Hi Andy...
I've often pondered this debate. Apparently, heat is the main enemy of the
nylocs, but there are some "high heat" nylocs out there in the high tech world.
I've also learned from experience, that your average hardware store "nyloc" is
generally of a low grade. Subsequently, it would seem to me, that "nyloc" is
just fine, as long as you get these "higher heat" and high grade aircraft type
nylocs, you're covered.
My experience with the metal locks nuts is twofold. One type, looks like the
nut
itself is squished. This nut absolutely locks, but I find that it's pretty
harsh
on the threads that they are used on. Subsequently, I have used these nuts in
only one place on my entire (street) TR... I use them on the steering column
couplings. (They simply will not come off, and when I remove them, I will
simply
replace the through bolts.) The other type I've used is the type that has a rim
of metal on the nut that has multiple splits in it. I like these and it is said
they can be used again and again, however, there is something about the
nylocs...
"seeing" the condition of the nylon, that gives me a sense of the nut's service
life. Whereas, the all steel just doesn't talk to me. (Maybe I'm just old
fashioned sometimes.)
I did a little surfing on the net over this topic and while I didn't run across
anything particularly definitive, I felt most of what I found supported what I
have said above. The following sites below only remotely touch on the subject,
but they also seemed to be of interest. (You can use your search function to
look for the keyword "nyloc" on these pages to cut to the chase, or you can just
check 'em out in their entirety.)
I'm curious to see what others have to say.
--Justin Wagner
http://www.dimebank.com/Bubbaspec.html
http://www.jagweb.com/jagworld/brakes.html
http://www.jag-lovers.org/xj-s/book/InboardBrakeUpgradeRotors.html
Herald948@aol.com wrote:
> [I'll preface this by saying that I don't even want to go into detail on how
> much time I spent trying to remove the bolt through the rear trunnion on this
> '72 Spitfire. Suffice it to say that I was "vindicated" somewhat by the fact
> that, finally, my local mechanic spent over an hour on it before finally
> getting the bolt free! Anyway....]
>
> I went on a scavenger hunt this afternoon trying to locate suitable locking
> nuts for the bolts holding the u-joint flange to the differential stub axle
> on the Spitfire. I know it's not good practice to reuse the old ones anyway,
> and the ones that came off had definitely seen better days in their 29-year
> life. I could only find two styles of "nyloc" nuts: one style was a thin
> (almost "jam-nut" size) that I didn't care for at all, and the other is quite
> fine save for the fact that it's a good 1/8" taller than the nut that came
> off. I did grab four of those but am not yet sure that they will work, given
> the length of the bolt. The only other option I could find in nuts close to
> the original height are what are called "all-metal" locking nuts. (I also
> grabbed four of these: one 25-mile round trip was enough!)
>
> My question: Has anyone had any experience with these all-metal style locking
> nuts? Any caveats about use on the axle/u-joint flange?
>
> Thanks!
>
> --Andy Mace
>
> "There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this
> line." -- Oscar Levant)
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