VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 Torque Tube / Knurled Nut

The nut is loose every time I get under the car. I know I could use locktite, but I'd like to know how tight is tight, without messing something up. I snug it up with channel locks.

Do some searches about that packing nut. Use a strap wrench to tighten it. It needs to be pretty tight.

Using adjustable pliers or a pipe wrench is not the best method. They distort the nut and clamp it against the tube where the jaws grip the nut. So it acts like the nut is tight. When you release the pliers or pipe wrench the nut relaxes to a circular shape and is actually looser on the threads.

This makes perfect sense...

I had a similar issue on my '54 3100, nothing worked. I used a muffler clamp around the torque tube,
placing the sliding part of the clamp next to the end of the nut and tightened it down. 8 yrs later, it has
never moved or leaked. Bob