2006 - 2010 Chevy Cobalt 2.4L Torque Specs

2006 Chevy Cobalt Front End Torque Specs

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Chevy Cobalt 2.4L Repair Information

Chevy Cobalt 2.4L Engine Repair Information

Here you can find information regarding the assembly of the Chevy Cobalt front end. In this guide we will cover the essential repairs for the front end of this vehicle. Included within these repairs is the inner and outer tie rod removal and change, the front wheel hubs installation, ball joint removal and installation, the upper and lower control arms, and the front shock installation. Along with the repair procedures we also include the corresponding bolt torque specs for each fastener involved. These guides are intended to assist in each procedure to help diyers with the job.

Chevy Cobalt Tie Rod Change/Removal

Chevy Cobalt Tie rod
To install a new tie rod on a Chevy Cobalt you must first remove the old one from the vehicle. This can be done by raising the vehicle up by either the use of a floor jack or a vehicle hoist. Once the vehicle is in the air you can remove the corresponding tire for the side that you want to change the tie rod on. Once the tire is off you can now access the old tie rod and remove it for replacement. On this vehicle the tie rod attachs to an inner tie rod that screws directly into the steering rack. If replacing the entire tie rod assembly you can tighten the inner tie rod up toi 74 ft-lbs using a special holding tool. The outer tie rod endlink can be torqued down to the steering knuckle using 35 ft-lbs of force. Be sure to install a cotter pin if necessary as this will prevent the nut from loosening up under extreme circumstances.

Chevy Cobalt Outer Tie Rod End Torque Spec : 35 ft-lbs

Chevy Cobalt Inner Tie Rod Torque Spec : 74 ft-lbs

 

Front Wheel Hub Installation

Chevy Cobalt wheel hub
The front wheel hub on the Chevy Cobalt tightens down to the steering knuckle through the use of 3 bolts. In order to remove the old part from the vehicle you will need to jack your car up and remove the wheel on the side you are working on. From here we can then begin to remove the braking system by taking off the caliper and brake rotor and removing the center axle nut which holds the cv axle to the steering knuckle. With those removed we can now gain access to the wheel hub bolts which will be on the back side of the steering knuckle and can be accessed by turning the steering wheel one way and then the other. As you move the wheel take the bolts out as the access becomes easier. Once the 3 bolts have been removed you can remove the old part using a hammer and pry bar and then clean the surface and put the new part onto the vehicle. With the new wheel hub installed we can begin to hand tighten down the 3 bolts and then torque them to specs. The 3 bolts which hold it onto the steering knuckle should be torqued down to 70 ft-lbs. Once all are tight you can then put the center axle nut onto the cv axle and torque it down to 155 ft-lbs. Once both have been torqued you can proceed to reinstall the braking system and then the wheel.

Chevy Cobalt Front Axle Nut Torque Spec : 155 ft-lbs

Chevy Cobalt Wheel Hub Bolts Torque Spec : 70 ft-lbs

 

Front Ball Joint Installation

Chevy Cobalt Front Ball Joints
The Chevy Cobalt has only one set of front control arms being the lower control arms. The upper portion of the suspension is maintained by the strut assembly. The lower ball joint on this vehicle is a commonly replaced part as takes most of the road wear when traveling over bumps and surfaces. For this reason its always a good idea to check its condition whenever working on your vehicle. In order to replace the lower ball joint you must first remove the wheel from the appropriate vehicle side. With the wheel removed you can then begin to loosen the nut which holds the ball joint to the steering knuckle. Since the cv axle is typically in the way here you will want to use a wrench to do so. Once removed you can then remove the 3 bolts which hold the ball joint onto the vehicle and then remove the old part. Occasionally these 3 bolts will be rivets instead of easily removable bolts. If this is your case you can drill or cut out the rivets and replace them with bolts or instead replace the entire lower control arm as a single assembly. If you have the bolts they will need to be torqued down to 25 ft-lbs during reinstallation. The ball joint nut can be torqued down to about 60 ft-lbs or relatively close as it may be hard to get a torque wrench on it. Make sure to install a cotter pin once tight. From here we can grease up the new ball joint if necessary and tehn reinstall the wheel.

