Wheel Nuts

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RustyUs

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It's kinda hard to keep it together when this is fighting you...
95251


This was only the second time that I put the wheel nuts on (getting wheel hex issue sorted out), and this happens. In all the years of my RCing, this is the first nylon lock nut to undo itself
weird.gif
. #WhyIUseThreadLockOnMyNuts
 
The locking wheel nut, pictured above, is from a new kit. It is just another issue to add to the reasons why I don't have faith in nylon locking wheel nuts.

Since my time in the hobby, I never used thread locking compound on wheel nuts.

Years ago, I was at wits end with keeping 17mm nuts on truggy. After using a couple of different liquids to secure the nuts...failure. Last resort for me was to use LocTite threadlocker. Huge mistake! I knew threadlockers "attack" plastics, but didn't know to what extent. Apparently, the wheels on the truggy were more of the ABS type of plastic (I didn't know at the time), and the LocTite liquid ate its way from the center of the wheel to about halfway to the rim. Tiny cracks formed that I didn't see until it was too late. The center of the wheels began to weaken and some of the wheels fell off the truggy. I sold the truggy, because of other issues, but never used LocTite on wheel nuts again....

Up until a couple of years ago, I never gave thought to use thread lock on wheel nuts again. I had always carried a nut driver, in my back pocket, when I go to my backyard track. My paranoia had me stopping my RCs every few laps to check/tighten wheel nuts. Even new flanged nylon locking wheel nuts would find their way loose in a short amount of time. Well, after destroying many wheels, and hex adapters on STs, and SCTs, I had to do something to make sure wheel nuts would not loosen/come off the axles.

I tried all kinds of fingernail polishes, plastic safe thread lock, CA glue, semi solid thread lock...I just wasn't happy with the performance of any of them. Every time I thought about using Loctite, my whole disappearing truggy wheel incident popped into my head. Then somebody started making a gel anaerobic thread lock. I had nothing to lose.

Thank you Vibra-Tite 125 Medium Strength Gel Threadlocker!!! For the past two years this stuff hasn't attacked my Losi, Axial, Associated, or Pro-Line wheels. The gel based stuff means no mess as well.

I went from tightening wheel nuts every few laps to not even carrying a nut driver with me to the track anymore :thumbs-up:?.
 
Not sure why, but I have never had an issue with this stuff eating plastic. I've been using it on all my RC's for years, including wheel nuts:
https://www.amazon.com/Permatex-Threadlocker-Blue-Gel-Gram/dp/B002KYOBU4

I keep this in my pit bag since it's small to use when I'm out bashing:
https://www.amazon.com/Loctite-506166-Medium-Strength-Threadlocker/dp/B0053ZNMDE
haven't had any issues either with the permatex blue gel, i guess i haven't had threadlocker on a huge array of wheel lug nuts, mainly my MGT's and an exceed. my T-Maxx would break before i had to worry about hex nuts coming loose, so i never used it on there. that is really strange how the whole inner part of the nut is coming loose, all the ones I've used the nylon was not that deep into the nut itself was more like a nylon o-ring. nonetheless that is almost... impressive? i dont know if thats the right word for it lol.
 
Odd, indeed. I haven't had any issues with wheel nuts coming off or even coming loose in many years. I guess there's just not enough vibration in the display case or any of the shelving. Dust seems to be my biggest problem.
 
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