I installed a new ACDELCO lower control arm and ball joint, and they came with a new cotter pin. However, the pin looks precrimped, not like the straight/noncrimped pins in the installation videos I've seen. I found a Wikipedia page titled R-clip, however, the picture seems a bit different than mine. What's the proper way to install these?
The pin will be inserted thru the stud and the bends on the clip will sit within one of the notches on the castle nut. iPhone ? Pro
I can't imagine what you mean by "precrimped." If the arm is held on with a castle nut, it should have a regular straight cotter pin that goes through the opposing slots in the castle nut and the open end gets bent. If it's a spring clip, that would not be the right kind for a castle nut.
+1! @ASRDogman I have never seen anything like what's in the link you provided, @SB6. This is an R-clip/R-pin/hitch-pin/spring cotter-pin/ad nauseum.
It's just a custom, re-usable spring type and installs just like any other style cotter pin. Straight portion goes through the hole. Shaped portion locks into the outer edges of the nut...…….. If you're not comfortable with it, just use a normal, classic style pin.
When I installed that shaped pin, I inserted it with the bends towards the end of the bolt, then when all the way in I rotated it so the bend at the end went in the empty space of the parapet. I used a small pick to help give me the clearance. -Spiral
I posted a link to a picture in both of my previous posts in this thread I ended up installing it by inserting the straight end through the stud with the bent end above the stud. Then rotated it so the bent end went into an open slot of the parapet. Then I sort of hammered the bent end in to tighten the pin. Idk if that was the correct way to go about it, but it seems to have worked lol. Do I need to bend the straight end? I just saw that my current tie rod also has one of these pins, and the straight edge isn't bent
Yes, nothing needs to bend permanently there. I recently dealt with those on my 2011 Honda Odyssey. The straight part goes through the hole, and you can grab the outer, not-straight part and pull it so it fits around the bolt and snaps back in place. It bends elastically and comes back to its beginning shape.
