I have a Thule ski rack as well as a Thule cargo box. Both suffer from a
poorly designed attachment system which uses knurled knobs with nuts
(essentially wing nuts). They have a tendency to slowly loosen from
vibration. On my last trip, one of the ski rack knobs had completely
unscrewed itself and fell off inside the ski rack.

On the cargo box I cut some wooden rectangles with cutouts for the knobs
which I placed over the knobs so they can't unscrew. Yesterday for the
ski rack I drilled two holes on each side of the four knobs and took
some aluminum tent stakes and formed then into an arc that goes over the
knob and through the holes to prevent the knob from turning.

What I really wanted to find was some stainless metric locking wing
nuts, but those don't seem to be available anywhere in the U.S.. SAE
sizes are readily available.

sms wrote:
I have a Thule ski rack as well as a Thule cargo box. Both suffer from a
poorly designed attachment system which uses knurled knobs with nuts
(essentially wing nuts). They have a tendency to slowly loosen from
vibration. On my last trip, one of the ski rack knobs had completely
unscrewed itself and fell off inside the ski rack.

On the cargo box I cut some wooden rectangles with cutouts for the knobs
which I placed over the knobs so they can't unscrew. Yesterday for the
ski rack I drilled two holes on each side of the four knobs and took some
aluminum tent stakes and formed then into an arc that goes over the knob
and through the holes to prevent the knob from turning.

What I really wanted to find was some stainless metric locking wing nuts,
but those don't seem to be available anywhere in the U.S.. SAE sizes are readily available.

Do they need to be stainless? What about plastic? Just a thought...

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATGVVM6/ref=biss_dp_sa1

You could also make your own locking fasteners by epoxying some nylon
insert lock nuts into the existing knobs or knobs of your own making.

The only issue with nylon inserts is that they can wear over time with
repeated use.

What type of locking wing nut were you thinking of?

On Jan 6, 9:16*am, sms wrote:
I have a Thule ski rack as well as a Thule cargo box. Both suffer from a
poorly designed attachment system which uses knurled knobs with nuts
(essentially wing nuts). They have a tendency to slowly loosen from
vibration. On my last trip, one of the ski rack knobs had completely
unscrewed itself and fell off inside the ski rack.

On the cargo box I cut some wooden rectangles with cutouts for the knobs
which I placed over the knobs so they can't unscrew. Yesterday for the
ski rack I drilled two holes on each side of the four knobs and took
some aluminum tent stakes and formed then into an arc that goes over the
knob and through the holes to prevent the knob from turning.

What I really wanted to find was some stainless metric locking wing
nuts, but those don't seem to be available anywhere in the U.S.. SAE
sizes are readily available.

Perhaps a couple of drops of loctite on the threads instead?The blue
type? I use that on my snowboard bolts to keep
them from loosening. You'd probably have to put it on
every so often, but I would think it would last for more than
one tightening/loosening cycle. It does on my snowboard.

On Sun, 06 Jan 2013 06:16:42 -0800, sms
wrote:



What I really wanted to find was some stainless metric locking wing
nuts, but those don't seem to be available anywhere in the U.S.. SAE
sizes are readily available.

McMaster-Carr has stainless steel metric wing nuts, but they are not
locking.
www.mcmaster.com
Page 3208
http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-wing-nuts/=kx22no

You can always put a locking washer with it.

"sms" wrote in message
...
I have a Thule ski rack as well as a Thule cargo box. Both suffer from a
poorly designed attachment system which uses knurled knobs with nuts
(essentially wing nuts). They have a tendency to slowly loosen from
vibration. On my last trip, one of the ski rack knobs had completely
unscrewed itself and fell off inside the ski rack.

On the cargo box I cut some wooden rectangles with cutouts for the knobs
which I placed over the knobs so they can't unscrew. Yesterday for the ski
rack I drilled two holes on each side of the four knobs and took some
aluminum tent stakes and formed then into an arc that goes over the knob
and through the holes to prevent the knob from turning.

