SteveB wrote:

"mm" wrote in message
...
I bought one of those little kit trailers, what you can get for about
350 dollars, with a 4x8' bed, for a one time use, and some little uses
aftewrads. From Harbor Freight that carries 990 pounds they say. I
only need to carry less than 100.

Assembling it today, I noticed that they depend on nuts with nylon
inserts to keep the nuts from coming all the way off. They depend on
tightening them tighlly to keep them from coming loose.

Is that enough or should I put split ring lock washers under each nut.

Or would it be better, just as good, to put jamb nuts on the bolts
that are long enough.

IIRC the instructions say in one place to check that the nuts are
tight after 100 miles, which seems like a good idea, but in another
place I think it said every 100 miles!!!!!

Thanks

My experience with Nylocks is this:

They are good for some applications. They are not good for others. They
are a one time use thing, as once they are run on and off one time, the
holding power is diminished a lot. I know they make them in all sizes up to
double jumbo, but for something I really want to know is going to stay put,
I'd prefer personally to use lock washers or even double nutting with a jam
nut. I have yet to have a jammed jam nut come loose. OTOH, like you, I
have had new Nylocks loosen up soon after installation. IIRC, there is a
nut called a castle nut that has a small crimp in it, and fits tight tight
tight on installation and is dependable not to work loose, and if it does
not loosen, it won't just vibrate off once it gets just so loose. The
crimps keeps a grip on the bolt, and cannot be taken off without a wrench.

Just my two pennies, your mileage may and probably does vary.

Steve

Castle nuts have notches in them and are used with cotter pins. You're
thinking of an interference nut which is deformed by several crimps and
produces a tight fit. These don't work any better or worse than the
nylocks, both will have reduced friction with repeated
installation-removal cycles, and both resist continued loosening if they
do come loose since they have friction. Conventional nuts and
lockwashers have no friction once they loosen past the point of
compressing the lockwasher and will continue to loosen until they fall
off. For positive locking use the castle nuts and cotter pins.