I'm in the middle of installing my T/A girdle, and noticed that all the housing bolts are the same length. I'm following the instructions on www.installuniversity.com and this is what it says:

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">5. Once you have soaked up all of the oil you possibly can out of the housing, wipe the outside of the housing off where the gasket will go. Make sure you have the pre-load bolts (see green arrows in Figure 2) backed out of the cover so they do not hit the bearing caps when you place the cover on the differential housing. Take a look at your bolts that came with the TA cover. You will notice you have 2 bolts that are longer than the rest of the bolts. These bolts need to go in place where your brackets went (see black arrows in Figure 2). Also be sure to use the thick washers with these bolts as well.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Did you guys have two bolts that were longer than all the other 8? and if not, did you manage just fine with the stock ones... the T/A instructions states as follows:

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">On GM applications, if the original brake line bracket is being retained, install the spacer washer and the longer bolt that is included with the hardware kit.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'm under the impression that we are supposed to retain the original brake line bracket.

TIA

<small>[ May 10, 2002, 07:34 PM: Message edited by: WS6 ]</small>

 

You'll need two longer bolts.Mine didn't come with them either.

 

For the love of GOD!!!!! I knew it. So did you call T/A Performance and have them send you out some? Or did you go to an ACE hardware?

 

Mine came with the 2 longer bolts, so they must have forgotten.

Gary

 

Just my luck <img border="0" title="" alt="[Sad]" src="gr_sad.gif" /> Guess my car is going to be on jackstands for a couple of days.. Pretty odd messup they did though since the bags that contain the bolts are sealed. I did get 10 bolts for the housing, but they are all the same size <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" />

Are you guys all happy with your T/A girdle so far?

 

Well, I went to ACE to try and find the bolts that they forgot to send me, and I brought home a couple bolts. T/A Performance gave me the specs for them when I called them in case I didn't want to wait.

The dimensions for the bolts that T/A performance forgot to send me are: 5 1/16 x 18threads per inch 2 1/4 Inches long.

I could only find:
5 1/16 x 18 2 1/2
5 1/16 x 18 2

I'll try them both and see what works... if not.. what stops me from just removing those wires that hold the brake lines together and finding another way to attach them to keep them from moving?

I just finished installing the stud kit, and everything seems to be going good so far. I think I'm going to run out into the garage and do what you reccommended doing which is putting another bead of red rtv silicone on the differential, and sandwiching the gasket.

The differential is already very clean. I used carb choke cleaner and sprayed it in there to try and get as clean as possible. Although I don't have any blue locktite, so I'm just going to use some thread tape (believe thats what its called) on the drain/fill plugs.

Thanks for all the help.

 

FYI...the thicker spacers will not fit in the "loop" part of the bracket. Use one of the shorter spacers under each bracket and use a couple of stacked washers to hold the bracket on with the longer bolts they are going to send you. Obviously, since you will use two short spacers intended for non-bracket bolts install the longer spacers in matching opposite bolt locations. The shorter bolts will work fine.
BTW, while you are waiting on the bolts do second cleaning of the internals with brake cleaning spray. Pretty inexpensive assurance.
Another extra step is to create an 1/8" bead of RTV gasket seal on the differential and on the girdle and install the gasket between. Mine is dry as a bone. Also use blue locktite for the set studs and safety nuts and fill and drain plugs and don't forget the existing fill plug. Make 3 or 4 passes when you torque the perimeter bolts.
Hope this helps and good luck with the install.

 

My girdle didn't have the longer bolts either.

Went to the auto parts and bought 2 grage 8 bolts. No problem mon!