What I really wanted to find was some stainless metric locking wing nuts,
but those don't seem to be available anywhere in the U.S.. SAE sizes are
readily available.

Castle Nuts ??
https://www.belmetric.com/metric-nut...s-c-3_558.html

" Attila Iskander" wrote:
"sms" wrote in message ...
I have a Thule ski rack as well as a Thule cargo box. Both suffer from a
poorly designed attachment system which uses knurled knobs with nuts
(essentially wing nuts). They have a tendency to slowly loosen from
vibration. On my last trip, one of the ski rack knobs had completely
unscrewed itself and fell off inside the ski rack.

On the cargo box I cut some wooden rectangles with cutouts for the knobs
which I placed over the knobs so they can't unscrew. Yesterday for the
ski rack I drilled two holes on each side of the four knobs and took
some aluminum tent stakes and formed then into an arc that goes over
the knob and through the holes to prevent the knob from turning.

What I really wanted to find was some stainless metric locking wing
nuts, but those don't seem to be available anywhere in the U.S.. SAE
sizes are readily available.

Castle Nuts ??
https://www.belmetric.com/metric-nut...s-c-3_558.html

Castle nuts, by themselves, are not really lock nuts. They require hole in
the bolt and a cotter pin or wire to prevent them from turning.

Drilling holes through the bolts in the racks might be problematic.

sms wrote:
I have a Thule ski rack as well as a Thule cargo box. Both suffer from a
poorly designed attachment system which uses knurled knobs with nuts
(essentially wing nuts). They have a tendency to slowly loosen from
vibration. On my last trip, one of the ski rack knobs had completely
unscrewed itself and fell off inside the ski rack.

On the cargo box I cut some wooden rectangles with cutouts for the knobs
which I placed over the knobs so they can't unscrew. Yesterday for the
ski rack I drilled two holes on each side of the four knobs and took
some aluminum tent stakes and formed then into an arc that goes over the
knob and through the holes to prevent the knob from turning.

What I really wanted to find was some stainless metric locking wing
nuts, but those don't seem to be available anywhere in the U.S.. SAE
sizes are readily available.
Hi,
Here we have bolt and nut supply house where we can get some thing like
that. How about putting a dab of Silicon sealant after nut is tightened.
It is not like epoxy but enough to hold the nut in place until you
remove it. Sealant is pliable.

On Jan 6, 11:48*am, DerbyDad03 wrote:
" Attila Iskander" wrote:





"sms" wrote in ...
I have a Thule ski rack as well as a Thule cargo box. Both suffer from a
poorly designed attachment system which uses knurled knobs with nuts
(essentially wing nuts). They have a tendency to slowly loosen from
vibration. On my last trip, one of the ski rack knobs had completely
unscrewed itself and fell off inside the ski rack.

On the cargo box I cut some wooden rectangles with cutouts for the knobs
which I placed over the knobs so they can't unscrew. Yesterday for the
ski rack I drilled two holes on each side of the four knobs and took
some aluminum tent stakes and formed then into an arc that goes over
the knob and through the holes to prevent the knob from turning.

What I really wanted to find was some stainless metric locking wing
nuts, but those don't seem to be available anywhere in the U.S.. SAE
sizes are readily available.

Castle Nuts ??
*https://www.belmetric.com/metric-nut...s-c-3_558.html

Castle nuts, by themselves, are not really lock nuts. They require hole in
the bolt and a cotter pin or wire to prevent them from turning.

Drilling holes through the bolts in the racks might be problematic.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Not to mention needing a wrench to get them off....

On Jan 6, 6:16*am, sms wrote:
I have a Thule ski rack as well as a Thule cargo box. Both suffer from a
poorly designed attachment system which uses knurled knobs with nuts
(essentially wing nuts). They have a tendency to slowly loosen from
vibration. On my last trip, one of the ski rack knobs had completely
unscrewed itself and fell off inside the ski rack.

