I have distroyed the cresent shaped washers that fit below the torx head bolts used to secure the drive shafts to the output flanges on the diff and the drive flanges on the hubs. The Torx heads where knackered so out came the angle grinder.

Does anyone know if I can use normal / sprung washers instead when re-fitting the drive shafts...

You'll need new torx head bolts anyway so i'd probably just get the washers when you order the bolts. I can't see any problems with using ordinary washers instead though.

I would not bother with replacing the torx bolts. Use M8x1.25 x 50mm socket head cap screws in 12.9 grade phosphate (unplated). As far as the "cresent" tie washers I would recommend that you replace them or at least use decent spring washers.

Have you knackered them all? I have a few that I could send you if your local ford spares place cant help.

Cheers

Jim

James bought me some from ford along with a load of allen key head type bolts to replace the ones i had to grind out....

Ned.

We managed to get all the torx bolts out ok but in the process ended up with a rather twisted torx key due to the use of a massive breaker bar and much effort.

I snapped a Teng torx with the first bolt I tried- the grinder came out not long after that!

Adam,
I got the crescent washers from Ford. No idea if you need them instead of normal washers- there must be some reason Ford put them there tho! Maybe it spreads the load better?

Criminally though- they cost about 60p each! And you need 12 of them!

As others have done/said- I went for Allan bolts instead of Ford's ridiculously expensive Torx.

HTH,

James

We managed to save our C plates. However, we also used some anti-vibration thread lock - medium strength to prevent them falling out in the future. We hope.

I also have replaced these bolts with normal 12.9 grade hex capheads before, much easier to deal with.

I also used no washers (or loctite, though this may be a good idea) on the shafts on my Autograss racing car, which has a locked diff and so puts tremendous stress on the bolts. They have not come loose in a year and a half of racing. The CV cage is so strong it seems very unlikely that the washers are there to spread the load, really don't know what the purpose of them is, but I would not worry about them!

I went thro 2 halfords torx bits (1/2 drive) when decided to grind the other heads off. Once you do that and pull the joint off, the remaining 'studs' come out by hand!

I think the T40 head just cant cut the mustard once age and corrosion sets in. My torx bits didnt bend, they shattered!

atb

steve

I broke a snap-on bit, which of course was replaced for free. I broke another one and when I called to get the replacement was told that for that particular size, Snap-On do not offer a lifetime warranty due to some sort of Ford driveshaft bolt that always breaks them!!........wonder what that could be then???? I got another free one but just gring them off now to save the hassle!!!