Daphne’s wagon has great Hedman Hedders with ball and socket collectors on them that require no gasket and never ever leak. Except when the bolts come loose. Which they do about once every few months, or every 1500 miles. It sucks. I’ve used lock washers, and they don’t work. I’ve use nyloc nuts, which melt because of the heat, but at least they stay on longer. But the dudes at Stage 8 have a new system I can’t wait to get my hands on. The new Stage 8 Essential Ball and Socket Locking Fasteners look awesome!
Here is how they work.
The hex in the tab, which slides over the bolt head and is secured by the E Clip, keeps the tab and bolt in the same relation to each other as long as the clip is in place. By placing the clip against the collect, it can’t loosen up!
On the back side of the other flange is a large tabbed nut that rotates against the collector upon tightening and means that installation is a one tool job, not two wrenches and an extra hand. The big tabbed nut’s surface area makes it have a much stronger “pull” on it’s flange as well.
Stage 8 Designs Essential Ball and Socket Locking Fasteners The World’s Best Locking Fastener® Provider Creates An Automotive Breakthrough. Visit Stage8.com for more info!
Stage 8, manufacturer of the world’s most effective, active mechanical locking systems, now offers locking fastener kits for all cat-back and header ball and socket applications.
The best technique for dealing with exhaust fastener loosening is to prevent it from occurring in the first place. Stage 8 offers an easy-to-use kit that assures no horsepower loss or gasket failure created by loose exhaust fasteners.
Stage 8’s unique, patented and trademarked ball and socket 4-piece locking fastener assemblies are available in both metric and U.S. sizes. Depending on the application, a steel bolt or nut, locking retainer, threaded tab and spring clip are included. Stage 8 Locking Ball and Socket Kits are sold with all of the necessary hardware for your specific application. All applications can be found at www.stage8.com.
2015 marks Stage 8 Locking Fastener’s 30th anniversary of building the world’s best locking fasteners for a myriad of industries including automotive, industrial, railroad and military. Since 1985, Stage 8 has consistently delivered measurable increases in equipment reliability and safety as well as dramatic reductions in maintenance costs and equipment failures, especially for the most critical fastener applications, especially header and exhaust applications.
Stage 8 is accepting additional partnerships with cat-back and header manufacturers.
is this a ball and socket type of setup issue?
i’ve never had an issue with the traditional type of setup (bolt/nut/lock washer) and use felpro collector gaskets
i have solid motor mounts and a radical cam too
never had them come loose on the current ride or any other cars i’ve come across at the shop or friends that i talk with
but none have the ball and socket connection
just curious, perhaps i am lucky
i do check often too and never have issues, same goes for header bolts too
Or you could use Stover nuts for 10 cents each.
but then BS would’t get to plug sponsors and everybody would save money
I suggest you send him a set of stover nuts and have a side to side shootout to see if they stay.
While I agree those things work well, I think the heat’s going make them slowly back off like a nylok over a longer time.
No, they don’t back off like a Nyloc with heat. Maybe they would with very high temps, but for collectors they work great. OEMs have been using them for years now on exhaust flanges, and those never back off.
$ 70 + for header nuts ?
Are You Crazy ?
Never had mine come loose ever!!! I just use normal 3/8″ unc bolts.