Front Tie Rod Ends

[Lonny]

Now when certified aircraft start using a lock nut instead of safety wiring - that will be the time we can all accept their reliability!

Done!

 

[Fozda]

Now when certified aircraft start using a lock nut instead of safety wiring - that will be the time we can all accept their reliability!

I'm an overhaul and repair mechanic for Collins Aerospace, there are numerous applications where we use locking nuts instead of safety wire/cable or locking tabs.

 

[95Blitz]

Now when certified aircraft start using a lock nut instead of safety wiring - that will be the time we can all accept their reliability!

Then you can go ahead and accept there reliability.

 

[JBINTX]

Well ok then. Point taken that lock nuts ARE used in places.
I see our steering link as a pretty critical area to use a mechanical fastener like a castle nut and pin. I suppose I was thinking of something like the propeller bolts on a plane might be a similar example where safety wire is used.
however, I will kindly just remove myself further from this topic as I am not an expert at all.
thanks all!

 

[k.rollin]

Now when certified aircraft start using a lock nut instead of safety wiring - that will be the time we can all accept their reliability!

A quick search through the BOMs for some of the rods and struts that are made where I work indicate that self locking nuts are used on our parts for the 747 and A400M...

ETA: posted before refreshing the page *d'oh*

 

[Lonny]

This is what we should be using.

I do agree with CaptFrank2001, safety wire/cotter pins are probably the safest.

 

[Desert Sasqwatch]

I can see where the use of nylock nuts is acceptable if is not a single point failure potential - like multiple nuts are holding something together. In the case of a single nut holding a single critical item - such as a tie rod end - that a mechanical locking mechanism IE: castle nut and cotter pin or locking wire is a must. This is the conservative quality and mechanical engineering opinion for most all aerospace applications. After working in this industry for 40 plus years and seeing single point failure results, I will be using cotter pins with my nuts on my tie rod ends.

 

[Goblin Graber]

Seems I’ve sparked a little debate here. I get that a cotter pin could offer some piece of mind, but have you looked at the vehicles you already drive on a daily basis? If they were made in this century you probably won’t find cotter pins. Do you think those are unsafe? Maybe you safety wired your daily driver, but I highly doubt it.

 

[Desert Sasqwatch]

My TJ Rubicon has castle nuts and cotter pins in every critical connection - built in 2004. To add to this, every vehicle I've ever worked on that sees any track time, whether going in a straight line or making (mostly left hand) turns has had either cotter pins or safety wire. I also know that in some applications in the engine bay or on rotating or high friction locations that the temperatures generated may soften the unlock. Granted, some of us would be comfortable using them, but those of us who have been around situations where single point failures have devastating and possibly deadly results, we will always fall back to the proven preventative solution with a hard mechanical fastener.

 

[Dale E]

I would whole heartedly recommend a cotter pinned nut or wire tying the lock nuts. I speak from experiences past. It’s not very fun having the nyloc nut come off the ball joint when you go over a railroad track at 55 mph in traffic having the LCA separate from the hub carrier and the right front wheel decide to go a different way!!! Yes that did happen to me with a passenger. This was on my Birkin S3/ Whew! I had to run the yellow light because if I would have braked the wheel would have turned and went horizontal. So, please be safe out there. My Stalker has wire tied bolts on the brake rotor hats and the bolts holding on the caliper brackets as well as a few other places. It was track raced before and the rules required this safety.

Dale

 

[Goblin Graber]

This is what I get for giving you guys a hard time over cotter pins. Here I am on Christmas Eve bending a cotter pin in the steering of my kids wagon.

 

[G Atsma]

Would that be a Radio Flyer??
The waves of nostalgia are a tsunami!

 

[Brett]

This is what I get for giving you guys a hard time over cotter pins. Here I am on Christmas Eve bending a cotter pin in the steering of my kids wagon.

I have a few nyloc nuts I can send you ;-)

 

[CaptFrank2001]

I am a retired Airline Pilot, Flight Engineer and Boeing-737 Captain. I realize that has nothing to do with the DF Goblin. I have many thousand's of hours flying the 737 and I am a Hard Core Boeing guy. The controls in a Boeing-737 are all cables and pulleys. The newer planes like the Airbus A-320 are all "Fly by Wire". I never had any interest in a Fly by Wire airplane ... personal preference. Is the A-320 safe, sure it is. Is the Boeing 737 safe, sure it is. Is the nyloc nut safe, probably. My preference is a castle nut & a cotter pin. Merry Christmas !!!

 

[Goblin Graber]

Merry Christmas Frank. Let’s get this back on track here. Did the ES2600R tie rod ends work for you? Looking at pics of all the ones Rock Auto has for those applications there is definitely ones with longer and shorter studs.

 

[CaptFrank2001]

Have them on order. Slow delivery during the Holidays.

 

[Brian74]

This is a pretty decent read on the topic. With so much crap being made in China these days though, I wouldn’t 2nd guess anything holding together moving parts unless you know who made the fastener.

 

[CaptFrank2001]

I only read books with pictures of scantily clad women in them ...... actually I don't read those either.

 

[k.rollin]

View attachment 19445

Ah yes, Screw to Win. Definitely a good reference.

 

[CaptFrank2001]

The Cobalt tie rods are too long for the front. You won't be able to align the front end without running out of threads in the steering rack.
These are the ones that were supplied with our car two years ago and worked fine.

You Da Man. The ES2600R Tie Rod Ends arrived today. They fit perfect and are 14 full turns on the steering shaft with plenty of room for adjustment. Thanks for the great info !!!