Front end changeover in progress..., 8/8- Alignment woes Options

[jk76.914]

I'm finally getting rid of the 4-to-5 lug adapters and doing a real Porsche 5 lug front suspension. Contrary to normal practice, which is normal for me, I guess, I'm installing real 914/6 struts with new Bilstein inserts. I bought the parts about 5 years ago on eBay, and the kit was all-inclusive, with freshly painted struts and new ball joints, bearings, rotors, pads, and brake hardware, and rebuilt M calipers. My excuse is I didn't know any better at the time, or I'd have looked for a later 911 set with the later bearing type, but alas, I own it now and everything is in real nice shape.

I think I'm good to go on parts and tools, but I'm trying to find out the torque requirement for the lock bolt for the ball joint. It's an M10 x 30mm x 1.5mm pitch, going into steel threads in the strut; presumably the lower part of the strut, below the tube, is forged.

Looks like an M10 grade 12.9 bolt is good for 50 ft-lbs, but I don't want to chance stripping out the threads. Nor do I want the BJ to pop because it's too loose. Does anyone know the torque spec? Thanks! Picture below-

PS- any tips for installing this type of strut? Thanks!

[jk76.914]

Well I'm finally getting closer. I replaced the tie rod ends last weekend, and went around and torqued everything to spec. All that's left is bleeding the brakes and a crude setting of toe-in so I can get to the alignment shop. Hopefully, that'll be some morning next week.

Regarding brakes- The brakes seem to be bled, no more bubbles coming out, but they feel WAAAAY different. LOTS of pedal travel, getting almost to the floor. Is this what I should expect with the M calipers? The old brakes worked fine, and the 19mm MS only has about 12,000 miles since new. I didn't expect this much difference.... am I missing something?

Procedure: I poured new DOT 3 fluid through the system to flush the lines first. Let it run out both brake lines (not connected yet) at both calipers simultaneously through tygon into bottles. Then did the same with my ATE DOT 4 Super Blue.... Then I connected the lines to the calipers to fill the restored caliper cylinders with the DOT 4 and bleed. I used a pressure bleeder first- limited it to 5 psi- and kept the reservoir half full at least from that point on. Finally, I had my wife press the pedal while I finished the job manually. My wife's comment about the pedal feel- "you have no brakes there." Not encouraging.

I appreciate your thoughts. Thanks!
Jim

[ArtechnikA]

Regarding brakes- The brakes seem to be bled, no more bubbles coming out, but they feel WAAAAY different. LOTS of pedal travel, getting almost to the floor. Is this what I should expect with the M calipers?

The pedal should definitely stiffen up at the end of its travel.
But if the calipers have been freshly rebuilt, it takes a while (maybe 100 mi) for all the pistons to reach their 'resting' position in the O-ring seals. Until then, they're getting pulled back too far into the caliper and you have to make up that distance all over again.

But there is a big difference between lots of pedal before resistance and no resistance...