When they say replace the self locking nuts, they mean it

[infinity5]

What not to do: "Gee, i forgot to buy self locking nuts for my control and thrust arms, i'll just use a generous helping of loctite and get them on snug!"

What happens: "Gee, what is that terrible sharp cracking noise whenever i turn my steering wheel... Oh, the nuts have come loose on my control arms!"


heh.
So that noise i thought were my control and thrust arms touching? well it turns out karma paied me back for being careless, and the bolts on the control arms have come loose enough that they (the bolts) "shift" from side to side under load.

Hopfully the bolts haven't snapped inside the bushing. It sure makes a horrible noise.

I'm trying (and failing, lacking power tools) to tighten them back down while i wait for new nuts to come. i might just jack the car up and take the wheel off and worry about torquing them "under load" when i have to take them off again in a week.

I guess i learned my lesson. Hopfully the noobs do the right thing, unlike me!

[Alexlind123]

What brand thrust arms did you buy? I just bought new bushings, and even just them came with new bolts.

[infinity5]

What brand thrust arms did you buy? I just bought new bushings, and even just them came with new bolts.

Lemforder, iirc. From BMA. But they came with the bushings already pressed in, maybe that makes a difference.

The only nuts they came with were for the ball joint.

[winfred]

i never replace the nuts and have yet to have one crap, in the 10 years i've turned wrenches for a living i have done many dozens if not hunderds of suspension arms, the lock nuts retain most of their friction and last through several uses, i can't say what happened to yours but if you locklighted them something else probably caused the issue