What Is the Difference Between a Jam Nut, a Regular Hex Nut and a Lock Nut, and Which One Should Lock a Rod End Thread?
A regular hex nut is full height and carries the joint’s load. A jam nut is a thin nut, about half the height, used to lock another nut or a threaded part by being tightened against it. “Lock nut” is the broad family of nuts that resist loosening, and a jam nut is one member; […]
When Should a Rod End Be Mounted on a Stud Instead of a Through-Bolt, and How Do You Check the Stud for Bending at the Shoulder, Thread Engagement and Locking?
Use a stud when you can reach the mounting from one side only, or when a bolt head and far-side nut will not fit. The cost is the loading: a stud holds the rod end from one side, in single shear, as a cantilever. Bending, not shear, then decides its size, and the stress is […]
What Does a Plain, Cone or High-Misalignment Spacer Do, How Long Should It Be, and How Much Extra Tilt Does It Really Give?
A spacer sits between the ball of a rod end and the bracket. A plain spacer centres the rod end and sets the bolt size. A cone spacer does the same while narrowing the part that stands inside the housing opening. A high-misalignment spacer is tapered further so the housing can tilt more before it […]