Good places to use red loctite?

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sumguy75

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Anybody here use red loctite on certain parts that you hardly ever take off? I know it requires a good bit of heat to loosen, but I'm wondering if a very small amount could be effective while still not being too difficult to remove.

I have a 2wd rig that I have 17mm hex adapters that use a barrel nut to hold them in. If it gets tightened too much, it puts pressure on the hub bearing and wears it out fast. If I don't tighten down hard, blue loctite helps it stay longer but not enough to keep it from loosing a wheel at times. I was thinking of using a small amount of red loctite on the barrel nuts on the last few threads. Figure it might be just the right amount of strength for what I need, worst case scenario I can remove the hub and heat it up to remove since its aluminum.

Anybody else use red threadlocker on their rigs?
 
I personally use red loctite on the grub screw that holds the pinion gear in place. I had two come pinions come lose on me, using blue loctite and I had no brakes to stop the car.

That's why Spektrums Safe D pinion and E clip is a great design.
 
[QUOTE="


That's why Spektrums Safe D pinion and E clip is a great design.
[/QUOTE] agreed!
 
Maybe you are using the wrong brand of loctite. Some off brands are junk. Get the real deal and try. Also the threads need to be clean. A little brake clean works well. I use blue loctite on pinion set screws. Put a drop in the hole then add set screw. The liquid is forced around the gear and shaft. They do not come loose. In fact takes a bit to remove the gear from the shaft.
 
Maybe you are using the wrong brand of loctite. Some off brands are junk. Get the real deal and try. Also the threads need to be clean.
Good point about cleaning everything. I would use rubbing alcohol on a paper towel, to clean the bolts. And rubbing alcohol on a pipe cleaner to clean the female threads.

I also use blue 243 Loctite, rather than the more common blue 242, since the 243 is supposed to be a bit more tolerant of oil, and metal surfaces that are less reactive. I recently bought the chapstick-looking stick of blue Loctite, rather than the usual liquid, I'm curious to see if it's easier to apply neatly, and just where you want it.
 
I haven't needed to use it yet. But I just bought some Permatex orange thread locker (I bought the gel version). It's high-strength, like red, but says it does not require heat to remove.

It seemed worth mentioning, anyways. If blue won't cut it, I plan to try this, rather than red. https://www.amazon.com/Permatex-25210-Strength-Removable-ThreadLocker/dp/B07R6B87S5
The orange is legit. I’ve been using it on my speed run cars. It’s definitely easier to break loose than red but I haven’t had it come loose on me yet. A couple times I’ve needed minimal heat but not worth the mention. And I don’t use the gel, if that makes a difference.
 
RED Loctite!? 👀

Metal Welding GIF by audreyobscura


Never had a need to use it yet.
 
I've had the 242 blue come loose plenty of times. Even when starting with brand new parts and screws. I use 99% isopropyl alcohol on a microfiber cloth and twist the screws in it with a hex driver pretty good, I do it with new or used screws.
95% of the places I apply it hold fine and never loosen on their own. Just a few trouble spots like the barrel nuts on the hex adapters. Haven't used it yet but seems like a reasonable option since it's a small part that can be easily removed and heated. If the barrel nut holds I'd only need to remove it to change bearings every 5-6 months so it would already be off and easy to heat.
Seems like one of the easiest parts to test it on, inexpensive to replace if it goes badly. 😄
 
Haha, looks like I'm on my own with this idea. Maybe my Home Depot store is carrying counterfeit Loctite? lol

If there is a step I'm missing besides clean the screw and opening before applying and let it cure for 24 hours, I'd love to know what it is. Blue isn't holding good enough on everything for me and I'm not walking 50-75yds to retrieve an escaped wheel/tire anymore without giving a tiny dab of the red a try. :ROFLMAO:Also have a new shock tower coming that has a base plate that screws on. Once its put together out of the package it never needs to come apart again and blue loctite has failed every time in that location. Red will be perfect.

On the flip side, I've always used blue on pinion grub screws and have never had a single issue with pinions coming off. Seems like that is the place I'd be most likely to have an issue with threadlockers, but my pinions always stay put. 🤷‍♂️

Out of curiosity, for anyone that has used both the 242 and the 243 versions of blue, is the 243 is significantly stronger or just a little?
 
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I have used 242 and 243. I don't remember noticing a strength difference. I changed to 243 because it is more tolerant of a little oil, so it's kind of more robust, if you don't clean things perfectly. I think it's also better for stainless.

After learning about 243, it seemed to me that there's not much reason to use 242, so I just kept those tubes as spares, and used my 243.
 
Maybe, just maybe a drop of blue is not enough. Have used it on hex wheel nuts, applied around the hub. When it sets it is good for many times as it stays and builds up. If blue is not holding something is wrong with the application. Maybe a drop is not enough. Might be old stuff that has separated. Do you shake it up good so the thick blue comes out, not thin or clear stuff. And blue is not going to stop fasteners from stressing and becoming longer causing things to loosing. Use red as you wish. Be warned you will never get it apart and will have to replace everything around it. Blue sets up so well with screws, they require heat to get loose. Have seen red hold so well on Cat hydraulic cylinders the nuts had to be cut off. No amount of torque could turn the nuts.
 
I do shake it up pretty good every time, it comes out more like a thin oil than water.

I've used the blue with a 12mm hex and wheel nut dozens of times on the same rig with no problems. Its only with the barrel nut that holds the 17mm Hot Racing adapter in place that it won't stay. Again, part of the problem is I am not able to tighten the barrel nut down fully because it will press the axle pin into the bearing and keep the tire from rolling freely.

If I want to remove it after using red loctite I can take the hub off the castor block. After that its just an aluminum hub, 2 bearings, axle, and barrel nut, heating it up really hot won't be an issue. My plan is to put the barrel nut 7/8 of the way on, then use a toothpick to dab a smidge of red on the last 1 or 2 threads so that it doesn't cover all of the threading, just the last couple of threads.

I appreciate the warnings on how strong it is, but that is why I'm asking. I am already guessing this might turn out to be a mistake trying it. :ROFLMAO: If it is, I already have a spare hub, axle, and 17mm adapter, I'll slap those on and stick with blue threadlock if necessary. At least I know the red will be useful on the shock tower.
 
Is the Loctite actually setting up, and "bonding"? It only sets up in the absence of air, like when bolts have been properly tightened together. So if you can't really tighten it, that could cause trouble with the Loctite being able to cure fully. Are you also cleaning the female threads, in case there's any oil on them?

I'd probably prefer to start with orange (to avoid needing to use heat), at least if I had to go buy red anyhow. But that's just me
 
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