Does anyone know if these nuts are re-made today? They call them Oddie nuts. They are sometimes found on the XK120 and MK VII, but they are all over the C-type and D-type. Thank you!
The closest Iāve found are āflex-top locknutsā such as these at McMaster- Carr. Click the link and then scroll down past the nylocs etc to the flex-top locknuts.
On the McMaster site right at the bottom there are slip on twist nuts, never seen those before!
As you can guess by looking at the McMaster catalogue, engineers have come up with dozens of designs over the past century and a half for combating the age old problem of nuts loosening up in vibration installations, beginning with the fine thread, the lock washer and the slotted nut with split pin.
Fred Albert Oddie of Southampton Airport in Hampshire patented his idea in 1938, British patent 513344, US patent 2215560.
If your desire is to create exact copies of Oddie nuts for a concours car, it would not be all that difficult if you have a lathe, or even just a drill press if you were careful and accurate.
Make them out of long coupling nuts by trimming down the length. Cut out the end cup with an end mill. Cut the slots with a thin saw. Fold the tabs over.
1 Like
See below, a 1950 BROWNS BROS Advertisement (A major UK Automotive Retailer, that offered all manner of automotive items), but this advertisement is more relevant to Jaguars use of ODDIE NUTS, given their origin was for the Aviation Industry.
BrownsMOTOR1950.p199.pdf (1.2 MB)
You will note that the C-type SPC lists as using āNut-Self Lockingā C.3968/2 which is a 3/8"ANF (later 3/8"UNF) threaded size, however as far as I can ascertain although these C.3968/x (series - increasing size ANF threaded) were initially ODDIE Nuts, they were superseded by AEROTIGHT NUTS (also use same C.3968/x series) (a different āSplit Beamā concept of mechanical self-locking nut) before both becoming obsolete with the introduction of Nylon Insert Self Locking Nuts (a common Trade Name being NYLOC) (now C8150/x series for UNF) You find all three types used over the XK120/140/150 period, so it gets a bit confusing, but you have half a chance of finding if you search by generic name as well as Trade name.
I certainly found a source of new AEROTIGHT NUTS which were used mostly in 1955 XK140s, but never chased up ODDIE NUTS not being found in XK140s.
My solution to the oddie nut is to use something called a Steel Top Lock Nut. I got mine from Fastenal but Iām sure other outfits carry them. Dipped in mild acid bath to get zinc coating off. Cut slots inthem using cut off wheel on Dremel. Heated and dipped in oil to blacken them. I canāt tell the difference from a real one. Wish I knew how to take a picture and put with this entry so you can compare.