Loose Drop Arm Nuts.

[stumpy2268]

Hi All - Thought some of you more experienced out there may be able to give me some ideas ?

I am sufferring from loose drop arm syndrome !

I have tried the following cures, all to no avail :-

1. Do up the nut to the specified torque and bend over the tabs on the locking washer.

2. Do up the nut again, but this time to 'FT' and bend over the tabs on the locking washer.

3. Do up the nut to 'FT', bend over the tabs on the locking washer and fit a second nut to lock against the first.

Following a pleasant 2 day trip to Sailsbury Plain looking at the wildlife and eating dust - we need rain ! - I spent the drive home to Kent changing lanes on the A303 with no intervention from the driver !

Arrived home, checked drop arm nut .........

Can I weld it on ?!!

[Steve Hiatt]

Try another drop arm, some pattern ones don't fit too well.

When I raced my Range Rover in the end we used to tighten the nut with an inch drive air gun (VFT), easy when you have a ramp.

[simonr]

I had this on my 110. Solved by replacing nut with a NyLoc type. Never had to touch it again.

Si

[stumpy2268]

Thanks for the prompt responses gents.

Simon - do you know where I could buy a small number of Nyloc drop arm nuts? The usual suspects all seem to prefer to sell them by the bag full.

[Les Henson]

Could be a good idea to use thread locking compound.

Les.

[Guest WALFY]

Aid

I have this problem with my 90. I now don't bother with the locktabs, when I go to Daves' I just zip it up tight with his big airgun. A good excuse to go to Exmoor i think. Not that you need any excuse.

Funny that, I didn't get any dust in my face over he weekend :D

[101nut]

Could be a good idea to use thread locking compound.

Les.

I had this, changed drop arm and box and eventually concluded it was the drop arm 'relaxing' on the splines ... in the end I put the lightest smear of loctite on the splines did the nuts up FT with tab washers in place and the drop arm hasn't moved since ... though I'd better check it now ...

AndyG

[freeagent]

assuming you are bending the tab-washer over in both directions (down onto one of the flats on the nut, up onto the flat on the back of the drop arm) then i'm surprised its coming loose, as its effectivly got a mechanical fixing stopping it moving...

I'd do it up a bit tighter than the specified torque, and use a good smear of loc-tite.. that should cure its 'breakaway' problem....

[stumpy2268]

Thank you for all the advise.

It would appear that Locktite is the tool of choice amongst those of us who wander across the carriageway !!

I feel another undercar adventure coming on.

Just to clarify, I had bent both the tabs on the lockwasher in the correct direction, unlike the motoring journalist from whom I bought my other bobtail !!! - always check what you have bought before driving from Kent to Exmoor and back with a drop arm which is held on only by the not very tight bolt

Walfy - I am surprised you still have any sight at all after enduring the BLUE glow coming off your bonnet.

[paintman]

There is a 'blind' spline on the drop arm & the shaft which need to be lined up. It is possible to get this wrong, you think all is nice & tight & you then get the self-loosening drop arm syndrome.

As to how I know that one.........

[stumpy2268]

There is a 'blind' spline on the drop arm & the shaft which need to be lined up. It is possible to get this wrong, you think all is nice & tight & you then get the self-loosening drop arm syndrome.

As to how I know that one.........

Hi paintman, and welcome to the forum.

Thanks for the advise, it sounds like you may have moved a step on from the 'auto lane change' steering box option ?

Good that you survived to pass on the benefit of your experience.

Aid.