Tightening Torques for Anti-roll (swaybar) End Links- Front

wanderdüne · Post by **wanderdüne** » 01 Nov 2018, 15:29

Hi, getting no joy on this question on the "other forum", so this is a cross post:

I've been looking online and haven't been able to find anything.

Going to be replacing the front end links on my 2004 XC90 2.5T. In my copy of VIDA, it lists 3? values for torque:

Anti-roll bar link in shock absorber front (M12) 90Nm
Anti-roll bar link in anti-roll bar front (M10) 60Nm
Anti-roll bar link to spring strut 50Nm

Displaying my ignorance here; but which is the "top" value to the strut and which is the "bottom" value to the Anti-roll bar?

Post by **ggleavitt** » 01 Nov 2018, 19:24

90/60, should have responded on the other post. OE front- Top is M12, bottom is M10 for front. Rears are M12 both ends and get torqued to 80nm. Have the set I wrote about on the other forum in my garage, put a caliper on them to check size. These things get cranked down pretty good so to me it makes sense.

My guess is the sway bar brackets are M10 and M10 has a nominal 50nm value listed in the settings, and since the R&R refers to the torque setting and everything is pretty much covered less that part of the assembly, I'm inclined to believe it's that.

90/60 and 80/80 is what I would use, maybe will.

wanderdüne · Post by **wanderdüne** » 01 Nov 2018, 20:01

Thanks ggleavitt

Post by **ggleavitt** » 01 Nov 2018, 23:00

Did all four tonight, won't lie and say I used the torque settings. Reality is that I cranked everything down as hard as I could by hand without feeling any hardware yield. OE was made in Germany, 0818 datecode so they're "fresh". 15mm/18mm open end for the nuts, T-40 hex to hold the threaded stud. I use one of those open end ratchets these days with the Torx thru the center but I used a straight up combo wrench in the beginning. I put one side up with jackstands and a backup jack, tires off (I do them one by one, just a little safer to me) a small jack to get the front and rear suspension up so the links come off. I am explicit about torque on most things, odd that I don't mind to crank down on these without, go figure. Pretty fast if you've done them before barring getting the hardware off (I'm a Northwest car so very little salt corrosion). Good luck with your repair.

wanderdüne · Post by **wanderdüne** » 02 Nov 2018, 15:23

Thanks ggleavitt; Just installed mine; they are Lemforder, Used pass-through sockets as well (Harbor freight set I bought for the rear shocks), holding with a long T-40 on the rears and a long T-40 for the top front and a long T-30 for the bottom front. I marked the stud, then tried the torque wrench a little, but observed slippage. I tightened them with the sockets and Torx bits as tight as I could. I did order a set of Craftsman crowfoot wrenches (4363) off ebay (they seem nice; and close in design to the Snap-On 210FCOMA)
for my torque wrench so that I can still hold the stud; will give that a go probably Sunday.

Post by **abscate** » 19 Jul 2020, 05:14

Follow up on old post

Torque on these are non-critical

Load is taken by the taper in the link, the nut just retains the taper contact

If they do start to loosen,they make a very hard to miss loud clanking sound.