Rear hub locknut on 8N

THE MAN’S NAME WAS SWAGGART AND HE LIVED SOMEWHERE IN NORTH ALABAMA. THIS WAS ABOUT THE TIME I STARTED WORKING ON FORD TRACTORS IN LATE 1959 FULL TIME. BEFORE THAT I HAD BEEN A SHADE TREE MECHANIC AND AIRCRAFT ENGINE MECHANIC.

I ALSO RAN THE PARTS DEPARTMENT AT THE SMALL FORD TRACTOR DEALERSHIP THAT MY BROTHER IN LAW OWNED AND OPERATED WITH MY HELP.

ALL WE EVER CALLED THIS NUT AS A SWAGGART NUT AND I SOLD THEM AT THE RATE OF ABOUT 6 A WEEK SOMETIMES. I USED THEM TOO IN THE SHOP TO SAVE THE FARMERS A BUNDLE ON DODGING HAVING TO BUY A NEW AXLE.

THE NUT IS ACTUALLY TWO NUTS. ONE HAS A REGULAR AXLE FINE THREAD AND THEN ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THE HEX PORTION OF THE NUT HAS A TAPERED PIPE THEAD AND IS SEGMENTED IN SIX PLACES ON THE PIPE THREADED PORTION OF THE NUT WITH ANOTHER NUT THAT THREADS ONTO THIS TAPERED PIPE THREADED PORTION. WHEN THE FINE THREADED PORTION IS TIGHTENED ON THE AXLE UNTIL IT IS SNUG AGAINST THE HUB OF THE AXLE THE OUTER NUT IS TIGHTENED UNTIL IT BEGINS TO SQUEEZE THE TAPERED OUTSIDE THREADS DOWN ON THE SHAFT. THEN YOU CAN CATCH BOTH OF THE HEX PARTS AT THE SAME TIME AND TORQUE IT ON DOWN. IF IT TRYS TO SLIP ON THE BAD AXLE THREADS YOU CAN TIGHTEN DOWN ON THE OUTER NUT SOME MORE. USUALLY IT WILL DO THE TRICK AND SAVE BUYING A NEW AXLE IF IT IS JUST THE THREADED PART THAT IS BAD.

ZANE