top lock nut on my tein ra's (passenger rear) keep coming loose. it drove perfect until i adjusted the ride height. i have concluded that when i adjusted the ride height, when turning the perch the motion knocked the nut loose, because up until i adjusted the height which was about a month of use, everything was perfect.
so now every 50 miles or so, i always have to re-tighten the nut.
problem is that when i tighten it, it reaches the point where the whole rod turns, and i can't get the proper torque to the nut (26.5lbs).

i have read the instructions that came with, and it says for me to not turn the rod, but i think that is just precautionary, i don't feel like it is doing any damage. am i wrong to assume that?
it says, do not re-assemble on your own and to send it to tein, but i don't want to do that just to tighten 1 damn nut. i was thinking of just wrapping some rubber around the rod and vice-gripping it to hold it.
man, has this ever happened to anyone?

so my questions are:
-is it dangerous that the whole rod is turning?
-how do you suggest i clamp down the rod so i can torque the nut?
-should the car be jacked, or on the wheels, or remove the coilovers and tighten it?

thanks all.

 

Is this the nut that holds coilover to the shock tower? Or are you talking about a different one? If you could snap a pic, I bet that'll help get some more responses.

Kyle

 

The only thing I can think of is to use a thick peice of rubber to protect the shaft, and grip it with a pipe wrench or vice grips. However, I would probably remove the coilover and remove the spring so that you can avoid scratching any part of the shaft that actually enters the damper.

 

I've seen a few shops blow brand new shocks/struts by having the piston spin. There should be a way to put a allen key on top of the strut and then use some blue lock-tite on the threads to make sure it stays on.

 

Sounds like the nylon on the locknut is worn so you will need to get a new lock nut.

 

there are 3 bolts on top of the coilover, the 2 outside ones are what mounts the coilovers to the body, and the center one is the one that holds the entire coilover together, and that is the one i am talking about.

 

damn, are you serious. can someon confirm this for me please. i have been driving it around after spinning it, and it seems fine.
does anyone know the number for tein usa, the number on the instructions leads me to a day care center???

thanks.

 

On some coilovers, like JIC, the method is to use a impact gun to tighten the nut on the shaft. Just hit it for 2-3 seconds

 

should i turn the rod back counterclockwise to negate my free spinning of it also, i am still not convinced that that does anything because i feel no difference in ride quality.

 

I don't think you did any harm to them, and I don't think you should try to turn them back. I think that twisting the shaft puts abnormal stresses on the seals (since they weren't designed for tortional motion), but I've done it many times without damage.