How To: Ford CMP "Blitz" miscellany

[Jacques Reed]

Good Day,

Another loose end crossed off from this past winter.

I decided to replace my front spring clips (U-bolts) with the ones from the parts truck. The main reason being the parts truck is an original F15-A but the restoration project started from what I believe to be bits cobbled together by previous owners so I am not sure if the clips are the originals. The other factor is I just prefer the look of the the full-nuts and half-nuts. There is a bit more thread engagement too, with the full-nut compared to a slotted-nut which can only be beneficial. It is not uncommon to have wastage on the threads near the cotter pins of the slotted-nut type clips.

The parts truck used full-nuts and jamming half-nuts to secure the clips to the front axle. The project truck used slotted-nuts and cotter pins. A friend who has a dozen trucks said about half his used slotted-nuts and half had the full-nut and half-nuts for securing the clips.

The two types of clips are show and differ in length by about 1/4"

Could not find a torque setting for the nuts in the Ford CMP Maintenance Manual but checking my GM CMP Maintenance Manual they gave 90 Ft lbs for those nuts. That is what I torqued them to and applied a bit of Locktite just to the half-nuts as added precaution against them coming off. They are not the kind of thing you find at the local nut and bolt supplier if they go missing.

Cheers,