Rear Carrier Bearing Cap Bolts

[97XJSP]

I finally ordered a Detroit 225S14 locker for the rear axle
($399 at Summit after $50 rebate and free shipping).
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/dtl-225s14/overview/

After reading some of the write-ups on the install, the book specs the carrier bearing torque around 110 ft-lbs, but it sounds like the stock bolts are prone to stretching and most set them around 80-90 ft-lbs... I have also gathered that the length is not a size that most generic hardware stores carry. The only size I have seen posted here was a guess: 1/2" by 16TPI 2-3/8.

Does anybody know the actual size of the rear carrier bearing cap bolts?
I would like to order some quality () replacement grade 8 bolts and have them on hand for the install.

Thanks for the help.

[Barrman]

You are correct about the torque being too high. We had a long thread about this on a previous version of the Zone which crashed and all info was lost.

I am just going from memory here since I did my locker install back in 2004/2005. There is something special about the bolts. I think it is the shank and length. Looking up the size in a generic torque chart based on bolt diameter finds 65 or 70 is the proper torque.

I did mine to 70. I actually bought a complete axle assembly with a locker in it. Using a pointer type torque wrench to take things apart, that one was at 80 but there were stretch marks on the bolts. That is why I went with 70.

Almost 10 years now and no issues. Just drove it about 30 miles today and the locker "talked" to me in a few turns.

Which is something else to mention. The more power your engine has and the lower the air psi in the tires. The more torque steer the truck will get. If my tires are below 30 psi, I can almost change lanes by adding or removing throttle. Be ready for that the first drive.

[gonz]

I think the other concern was getting grade 8s and then stripping the threads out of the housing. I felt the stretching as well when I revamped my axle and stopped trying to get to the 110 lbs. If Barrman is happy at 70 lbs, that's what I would do, I can't remember what I did 15 years ago about the actual torque.

[MrNeutron]

According to Dana, the cap bolts get torqued to 80ft-lbs. It's the ring gear bolts that get torqued to 110ft-lbs, that's because they have a serations underneith the head.

http://www2.dana.com/pdf/5312-9.pdf