{Chrysler 300} Options - Nuts

Hi All,

The lower control arms used a 5/8-18 nut to hold onto the lower control arm bushing on the shaft. In my case, someone over time played mix and match with the nuts and washers on the spares I am building up to put in.

{Yes, I could use the ones on the car as they have never been touched, but that would tie up the front suspension work. I have NOS upper control arms and a used set of lowers and I am rebuilding it all so that I can do a swap and not tie the car up too long. All the real work is in the bushings not the swap of the parts.}

There is a cotter pin hole on the shaft on both ends. My problem is on the busing, not the taper, end.

My problem is that I do not have, nor can I find, the Chrysler supplied “3 turret” top castle nuts used. The washers and the nuts were a matched set so when torqued the cotter pin hole was at the “correct” spot.

I tried McMaster Carr to see if they had any “heavy hex” castle nuts and they do not. Nor anyone else I tried to lookup. These nuts were taller.

So, my question is what are folks’ thoughts on using grade 8 lock nuts with blue (medium) thread locker without the cotter pin?

The issue is once the torsion bar is in, one cannot see this end of the shaft. If the nuts started to back off, one would not see it until it was a real problem.

I could go buy new standard castle nuts and use washers with spacers washers to move the castle nut up for proper cotter pin placement. But I would prefer a taller nut with more thread engagement especially as the old threads on the shafts are not a tight as when the parts were new.

Thoughts?

James

{Chrysler 300} Options - Nuts - suspension