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This is rather funny; the weird thing is, I don't remember ever having this issue before, back in the 80's.

I have a rather high-torque brushed motor rebuilt & installed in my Turbo Optima, and it seems almost every time I hook up the battery, within a minute or so, the right-side wheels & nylon lock-nuts are zipping off. It doesn't seem to matter how much I tighten them, either.

The only thing that keeps the drive hexes from spinning is their contact with the axle shafts, where the shaft widens. The stock Optima/Turbo Optima never used hexes that lock on with set screws or pins, so the first time I saw those on eBay, I was intrigued. I've already purchased a set. But I still have to wonder why this is such an issue now, when it never was before?

P.S. I know the hexes go on only one way, the wider hole first.

I would try a new nylock on that side.

Maybe, try new nylon locks. Sometimes after they have been removed a couple of times they can loosen up real easy (therfore useless). Just a thought.

I'll try that, go figure the easiest possible solution is the one I haven't tried yet..

EDIT: That turned out to be the ticket, guys. I put on a new set of nylon lock-nuts and kept my wheels on for a whole battery charge. At 8.4V and the mystery motor I'm running, this car isn't really controllable, at least by my own modest abilities...

a little bit of threadlock on the conical part of the hex also helps. Just don't use too much or it will ruin your ballbearing,, and don't put it on just before you run.

Make sure the nuts go all the way down to the nylon portion as well. It not then put a washing on first and thread the nut on insert-side first.

Thanks Steve, that wasn't the problem though. The nuts were going on more than far enough, and were just spinning off as soon as I hit the throttle. As someone correctly pointed out, the nylon in the lock-nuts must've been worn out. New lock-nuts solved the problem.