Steering arm nut question

[hinkv10]

I'm finally going to get my truck together after a couple weeks. I have new ball joints, u joints in the front axles, spindles, spindle seals and bearings, trailing arm etc.

I read that you have to replace the 3 nuts on top of the steering arm, knuckle and I sent my girl friend to the parts house with old ones. Do I need special nuts for this job? The ones I took off were mismatched with 2 of them being what looked like lock nuts and the middle one is just a regular nut. I had her get grade 8 nuts but these three nuts is what is keeping the steering wheel and the tires together. Thanks

 

[nvrenuf]

Lock nuts, not regular. Preferably "stover" or pinch type rather than nylocs.

 

[hinkv10]

WENT to 4 auto parts places and one GMC dealership, nobody has them. For now I'm going to try regular nuts and locktite and I'll try the chevy dealer when I have a chance.

discontinued from GMC

 

[nvrenuf]

Go to a real hardware store, not Lowes or HD.

 

[John81287]

Seems like these could be found in the hillman fastener boxes at an ace hardware or true value. Mom and pop type places.

 

[hinkv10]

I remembered that I often use my 14 mm wrench when tightening the distributor so doh, found 14 mm lock nuts at the parts store. Had to go with the nylon ones because they were out of of the torque bolts

 

[HotRodPC]

It seems to me I've actaully seen them at Lowe's too, but they are in the special fasteners parts drawers, not with the standard bulk bins or bolts and nuts.

 

[highdesertrange]

they are called c locks. do not use nylocks or anything else from hd or lowes, cheap Chinese hardware. you can not have this part fail. some of the off road suppliers have these as do better hardware stores. these are graded nuts I believe grade 8. highdesertranger

 

[HotRodPC]

I'd agree, that's probably a good tip about the Chinese hardware.

 

[farmerchris]

you are looking for whats called conical washers,get the hardened ones for a steering arm. here a link from eBay for a set. http://www.ebay.com/itm/OE-style-Da...Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a6e0a7d14&vxp=mtr, also a search for conical washer on eBay will let you find the whole stud set with conical washers and the nuts if you need the studs.

 

[farmerchris]

quick note on here for future reference on steering arm removal is first soak with a good rust pentetration like p.b.blaster or similar. then remove the nuts from the top.then whack the body of the steering arm with a big hammer(BFH). if you live in a warm rust free area it will come off,however if you live anywhere else,find a small chisel,one with a small head and tap to spin each of the three cone in a counterclockwise direction which will remove them from the steering arm. then you can hit the arm with your BFH and remove it.over time the conical washers become pressure threaded and need to be spun out of the arm.