What is a prevailing torque locknut?
A prevailing torque locknut is one that offers resistance to turning as soon as the threads in the nut are fully engaged, even though the bearing surface of the nut has not contacted the work surface. There are basically two types of prevailing torque locknuts. One type obtains the resistance to turning by the use of a non-metallic friction element, usually nylon. The second type is the all metal kind. The resistance to rotation of these nuts is obtained by distorting the nut so that the internal threads in the nut interfere with the external threads on the bolt.
