Really!?!

[TT5.9mag]

It kept the nut tight for 15 years. Seems to have done its job. Is it piss poor workmanship? Sure. Did it work? Sure.

 

[Garrett Ellison]

My apologies! I've misquoted there, it wasn't actually the factory service manual I had read about staking the pinion nut, but somewhere in the Mopar Performance Chassis manual.

 

[70SwingerGuy]

Those nuts were prevailing lock nuts from the factory. In other words the outside hole was "squished" a little oval so that the nut had an interference fit. Although I've never seen it in print, I believe those are really only supposed to be used one time and then replaced. They obviously knew that the nut fit more loosely than it was supposed to, or they would have never tack welded it. I guess if they didn't have access to a new nut, that was the best that they could come up with.......but "best" is pretty objective. lol

Rusty, sounds to me like you are describing a stover lock nut. The nut itself is deformed slightly to make a better "lock" when tightened down. And yes, they should be a one time use only nut. We sell tons of them at work.