The R-Clips which pass through the threaded portion of the suspension tie rods.
Are they there because these nuts are known to undo themselves, strip their threads or in case of the rubber bush collapsing?

Does this happen in practice?

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

I remember reading the Motor Vehicle Act (or similar document many moons ago) and there was reference in that to certain suspension components needing to have secondary locking or capitivity on them. I suspect it is to do with that. Later there was a realisation that nylocs also met this (silly) requirement. I've never seen one un-do itself.

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Thanks GT.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Someone crashed their Mini on the way to Hay a few years ago due to the nylock nut coming undone.
It is not the only one I have heard about on Ausmini over the years.

So don't scrimp on something that could save some lives. Nylock nuts are not meant to be re-used. Once they have been moved a few times they don't grip like they used to.

Waiting for Phat Kats response.

If it is a nyloc on a REALLY critical item, or you like to be sure, to be sure, you could also use loctite!
This is how we do the 24ish bolts that hold down a turn table on prime movers.
It also goes for torque prevailing nuts. Use once, then throw away!
In saying that, I reuse nylocs all the time, just not on critical items.

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Chuck Norris is the only person alive who can kick you in the back of the face!!
mooo, I'm a pig!

I gotta cough up and say this is exactly what I found this morning. I was a bit sheepish cos of how ridiculously close it was to falling off completely

I was prepping the car for the run up to Hay this coming weekend (Hay is 463 klms from here, so deserves a checkover at least). I set the car up to have a full alignment front and rear because I noticed it drifting a little to the left last time I drove to the Geelong Monthly Dinner. I noticed the front wheel a bit more askew than it deserved to be.....and damn straight the nyloc nut had undone itself to the last few threads.

I can't for the life of me work out if the nut has stripped (looks fine) or undone itself. But there you are...

Two new nylocs and the R-clips back in and all is fine.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

I have to agree with GT Mowog, it is a silly requirement.

Not today. They're back on now..

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Dont worry mick, probably just another remark to bring on yet another fight!

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Chuck Norris is the only person alive who can kick you in the back of the face!!
mooo, I'm a pig!

The holes drilled through the thread actually cut the nylon out of the nyloc as you wind it on, so the nyloc no longer locks.

If a Nyloc (that is still working) is that determined to un-do itself, a crappy piece of bent wire is hardly going to stop it.

<EDIT> Silly idea.

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I'll have another look and see if the hoes can be cleaned up to not cut the nyloc if this is the case.

Were they plain nuts at one point which depended on the r-clips only as backup? Because there's not much room for r-clips once you have the suspension bush, cup washer, reinforcing washer and then nyloc nut on the end of the thread.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

IMO adding a standard locknut would have been a better solution than either the nyloc nut or the bit of bent wire..

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Yeap.

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roger roger, I'll do just that.

I still can't work out how it got that way...but it won't happen twice.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

okay, silly one for you all, when did nylocs start getting used by mini manufacturers? What I mean is, did the part in question, on the mini in question actually come from the factory with nylocs? Was it a castle nut which would allow the use of an r clip?

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Chuck Norris is the only person alive who can kick you in the back of the face!!
mooo, I'm a pig!