Chevy Cobalt Lower Ball Joint to Knuckle Torque Spec : 60 ft-lbs

Chevy Cobalt Lower Ball Joint to Arm Torque Spec : 25 ft-lbs

 

Front Control Arm Installation

Lower Control Arm
Chevy Cobalt Front Control arms

On the Chevy Cobalt there is only one set of front control arms being the lower control arm. This control arm also contains the lower ball joint which is covered in its own section on this webpage. To install a new lower control arm you will first need to remove the old part from the vehicle. In order to do this you will want to jack up your vehicle and remove the tire from the side you are working on. From here we can then remove the 2 bolts which hold the arm to the vehicle frame. With those removed we can remove the 3 bolts which hold the ball joint to the arm or the single nut which holds the ball joint to the steering knuckle. This should allow us to lower the control arm and remove it away from the vehicle. The new part can be placed back up into the original location as the last one and the frame bolts can be torqued down to 85 ft-lbs. The 3 bolts that hold the ball joint to the control arm can be torqued down to 25 ft-lbs and the single ball joint nut can be torqued to somewhere around 60 ft-lbs. You may need to use a wrench for this part as it may be difficult to access otherwise. Once tightened make sure that you install cotter pins wherever there is a castle nut used and then you can reinstall the wheel and go to get your vehicle aligned.

Chevy Cobalt Lower Arm Ball Joint Torque Spec : 60 ft-lbs

Chevy Cobalt Lower Arm Frame Bolts Torque Spec : 85 ft-lbs

 

Front Strut Installation

Chevy Cobalt Front shocks
To replace the front struts on the Chevy Cobalt you will have to first remove the tire on the side of the vehicle in which you intend to replace. Once the tire is off you can then remove the 2 lower strut bolts which hold the strut assembly to the steering knuckle. Once these bolts have been removed you can remove the stabilizer bar nut and then move to the upper portion of the strut. From under the hood of the vehicle you can access the 3 bolts/nuts that hold the strut up to the vehicles frame. Once these are removed the entire strut assembly can be removed from the vehicle. To install a new strut simply place the new part up into the location as the old one and begin to hand tighten the upper fasteners. Once tightened you can then hand tighten the lower strut bolts. You may need to tap the bolts into place but be careful not to damage the bolts threads. Once all fasteners have been hand tightened you can begin to torque down the bolts. The upper bolts and nuts need to be torqued down to 20 ft-lbs. The 2 lower strut bolts can be torqued down to 100 ft-lbs.

Chevy Cobalt Front Strut Lower Bolts Torque Spec : 100 ft-lbs

Chevy Cobalt Front Strut Upper Nuts Torque Spec : 20 ft-lbs

 

Front Swaybar Installation

Chevy Cobalt swaybar
The front swaybar on the Chevy Cobalt consists of a series of brackets that hold it to the frame of the vehicle and a couple of endlink nuts that fasten it the the outer side of the car. To remove the swaybar you will need to jack up the front of the vehicle and remove both the endlink nuts as well as the brackets. To install the new swaybar you will need to move it back into the place as the old one and torque the endlink nuts to 20 ft-lbs and then torque the bracket bolts to 37 ft-lbs as well.

Chevy Cobalt Front Swaybar Bracket Torque Spec : 37 ft-lbs

Chevy Cobalt Front Swaybar Endlinks Torque Spec : 20 ft-lbs

 


Front Steering Torque Specs
Outer Tie Rod Endlink Torque Spec 35 ft-lbs
Inner Tie Rod Torque Spec 74 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub / Knuckle
Brake Caliper to Bracket Torque Spec 23 ft-lbs
Wheel Axle Nut Torque Spec 155 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub to Knuckle Bolts Torque Spec 70 ft-lbs
Control Arms Torque Specs
Front Lower Ball Joint Nut Torque Spec 60 ft-lbs
Front Lower Arm Frame Bolts Torque Spec 85 ft-lbs
Front Lower Ball Joint to Arm Torque Spec 25 ft-lbs
Front Strut and Extra Knuckle Torques
Front Strut Lower Bolts Torque Spec 100 ft-lbs
Front Strut Upper Nuts Torque Spec 20 ft-lbs
Stabilizer Frame Bolt Torque Spec 37 ft-lbs
Stabilizer Link Torque Spec 20 ft-lbs