It helps to keep a good supply...
It helps to keep a good supply of fasteners on hand in the shop and in the hauler/pit box. Keeping them well organized makes finding the right parts much easier when seconds count.
The racing industry often pushes the envelope of technology, and other industries can profit from our ingenuity. At the same time, we borrow from other industries when new and innovative products suit our needs. There is always a need for improved fasteners and connectors.
We will introduce some relatively new and interesting devices for attaching and connecting parts. This is not intended to be a complete listing of all new fasteners, but represents some of the most interesting ones you might not know about.
Basic Nuts and Bolts
When we think of fasteners, we immediately envision nuts and bolts and the ever-popular blind rivets. As long as we have had those most basic connectors, there are still improvements being developed that enhance their use. The aerospace community has, over the past 30 years, developed many unique fasteners of specialized materials and shapes.
The ends of this engine bay...
The ends of this engine bay support brace have AN clevises that are attached with AN bolts and nuts. This provides a very clean appearance along with superior strength where it is most needed.
The AN (Air Force/Navy), MS (Military Spec.) and NAS (National Aerospace Standard) fasteners are used in the top classes of auto racing because of their superior strength-to-weight ratio. These nuts and bolts come in many shapes and sizes, from standard hex nuts to the 12-point flanged Cadmium-plated types, with a coat of Kaylube molybdenum disulfide dry lubricant applied after plating. Whew, that's a bad nut.
The cost of these special nuts and bolts has become more reasonable over the past 30 years as the popularity has spread to industries outside aerospace. Today, racers in all classes can take advantage of the innovation that has taken place without having to rob the bank to do so.
Nut Plates
There are times when we need to bolt on a part through a panel and have limited access to the rear for placing and holding a nut. The nut plate was designed for those situations.
The nut plate comes in various...
The nut plate comes in various configurations to accommodate various mounting situations. The sliding nut plate is useful when the fit is relatively loose.
The nut plate can be attached to the panel or plate with rivets to become a permanent hidden nut. Because it is made of steel, it will endure repeated use without excessive wear.
Typical uses include bolting the gauge panel to the dash. We may need to access the gauges often to repair broken wires or replace some of the units, and getting to the back of the dash is very difficult. Any area that requires you to go to the hard-to-reach rear of the panel warrants the use of the nut plate.
Keen-Sert
We may need to attach a bolt to a softer metal, such as aluminum, and we often need a hard metal threaded insert so that our bolts will not pull out easily. The Keen-Sert is a new threaded insert and was designed to be easy to install as well as locked in place so that it won't come out easily.
It can be tapped into the receiving metal with a standard tap size, and some units have four locking pins that can be driven into the sides to lock it into place.
 These devices attach to the...  These devices attach to the back of panels or plates with rivets to become a permanent hidden nut. |  The Keen-Sert is a hard metal...  The Keen-Sert is a hard metal thread insert that is used with softer metals, such as aluminum. It is threaded into a standard tap size with a special tool, and then the four small locking pins are driven into the sides to lock the insert. This prevents the insert from backing out. It can be removed by drilling and pulling the pins. |  The small rod ends can be...  The small rod ends can be used in a variety of ways to connect body panels and mechanical links and the length can be adjusted. |
These are especially useful...
These are especially useful for tweaking aero effects when moving body parts in or out, up or down.
Small Rod Ends
When deciding how to brace body panels or interior dash components, teams will often use small rod ends. These can be easily screwed onto a threaded rod, and the length can be adjusted to suit the need.
Small rod ends can be used for the following: throttle links from the pedal rod to the carburetor, holding body panels in place and adjusting the position, mechanical linkages with small forces, and applications that require small adjustments to align parts correctly.
Cam Lock
We often need to attach body parts, air filter boxes, and so on, so we need a quick-release fastener that will endure many cycles of opening and closing. The metal Cam Lock fastener does the job well. It has a cam design that uses a spring-loaded locking pin for a very secure and tight fit.
 Shown is the basic design...  Shown is the basic design of the Cam Lock fastener... |  ...the actual Cam Lock pa...  ...the actual Cam Lock parts... |  and a Cam Lock being used...  and a Cam Lock being used to hold together two halves of a carbon-fiber air filter box. These connectors are especially useful when tight fits are necessary and when there is constant removal and replacement. |