On the cargo box I cut some wooden rectangles with cutouts for the knobs
which I placed over the knobs so they can't unscrew. Yesterday for the
ski rack I drilled two holes on each side of the four knobs and took
some aluminum tent stakes and formed then into an arc that goes over the
knob and through the holes to prevent the knob from turning.

What I really wanted to find was some stainless metric locking wing
nuts, but those don't seem to be available anywhere in the U.S.. SAE
sizes are readily available.

Are knobs of such a design that they could be warmed up and the
existing nuts pushed out and replaced with a locking nut?

My son has a Yakima utility rack (ski, bike, etc) for his Jeep and
IIRC some of the "knobs" are large plastic "wing handles" with metal
nuts that kinda snap in. They can be easily removed & sometimes fall
out.

Perhaps you could remove them & replace them....OTOH if the nuts are
molded in, it would be way harder.


cheers
Bob

If the metric thread sticks out from the wing nut, what about just pushing a rubber hose onto the end of the thread sticking out. Once the rubber hose contacts the top of the wing nut, it'll help prevent the nut from turning, and thereby coming loose.

Other than that, me thinks the most practical solution here is to replace those wing nuts with regular stainless metric lock nuts and carry a small wrench in the car with you.

If the metric thread sticks out from the wing nut, what about just pushing a rubber hose onto the end of the thread sticking out. Once the rubber hose contacts the top of the wing nut, it'll help prevent the nut from turning, and thereby coming loose.

Other than that, me thinks the most practical solution here is to replace those wing nuts with regular stainless metric lock nuts and carry a small wrench in the car with you.

On 1/6/2013 8:16 AM, sms wrote:
I have a Thule ski rack as well as a Thule cargo box. Both suffer from a
poorly designed attachment system which uses knurled knobs with nuts
(essentially wing nuts). They have a tendency to slowly loosen from
vibration. On my last trip, one of the ski rack knobs had completely
unscrewed itself and fell off inside the ski rack.

On the cargo box I cut some wooden rectangles with cutouts for the knobs
which I placed over the knobs so they can't unscrew. Yesterday for the
ski rack I drilled two holes on each side of the four knobs and took
some aluminum tent stakes and formed then into an arc that goes over the
knob and through the holes to prevent the knob from turning.

What I really wanted to find was some stainless metric locking wing
nuts, but those don't seem to be available anywhere in the U.S.. SAE
sizes are readily available.

A simple way would be some black weatherproof rubber bands to hook onto
the wing-nut, wrap it around a part of the bracket and hook it to the
other wing of the wing-nut. A bungee cord laying in the middle of the
wing-nut, depending on how far apart the wing-nuts are, you could hook a
bungee cord to one end of the frame, stretch it to the other end and
lay the cord through the wings to prevent the wing-nuts from turning and
falling off. ^_^

TDD

On 1/6/2013 10:26 PM, nestork wrote:
If the metric thread sticks out from the wing nut, what about just
pushing a rubber hose onto the end of the thread sticking out. Once the
rubber hose contacts the top of the wing nut, it'll help prevent the nut
from turning, and thereby coming loose.

It doesn't stick out.

Other than that, me thinks the most practical solution here is to
replace those wing nuts with regular stainless metric lock nuts and
carry a small wrench in the car with you.

I think for the cargo box I'll drill small holes in the ears of the
knobs and use a stiff wire between each set of two since they're only a
few inches apart. The wooden blocks around the knobs are a pain.

For the ski rack I'll just keep the wire arc through the two holes
drilled in the rack that goes over the ears of the knob.

Next trip to Europe I'll buy the nuts I need.

Probably cheaper to have them shipped, rather
than go to Europe to buy a couple.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"sms"
wrote in message ...

I think for the cargo box I'll drill small holes in the ears of the
knobs and use a stiff wire between each set of two since they're only a
few inches apart. The wooden blocks around the knobs are a pain.

For the ski rack I'll just keep the wire arc through the two holes
drilled in the rack that goes over the ears of the knob.

Next trip to Europe I'll buy the nuts I need.