A lock nut is used to secure a bolt in place by threading a second nut onto it and tightening them against each other. It is used in situations where severe vibration or tension adjustments are required. Special lock nuts or nylon coated nuts can be used in confined areas to prevent movement of critical components. Lock nuts are also used in machinery to set specific depths or stop points.
A lock nut is used to lock a bolt in place. Threading a second nut onto a bolt and then tightening the two nuts against each other locks the bolt into place and is unable to loosen on its own. In the typical installation, the second nut or locknut is the nut that holds the bolt in place. By placing a wrench on each nut, the locknut is tightened by holding the first nut and tightening the second firmly against the first.
The typical type of situation where a lock nut is used is when a bolt can experience severe vibration or when the bolt is used to adjust and maintain tension on another component. There are installations such as a rear wheel adjuster and a chain tensioner on a motorcycle, where a lock nut is used to prevent the wheel from moving when tightened. In this case, the wheel is adjusted by tightening the adjusting bolt until the chain is taut and the wheel is straight in the swingarm. Once the adjustments are made, the jam nut is slid up to the adjusting nut and then tightened against it.
While the typical lock nut is nothing more than a common nut, there are times when a special lock nut or nylon coated nut can be used as a lock nut. These special nuts are often used in extremely confined areas where regular maintenance and observation is not an easy task. This is used to ensure that no movement of a critical component can occur. Tie rod ends on automobiles are an example of this method. A lock nut is used to lock the stud bolt adjusting sleeve and prevent it from loosening or shifting.
Any piece of machinery that requires adjustment, such as a drill press or saw, can have a positive lockout or a stop that uses a jam-type lockout system. In this situation, the nut is locked to prevent the tool from passing a specific point. When drilling a series of holes that only need to be a specific depth, the measure is placed on the drill press adjustment and locked with a nut to lock it at that depth. This same form of clamping is used to set the depth of some power routers and radial arm saws. A lock nut can often make it easier to manage the control of an apparatus as well as the quality control of many machines.
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