Mini tie rod bar Nyloc nuts torque?

[Snoop]

Just a quick question about when fitting a new set of Mini front tie rod bars, can anyone advise what is the torque setting required for the front and lower tie bar Nyloc nuts? Cheers

[InnoCooperExport]

As far as I know, due to the nature of a Nyloc it's not possible to get a reliable torque setting on one. I just do them FT as they say.

[1071 S]

I wouldn’t say “FT” as you don’t want to crush the bush too much... If you use the poly/rubber combination you just want the rubber bush to bulge a bit (as you tighten it will become obvious as the side of the bush moves from flat to slightly convex)

It doesn’t have to be too tight as the nylock will stop it coming undone.

Cheers, Ian

[Peter Laidler]

As a bit-part barely literate engineer of a couple of years, I should say that there is/has always been a bit of controversy about the difference in torque between nylock nut and lock washer nut torques. I say, as a rule of thumb, for the sizes you will encounter on our cars, then treat them as the same.

If you were working on a big Bedford gearbox - or a Centurion suspension double wheel pack, then that's a different matter

[Polarsilver]

I always check the Tie Rod "Nuts" that they are tight on a regular basis especially after a re-build... this subject seems to be a grey area regards nut torque back in time the thing to do was to fit castle nuts with split pins ..

[GraemeC]

As far as I know, due to the nature of a Nyloc it's not possible to get a reliable torque setting on one. I just do them FT as they say.

The crush is set by the washer coming up against the step at the end of the thread.

Tighten until the nut stops as the washer hits the step and then give it a firm nip.

[Spider]

You can't get a reliable torque setting on to a Nyloc.

The crush is set by the washer coming up against the step at the end of the thread.

Tighten until the nut stops as the washer hits the step and then give it a firm nip.

This ^

If you look at the end of the Caster Rod, there's the plain shank that the rubbers fit on, off hand, I recall that being 9/16" dia. There's then a shoulder and then the 7/16" thread starts.



The washers only have a nominal 7/16" hole in them. They only need seat firm on the should and that's it.

And before anyone starts, yes, that is a Plain Nut. If you look carefully, you may see another nut just in front of the Washers. I have little faith for Nylocs in certain applications, like these. I fit a Nut and a Locking Nut.

[Peter Laidler]

Yes, Spider is right. Nylocks are good for their vibration resistance BUT not so clever when the bolt part is subject to frequency tension along its length or what you often hear as 'hammer action'. Heavy machine gun mountings are a good example of course - as is to a much lesser extent - the horizontal, front tie bar nut on our mini's.

That said, I've got nylocks on mine in this application but I'm not slogging mine to death on a rally or as in Spiders case, flogging it to death on Aussie outback roads that could and would shake our Land-Rovers and H-I's to death

[Dearg1275]

There is another aspect to these nuts coming loose. There is a rotational movement in the tie rod as the suspension moves up and down. Although this is slight it is there all the time. This is largely absorbed by the rubber bushing and on smooth roads is of little consequence. Harder bushes and there is less absorption. Rougher roads and greater speeds and the rotational forces get stronger. As said previously the Abingdon team were well aware of this and used castellated nuts on all the front suspension points.

D

[Spider]

Fair points guys on the cause of the nut coming loose.

In our local production for several of the early years, they drilled the very ends and fitted split pins then later, R Clips. I think if the nut was that determined to come undone, a pissy but of bent wire isn't going to stand in it's path.

I think too the drilling and pinning was to possibly comply with a local registration rule.