Castle Nuts | Copper State Bolt and Nut Co.

Jul 29, 2015

When completing a job, there’s more to nuts and bolts than just a couple pieces. Specific fasteners can make or break your finished product, so it’s important to get the right items for your job. Castle nuts go beyond basic fastening to create a positive locking mechanism commonly used in wheel bearings and low-torque applications. Find out more about this specialty fastener as we go beyond general purpose fastening with the castle nut.

Basics

Castle nuts are named for their appearance. This nuts are similar in appearance to a standard fastener but have one side that consists of castle-like parapets. Also called castellated nuts, flower nuts, or slotted nuts – it’s the castle-like slots that are the key to this item’s use. When properly aligned, these slots will match up with a slotted bolt or axle. The bolt will then lock in place and can be secured again with a pin or bearing. A common place this mechanism can be seen in is on a car hub.

Use With

Castle nuts are a great general purpose fastener when used in conjunction with another item to create a “lock”. Commonly paired items include:

• Cotter pins – split pins that lock the bolt and nut assembly in place
• Drilled Shank Fasteners – bolts that have a hole drilled through the middle for a pin
• R-Clips – a split pin like a cotter pin but with an R-shape
• Axles – a drilled assembly similar to a shank fastener but with added features to allow wheels to rotate.

For more examples and advice on specialty fasteners and finding the best hardware for your project, consult the professionals at Copper State Bolt & Nut online.