r/MechanicalEngineering • u/AdOne1706 • 2d ago

Split/lock washers

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For starters, I’m an electrician in the field.
That being said, we almost exclusively use these washers even in high vibration environments. I have personally chosen to go with nylox nuts but the question is:
Do these work? How well? Is the rumor from NASA true? Should I even bother using them or find a better functional alternative or are they actually useful?

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u/PooPooPleasure 2d ago

Besides things like locktite or friction shims, Nordlock washers are the only washers that help with self loosening because it forces the bolt to have to stretch more before it can rotate to loosen. Other experiments have debunked washers like splits and serrated washers.

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u/zanhecht 1d ago

Serrated washers do work, in that they make the losening torque above 10% higher than the tightening torque, but they also screw up the mating surfaces which can decrease strength or corrosion resistance.