Why can't I tighten these bolts?

[jengod]

Trying to assemble a bike rack. Can't get the bolts to tighten up past about the fifth thread. Do I spray WD-40 on 'em? Do I need a power tool?

Photos of key parts here:
http://jengod.blogspot.com/2016/04/help-why-cant-i-tighten-these-bolts.html

Thanks in advance to any experienced folks who can take a look.

[BlueBeard]

I wonder if the pitches are mismatched or sizes. Though bolts that were supplied, that seems unlikely.
Nylock nuts are harder to turn but still go on without a ton of effort.

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

Can you tighten them when they're not in the rack?

[jengod]

Can you tighten them when they're not in the rack?

Nope. I can screw on the nuts easily about seven times and then they freeze and there's no more give.

I shall call the manufacturer and ask what's up, but maybe I can just buy different nuts at a hardware store?

[lthenderson]

Can you tighten them when they're not in the rack?

Nope. I can screw on the nuts easily about seven times and then they freeze and there's no more give.

I shall call the manufacturer and ask what's up, but maybe I can just buy different nuts at a hardware store?

You have what are referred too as locking nuts. They are designed to turn harder when the plastic o-ring inside makes contact with the threads and thus they won't come loose in the future without a lot of effort. You either need to put more effort into tightening, put a cheater bar on your wrench to give you a mechanical advantage or use an impact gun to tighten them.

[jengod]

I did it! I did it! I think I was using my ratchet wrench (is that a name for a thing?) wrong. I had to fiddle with that so it was actually tightening and not just spinning and then I had enough leverage to make them tighten. Whee!

[Metric Mouse]

I did it! I did it! I think I was using my ratchet wrench (is that a name for a thing?) wrong. I had to fiddle with that so it was actually tightening and not just spinning and then I had enough leverage to make them tighten. Whee!

Honestly Jen...this made my morning. :D Fantastic work. (On solving your problem, not on entertaining me.)

[jengod]

I did it! I did it! I think I was using my ratchet wrench (is that a name for a thing?) wrong. I had to fiddle with that so it was actually tightening and not just spinning and then I had enough leverage to make them tighten. Whee!

Honestly Jen...this made my morning. :D Fantastic work. (On solving your problem, not on entertaining me.)

<3 <3 <3