanks guys.
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Old 09-16-2005, 02:02 PM   #2
petawabit
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some of the holes on my poltecs aren't quite as round anymore.That reverse thread can trick you sometimes. I also thought I remembered having .5 inch or so of thread sticking out and when I took them out, they were zeroed? Maybe my mistake and I might have zeroed them in before. I was going to e-mail Dariusz to see if I can get more collars, but have been too lazy to do so. Maybe I'll do it now
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Old 09-16-2005, 06:02 PM   #3
trhoppe
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I looked under the robot car, and I've decided that the fix is lock washers on all the collars or beer. One of the collars has them, why don't the others?

-Tom
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Old 09-16-2005, 10:43 PM   #4
drees
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Some locktite should help as well.
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Old 09-17-2005, 12:32 AM   #5
Patrick Olsen
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During my initial install, I deformed the holes in two of the collars using what I consider to be "normal" torque for a lock nut. I was immediately less than impressed. So, I went to Ace and bought some actual jam nuts (they're thin, a bit more than 1/2 as tall as a normal nut) and installed those. They didn't have the thin left hand thread ones, so I just bought a couple regular left hand thread nuts and cut them in half.

Before:

After:

(I did the ones at both ends, but only have pics of the ones at the hub end).

Hindsight being 20/20, I really could have just bought the normal LH thread nuts and not cut them in half, since there's enough exposed thread to fit a normal nut on there. Anyway, with the jam nuts being steel rather than aluminum I was able to put some decent torque on them without worrying about ruining them.

The one downside to this is that the rear subframe and the wheels/tires make it pretty tough to get to the lock nuts. Imagine the lateral link in its normal position in the picture below, and you can see that the subframe will be in the way.

It'll be very difficult, if not impossible, for me to break that lock nut loose with a normal wrench. So Poltec's weak aluminum lock collars with the rod thingy actually works better there. For this very reason I'm thinking of ditching the Poltecs and going with a set of Hotchkis arms - I don't really need the pillowballs, and the adjustment on the Hotchkis arms is closer to the middle of the link, hence easier to access.

Pat Olsen
'97 Legacy 2.5GT sedan
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Old 09-17-2005, 12:37 AM   #6
psyber_0ptix
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crap, i gotta go check mine
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Old 09-17-2005, 02:55 AM   #7
trhoppe
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I see the problem jacko. He's goth lock washers on all of them. You only have them on one.

-Tom
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Old 09-17-2005, 01:29 PM   #8
javid
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Great, go ahead and fix them Tom



....for beer. Just put it on my tab.
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Old 09-17-2005, 05:53 PM   #9
Patrick Olsen
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1996 Impreza coupe

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Quote:
Originally Posted by trhoppe
I see the problem jacko. He's goth lock washers on all of them. You only have them on one.

-Tom
Note that the lock washers are only on the outer ends, near the hub. The inner ends do not have lock washers.

Pat
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Old 09-17-2005, 07:56 PM   #10
MK19_
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http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=763203

Check here homer- looks like mine have gotten worse and sadly- gonna have to ditch them.
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Old 09-17-2005, 11:55 PM   #11
Patrick Olsen
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1997 Legacy 2.5GT
1996 Impreza coupe

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Quote:
Originally Posted by MustangKilla
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=763203

Check here homer- looks like mine have gotten worse and sadly- gonna have to ditch them.
Ummmm... What do your swaybar endlinks have to do with this conversation about lateral links?

Pat
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Old 09-18-2005, 12:03 AM   #12
psyber_0ptix
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i checked mine, and they are nice and tight ??

but mine were the "older" batch i guess the ones that are depicted on the site as opposed to the hexagonal tubes they now put out

..not that that would really matter
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Old 09-18-2005, 10:03 AM   #13
MK19_
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Dogs are forever in
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Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick Olsen
Ummmm... What do your swaybar endlinks have to do with this conversation about lateral links?

Pat
Just showing that the Poltec units have issues in a few places. Granted, not the same so I digress...
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Old 09-19-2005, 04:42 PM   #14
PolTec Inc
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Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by javid
Note: this is not a Poltec Bash. The links are light, fully adjustable, cheapest option for full pillow ball that I could find and the the pillow balls are easily regreaseable. I have not called them about this yet, figured you guys may be able to help.

The problem I am having is that the collars on the lateral links seem to keep loosening up. We did an install, I put 100 miles on them plus one evasive manuver on the highway (dodging an aligator). It seemed like some thing broke, so I onced over all the suspension and 5 or 6 of the 16 collars were loose. 1 had worked its way off the link shaft by a good1/8". So I tighten them down with more torque than before. Months later I finanlly get the car aligned, 1 or 2 of the collars had loosened, this was with only a couple hundred street miles and no track time.

Turned out that the 'broken feel' was all alighnment. The camber was random, front had a little toe in and the rear was a full inch toe out. No wonder the car rotated so well .

In any event, I am a little apprehensive about tracking the car (sole purpose) with collars that can loosen up on the street. I am also a little worried about torqueing down those smallish aluminium collars for fear that I will strip threads. Am I just a sissy? Lastly, I am also worried that with a lot of torque, those steal rods are going to tear up the holes in the collar... For those that haven't seen the links, the collars have 4 shallow holes 90 degrees apart. The two steel rods go in one hole of collars at opposite ends of the link and you tighten down.

Who else has the poltec lateral links? Do they loosen? What have you done to resolve?

Anybody strip the threads or holes?

I have been delaying using teh ol channel locks on the collars cause the links do look pretty pimp, but safety > pimpness.

I am not really pissed, but I think that the collars are not the best design.

If I were poltec, I would use 2 collars at each end of the link and sandwich one over the other. Instead of rods I would have made a channel with two 'bolts' 90 deg apart so you can spread the strain between two holes rather than just one.


Thanks guys.
To be honest with you, this is a first time I hear about the nuts getting loose. I had those on my car for a few year now with no problems.

When you are tightening them, jus make sure that the rods that are used with the nuts are fully in the holes and do not be afraid to put some muscle to it. If you feel like you need some extra nuts, definitely let us know.

Another option is to use blue thread locking compound (you can get it at any parts or hardware store), make sure it is the removable version.

Definitely let me know directly if you have any other problems of questions.

We use the lock washers only on the side with right hand thread, as their effectiveness on the left hand threads is limited at best and it would reduce the rod end engagement.

Regards

Dariusz
708/308-0947
[email protected]
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Old 09-19-2005, 05:08 PM   #15
javid
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04 STi
TopSpeed-dAng!

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by PolTec Inc
Another option is to use blue thread locking compound (you can get it at any parts or hardware store), make sure it is the removable version.


Regards

Dariusz
708/308-0947
[email protected]
^^^^ That was precisely my plan of attack.

Thanks Dariusz
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