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Keep losing my nuts...

tRustyK5

tRustyK5

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Anyone else have the perpetual loose parts? On my truck the t-case crossmember bolts have come loose 4 or 5 times now. A month or two ago I lost a couple on the trail and eventually had two bolts left and no nuts with the tranny/t-case hanging. Lucky for me my buddy Stan has sharp eyesight and found most of the stuff that dropped along the trail behind me.

Today, I had this weird vibe as I was driving, and the shifters seemed to move more than normal. I got home and one side of the crossmember is just hanging (nuts gone...) but the other side is still tight.

I figured maybe some new hardware will help, so i just replaced it all with new 7/16" fine thread bolts, flat washers, lock washers etc etc...then torqued the hell out of them. We'll see if they stay tight this time.

Just seems weird, nothing else compulsively loosens itself...:confused:

Rene
 
I had the same crossmember problem, and the steering box too. I finally just slapped lock tite on them all and tightened them excessively. If they ever come loose again, I'll try double-nutting them or using pinch-lock nuts.
 
ahhh, i doulble nutted once, i was all locked up for a week......

anyways, locktite cured my loose nut problem. The only time i curse locktite is when im on the trail with hand tools trying to figure out why everything is so darn tight to come back out.
 
nothing better than finding an important part in the middle of a trail.... like a crown nut or something.... or a shackle... i always have a good giggle
 
lol, same thing happened to me... 2 t-case x-member bolts came off the passanger side and the x-member was hanging from the 2 on the drivers side... at 60mph+ on the hwy. Dont wanna think about what would have happened if the other two had come out. My front driveshaft was hanging by 1.5 bolts too. doh!

anyway, all-metal lock nuts should work... if not, time for them + loctite. I agree its pretty annoying when parts keep rattling loose...

j
 
Well, fortunately the tranny/T-case can only drop so far before the motor hits the firewall...:blush:

We'll see if these bolts stay tight and don't drop, if they do loosen it's time to get medievel and go with the prevailing torque lock nuts and lock-tite. Unfortunately I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for tonight. They had 7/16" bolts, but only in fine thread (which is better IMO) but the only locking nuts they had were all coarse thread. :crazy: So i used lock washers instead.

Rene
 
get a castle nut and drill a hole for a cotter pin to sit :grin:. better yet, just weld the nut on there, it won't come loose...ever ;)

i can't think of anything ever coming loose, maybe its because i get trigger happy with my IR impact :grin:
 
yea i've had that happen usually i catch it before the bolts fall out bacause you can hear the crossmember bang against the frame when you step on the gas just tighten the hell out of it then go ripping through the bigest mud hole you can find then don't wash it for awhile :D that usually holds them in for a bit :laugh:
 
I use Locktite blue on almost everything. Just a little, not soaking the threads. Sometimes removal can be a PITA, but stuff quit falling off.
 
On one trip I was looking forward to, I lost the bolts out of my steering box/ frame. One was still sitting on the frame, another barely in by a few threads. We found another bolt that worked but I had already blown out the rag joint. Now, I have blue loctite and orange RTV next to me any time the wrenches come out. It's easier to carry a breaker bar than finding nuts and bolts on the trail.
 
Rene,

Do you still have the stock "spacers" with the bolts or are you just using regular bolts and nuts?
 
Damn, I bet D isn't too pleased with your loose nuts! ;) LOL Ok, I coudln't resist.. :haha:

Anyhow.. I'd look into some Stover lock nuts and some red Loctite! :D Could it possibly be your frame flexing them loose?
 
What grade of hardware is everyone using for the crossmember, Grade 5 or 8. Could be the bolt is stretching, then when there is no tention on the nut it backs off.
 
I have had the passenger side come off twice now. HMMM that is sorta wierd everybody had the same problem. The first time I was wheelin kinda hard on the throttle when I discovered it. I was worried I bent the dist or something. I have since put pinch nuts on and haven't had any probs, but I am puttin my x-member back up above the frame soon so that should take care of the prob. :D
 
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