Axle bolts keep backing out?

[Arireese]

quick runaround, car is sorta low, welded diff 6 bolt axles.

Drivers side axle bolts keep coming lose. and its annoying..

what could be doing this? When the bolts come loose it makes the axle off balance I guess then fucks the boot up. and its my 3rd axle already.

[KiLLeR2001]

I would start looking into getting a real differential. But if you want to keep running a silly welded try using loctite on the bolts and get fresh lock washers.

[thefro526]

Sounds like you're getting some sort of weird vibration that's causing the bolts to loosen gradually over time. If you can't find the source of the vibration, then I'd look into getting some proper lock nuts, I'd suggest Nylocks. (Nut with a nylon insert) They don't rely on torque to stay tight light a traditional nut and bolt or a nut and spring washer.

By the way, do your Axle Bolts have a spring washer on them to act as a lock washer? I can't remember if S13's do or not... If they do have spring washers, there is a chance that they've deformed (flattened) over time or from being over torqued and are no longer providing enough resistance to keep everything tight.

[h2v7]

i have swapped like 6 different diffs onto my 6 bolts


i had open welded vlsd 2way etc/.


never had this problem.

you tighten these bitches tight i would assume?

[Edwin562]

I bet OP doesnt Torque them, just hand tights them until nut passes the cotton pin hole.

[brndck]

loctite red. /thread.

[blueshark123]

just weld it on

[Vitzio240sx]

Originally Posted by thefro526

Sounds like you're getting some sort of weird vibration that's causing the bolts to loosen gradually over time. If you can't find the source of the vibration, then I'd look into getting some proper lock nuts, I'd suggest Nylocks. (Nut with a nylon insert) They don't rely on torque to stay tight light a traditional nut and bolt or a nut and spring washer.

By the way, do your Axle Bolts have a spring washer on them to act as a lock washer? I can't remember if S13's do or not... If they do have spring washers, there is a chance that they've deformed (flattened) over time or from being over torqued and are no longer providing enough resistance to keep everything tight.

xxx22222 also you can safety wire them.

[Edwin562]

Originally Posted by blueshark123

just weld it on

weld the axle nut to the axle???

[Arireese]

Originally Posted by Edwin562

I bet OP doesnt Torque them, just hand tights them until nut passes the cotton pin hole.

the nuts and bolts to the diff. How am i supposed to torque those when you can only use wrenches? I make them pretty tight. Oh well i made them reallllyyy tight with a hammer on the wrenches this time so well see what happens.

[bussitcustoms]

Originally Posted by Edwin562

weld the axle nut to the axle???

Pretty sure that was a joke.

[bussitcustoms]

Originally Posted by Arireese

the nuts and bolts to the diff. How am i supposed to torque those when you can only use wrenches? I make them pretty tight. Oh well i made them reallllyyy tight with a hammer on the wrenches this time so well see what happens.

Red loctite bro.

I thought we were talking about the big axle nut up until this post. If its the 6 bolts at the dif that are backing out, definitely use red loctite. Should solve the issue.

[Arireese]

sweet deal, Probably take them out and redo them once i get a new axle.

[h2v7]

yea and like other dude said your spring washers could be toasty

[dawagarage]

Originally Posted by thefro526

Sounds like you're getting some sort of weird vibration that's causing the bolts to loosen gradually over time. If you can't find the source of the vibration, then I'd look into getting some proper lock nuts, I'd suggest Nylocks. (Nut with a nylon insert) They don't rely on torque to stay tight light a traditional nut and bolt or a nut and spring washer.

By the way, do your Axle Bolts have a spring washer on them to act as a lock washer? I can't remember if S13's do or not... If they do have spring washers, there is a chance that they've deformed (flattened) over time or from being over torqued and are no longer providing enough resistance to keep everything tight.

self locking nuts DO rely on torque, just not as much as traditional nuts. but i agree they would definitely be a great candidate as a fix to this problem.

+1 on the second part, if you dont the self locking nut route then replace those spring washers.

Originally Posted by Vitzio240sx

xxx22222 also you can safety wire them.

thats a good idea as long as he applies the correct technique.

Originally Posted by Arireese

the nuts and bolts to the diff. How am i supposed to torque those when you can only use wrenches? I make them pretty tight. Oh well i made them reallllyyy tight with a hammer on the wrenches this time so well see what happens.

the hammer method ("poor man's impact wrench") is better used when breaking torque. it wouldve been better to elongate the wrench (pipe slipped over wrench) to apply torque. and if youre torquing something that you cant get a socket over, you use a crows foot. heres how you do it.

Torque Wrench Adapter Extended Calculation - Engineers Edge

[Shift n Drift]

tighten them like a mug, then use a #40 drill bit and drill through the middle of the nut and bolt and throw a cotter pin in there, or just buy aircraft grade bolts with hole for cotter pin and castle nuts.