ive spent today cutting and bending all the suspension brackets as per the original book plans. now it says to drill a 8mm hole, but looking at them it feels scary that all that force is passed through a few M8 bolts!

are M8's ok? or have people gone for larger bolts?

if you're going metric, i'd say M12 minimum (mine are 1/2" ) though it would probably be quite happy with M8 on a road car

M12 was what i was thinking too, it is whats used as wheel studs!

but then i guess it depends on the inner diameter of the bushes too.

My fronts are M10 12.9's rears are 1/2" as thats the eye size on the shocks

How big are the holes in your bushes? Thats how big you should make the holes in the brackets.

Paul

right ill leave them as they are and drill them out to the size needed when i have the bushes!

If you're using Metalastic bushes as per book, you'll need 3/8" UNF, if you're going for poly bushes, M12 is the one.

I have a set of new GAZ coilovers - they came with standard 1/2" metalastic bushes. The bolts used throughout my suspension are M12 - hence the bolts were a loose fit in the bushes - I rang Gaz yesterday to ask them what to do about it and they have sent me a complete set of 8 12mm bushes - metal bonded to rubber like the standard ones - (they cost £2 each). I have just spent half an hour pressing the old ones out and refitting the new ones. Simple. Even for me.

I think your question has been answered adequately by the other guys - but I was just pointing out how easy (and reasonably 'Locost' ) it is to change the bushes if you do end up with the wrong size.

HTH, Steve.