Proper Installation of Cone Washers on Brackets?

[minuteman62-64]

What's the procedure when tightening the nuts on brackets using cone washers? Flatten out the washer? Tighten to the torque appropriate for the bolt? Tighten till the washer just begins to compress? Other?

​I have been tightening to the torque appropriate for the bolt. Just like to know if I've been doing it correctly.

 

[roscoe]

Cone washers?

Google,,,,,,, never seen or used one.

 

[minuteman62-64]

Cone washers?

Google,,,,,,, never seen or used one.

​Those aren't them. Maybe I have the name wrong. They are the six sided washers with raised center that are used for attaching trailer brackets/rollers/etc. When you cinch them down the raised center compresses.

 

[Idlespeedonly]

Is this what you are referring to?

 

[minuteman62-64]

Is this what you are referring to?

Yep. That's it.

 

[minuteman62-64]

Bought some at West yesterday. On the packaging it says: "Pyramidal-Type Locking Washers."

​So, back to original question. Proper installation technique?

 

[Maclin]

Designed for high torque load heavy duty applications. In my opinion, if you know the torque spec and the washer is proper thickness for the application and you are torqueing down to that then you are installing them correctly, no worries.

Install with teeth down then torque down to whatever the appropriate torque for the application. If there is no spec for that then just use a chart based on bolt size and grade. The compression of the washer and resulting tension induced in the components all becomes part of the holding "formula". The teeth/spikes are there to keep the washer from moving as torque is applied.

I used to build medium to heavy duty equipment trailers. The spring hangers on the biggest one had cone washers on the "big" end hangar bracket. They were very thick and you could not tell there was any compression at all, but they did load up so to speak with tension. Part of their purpose was to spread the load outwards in a larger diameter so the torgue/tension was not just all behind a bolt head or nut. Bolts and nuts and washers on that big dude were a "team", were not to be used separately or for anything else.

 

[minuteman62-64]

Got it! Thanks. I think that (tightening to the torque spec of the fastener) is what I did last time - just wanted to make sure.