froggy47

I ordered some to put on my caliper brackets, as I was taking some stuff apart for another job.

I thought it would make sense to not deal with the mess/cleaning of Loctite each time.

Well to my surprise, if I am reading the Nord-Lock torque guidelines correctly, the bolt (M14) that requires 125 ftlb using Loctite & flat washer steps up to 148 ftlb using Nord-Lock washer & lubricated bolt.

I was "assuming" these washers took a LOWER torque to equal the same clamping force.

It's hard enough to get 125 ftlb on jackstands laying under the car.

So much for that idea.

They have a lot of different specs depending on bolt grade & the material of the Nord-Lock. The first charts on the website are Nm (Newton Meters) but then they have ftlb later on. All are lubed.

So is that it? Nord-Locks basically require MORE torque when used on a Vette?

Everett Ogilvie

They require more torque BRIEFLY due to their nature; it has to get past the ridge on the two mating parts before the two pieces "settle" against each other, if you know what I mean. When I put them in this same location on my car I quit measuring the ASSEMBLY torque with a torque wrench. Simply tighten it as tight as you can get it within reason - I guarantee you it will not loosen b/c it requires an even greater amount of torque to loosen it due to the built in angle of the Nordlock.

The caliper bracket-to-upright assembly is NOT one of those assemblies that requires every fastener in the assembly to be at the same FINISHED torque to avoid distortion of the pieces, nor is it like the required clamping force on something like a cylinder head - the torque spec on these parts is simply to get it tight enough that it won't loosen - an issue that is not present with the Nordlock.

Jason

Is Loc-tite really that hard to use?

froggy47

Not hard to use, but hard to clean off every reuse. There is no solvent I have found that works fast enough to be usefull.

Actually the quickest most complete way I found to clean the old stuff off, was to run the bolt thru a die.

froggy47

So you think 125 would be OK? I will give them a call Monday (Sweden?) and see what they say.

The other problem with the ones I ordered was that the OD of the Nord-Lock was quite a bit smaller than the OD of the stock flat washer. Unless I ordered the worng ones. The ID was fine. Do you recall anything like that on yours? The Nord-Lock PN was B-15.2-1081 carbon steel 9/16" - M14

Jason

Drop the bolt on the concrete to break up the big pieces, turn the bolt in your gloved hands a couple of times to clear off what broke loose, reapply new and put it back in the hole. It doesn't have to be spotless.

Everett Ogilvie

Hopefully Gary (Hardbar) will chime in here - he is a big proponent of Nordlocks and he is probably the primary reason I use them. I think (hope) he will pretty much agree with what I said regarding this particular torque not being a critical torque from the standpoint of needing the absolute torque value in the service manuals when a Nordlock is being used.\

When I get a chance I will check the OD of the ones on my car.

ghoffman

I use the same torque, but with fasteners in shear, like the caliper to upright fasteners, the torque and therefore the clamping force is not that important +/-. I never use so called "Locktite", especially in high temp applications, mainly because it does not work. It is prohibited in most aerospace applications BTW. In 25 years at TRW, LockheedMartin, and Northrop Grumman, I never saw it used, even once.
Nordlock video:
http://youtu.be/mgwmuZuJ02I

Hardbar/AP T1 brake rotor assembly, we have never had a rotor fastener ever come loose with this method, no thread goop, no wire.
http://youtu.be/UIqwEDgw5U0

travisnd

Gary sent me Nordlocks for the caliper bracket bolts over a year ago when I installed the UCA stud kit. I torqued them to 125 ft/lbs and marked them with a paint pen. They haven't ever moved and have always stayed fully torqued.

They also say don't use a Nordlock on top of a washer, but I had to do that on a few of the UCA studs to keep the nut from running out of threads. None of those have ever come loose either.

Black89Z51

Does anyone know if the C4 and C5 bolts are the same? I'm out of town right now and can't measure them.

CorvetteZ51Racer

Especially for bolts that are in shear, do NOT run them through a die. The threads on those bolts are rolled, not cut. When you run them through a die, you "cut" the threads, which induces stress risers into the bolt and reduces the shear strength of the bolt. Even if the bolt is not in shear, it does reduce the tensile strength of the bolt as well. There are special "taps and dies" you can get (thread chasers) that are designed to clean up rolled threads, but if you use a conventional die, you have damaged the bolt and should replace it, IMO. A few years back, a NASCAR Busch driver (can't remember who) was killed when the lower coilover mount bolt for his RR shock was repaired this way and subsequently sheared entering Turn 1 at Daytona.

Black89Z51

Best way to clean it off would probably be a wire wheel on a bench grinder. Wear glasses and/or a face shield.

froggy47

I have heard that, thanks.

Painrace

One way to remove Loctite is heat. I don't like using in on brake fastners. I use Nord-Locks where ever I can and I have never had one come lose. Nord-Locks are on my caliper bolts and bearing bolts.

I owned a paper mill up until few months ago and when we started using Nord-Locks our maintenance costs went down!

Jim

froggy47

I have tried this, it sort of polishes the locktite.

The best way I found, now that I won't run a die, is to chip it out with a awl/pick type tool.

I use the chapstick tube type blue & it gets VERY hard.

Dirk Miller

Jim,

Don't quite know why I am asking you over the other guys in this thread, but I am....
I just finished my 4th seasaon running my C6 in HPDE events. I only have run 7 to 8 events each year. But after my last two days, I have had 2 lug nuts on each of my front wheels strip. Actually the first time this happened I thought it might have to do with the friends that helped me take my hoosiers off at the track and reinstall my street tires and wheels for my ride home. I was thinking they may have cross threaded these. However, this happened again on my last time out, but on the opposite front wheel. Now I am thinking the threads have just been over stressed and it is time to change out the studs and lug nuts.

So what have others of you found? Do most of you change out your lug nuts on an annual basis or after a specific number of events?

trackboss

Get yourself a set of thread files. The work very well and repairing threads as well as removing lock tite.

froggy47

http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcyc...s/thread-file/

I can see where that would remove locktite. Thanks. Never used a thread file.

froggy47

You haven't seen my pic?



Change every year or more often if you track more than monthly. Studs last longer, maybe 3-4 years. Be careful with the air gun, spinning them on fast is asking for extra wear or a cross thread. Use a gun with a slow setting & a trigger that regulates speed. Finish with torque wrench. Lubricate (some say clean & dry, I disagree).

trackboss

I have purchased both files and individual thread restoring tools in the past, but when I found a kit from the matco truck I purchased it and it has been very handy. Comes with pretty much everything you need depending on which kit you buy. It's well worth the cost. It's best not to use taps or dies on mission critical fasteners to repair threads. The restore tools safely make the repair.

http://handtools.jawco.com/viewitems...r=10&forward=1