Leaf Spring Clip (u Bolt)

I bought grade 8 nylock nuts for the clips (U bolts) that connect the axle housings, leaf springs, and skid plates, but McMaster does not have the taller my lock nuts and Kaiser Willys tall nuts are not nylocks. Does having the taller nut matter or is a grade 8 nylock good enough? The nuts get torqued to 50. Thanks.

 

Those tall nuts on the U-bolts are there for a reason: longer thread engagement. Grade 8 nylocks will NOT be better and are in fact going to be weaker You should be able to get proper tall nuts though Flaps. The last ones I bought were from NAPA. I try to keep a supply of those on hand in both 7/16-20 and 1/2-20. I use thread locker on them with a thick washer (McMaster-Carr items). The 1/2-20's get torqued to 90 ft-lbs.

 

Duffer, I really appreciate your thorough response and will head to Napa on the way home. Red or blue thread locker?

 

I don’t use thread locker and definitely not the red or permanent depending on your brand and application.

 

I've been using the blue locker on those for decades. It works way better than lock washers, most of which end up falling out in pieces. I also think you get way more accurate torque readings with that stuff as a lubricant and you don't end twisting as many off when disassembling. I wouldn't use the red just because you may need to re-torque those down the road someplace. Differing opinions-----

 

I use blue loctite on just about everything on my Jeep....washboard roads and leaf springs tend to vibrate things loose.

 

Tall nuts from Mcmaster, heavy flat washer and blue locktite.

 

Ok, guess I should run blue locktite.

 

I guess im doing it wrong but i always use antiseize so i can get them off again. When i dont have long nuts i double nut them. Its worked great for me.

 

Whether you use lock-tite or not, retorque the nuts. Some years ago I had custom springs made. The shop owner told me to drive a week or two to give all the parts a chance to settle down and seat themselves, then retorque the nuts. I was shocked to find I got almost a full turn out of them.

 

If you use threadlock and then retorque the nuts after the threadlock has set, don't you defeat the purpose of threadlock? My understanding is that it cures in an anaerobic environment, and once it cures, it is done.

I'm not disagreeing with anyone about threadlock or retorquing nuts, just trying to understand.