I have an aircraft fastener book that also says lock washers are worthless.
He says the only worthwhile locking effect comes from tightening the nut
until the bolt threads deform slightly.
On the Healey my experience is that the old original lockwashers are made of
really good steel and require a distinct extra 'snap' to come undone--in
other words they seem to work. And as they come undone, they dig in and
gouge a little of the metal in the process. When undone they don't seem to
have lost any of their spring in 46 years!
Every time I undo them it sure seems to me these washers are doing their
job.
By contrast, it's amazing how crappy the lockwashers are on the Japanese
stuff. When I examined my Toyota trannie before installation, the split ring
washers on the case bolts were all perfectly flat. Shot in other words.
It's difficult to imagine they're not doing their job, though, and I can't
believe Toyota, probably the best car manufacturer in the world, wouldn't
leave off lockwashers if they could do so without losing any benefit.
An aside--when I configured my BJ8 type radius arm brackets, it was
necessary to bend the axle u-bolts slightly as the new setup is slightly
wider at the top than the holes in the bottom spring plate.
I bent them with fair difficulty by putting them in the vise and hitting
hard with a BJ8 lead hammer. I also bought replacements from Moss. They bent
much more easily than the originals. So I painted and reinstalled the
originals instead.
--
Steve Gerow
Pasadena CA
59 BN6
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