Tri-Castle Nuts

69 Road Runner. working on the front suspension detailing and can not find any reference on the color of the Tri-Castle nuts used on the Ball Joints, Steering Arm, Idler Arm and Tie Rod Ends.
Natural?
Black Phosphate?
I believe I have the cotter pins figured out though.

See page 46, part number B-11486 with pentastar logo here:

http://www.amkproducts.com/Catalog_PDF/39-55.pdf

The S2 finish is "Phosphate & Oil (gray - black)", page 4 of the AMK catalog.

Is AMK always on with their coatings? I have only gotten a few things from them in the past.

I recently installed these AMK nuts on my vehicle and in my opinion the shoulder where you would put the cotter pin through is too high. There was no way a regular cotter pin (like they one they send you) could be used. The hole in the shaft was barely showing. I had to torque a little tighter then spec and use a very thin cotter pin that I luckily had some stock of.
The parts being installed on were Moog with the exception of the pitman arm, which was original. The pitman arm was the worst with fit.

Why wouldn't it have worked if the base of the nut was made a little thinner?

Remember that this was on an assembly line where they did it as fast as they could. Torque with an air gun, and if the hole didn't line up, keep going till it did.

The new tri castle nuts are too tall. You either need to get originals or take a die grinder to the repops.

OEMs shoulder was not as thick.

Lucky that I already have the nuts, I just need the coating information.

I was going to say, can't you just grind down the bottom part of the castle nut giving you the clearance you'd need for getting the cotter pin through?

Yes, but then you risk removing the coating and mess with the bevel shown in the photo. If I didn't have the thinner cotter pins, would have had to grind.

True, but at least that coating would be the bottom side of the nut and could be touched up with paint or even have RPM put on it to prevent rusting.

Try Bill Rolik Enterprises http://www.billrolikenterprises.com/proddetail.asp?prod=9425132-P

When I installed aftermarket tie rod ends (moog) the ball stud was just a hair shorter than the oem and the hole was drilled lower in the stud compared to an oem tie rod. Could not get the cotter pin in with original nuts or reproduction amk’s. The moog nuts obviously fit fine but we’re not tri-castle.

File out 3 of the 6 towers

Not to hijack the original posters thread, but what are these castle nuts worth anyway?
I have never thrown anything on the ground, and left it there, when picking suspension parts, off cars since they invented U Pull It wrecking yards, around here, back in the early 1980's.
I probably have a storage container with about 30 pounds of castle nuts in it, and probably handfull's of those original 3 tower ones.
Think i should start selling them, to all the guys that are anal freaks for original castle nuts?
I remember when NS1AAR got a handfull of them from me, as we have known one another, for decades.

Don't know if it is an anal freak thing, but it is one of those little things that get overlooked and they are kind of obvious when wrong. I have extras from past cars but they are not impossible to duplicate. If you look at them the have just had a mill take a pass and remove three of the points. The repop is just not quite right. It may be a GM or Ford part that the depth is wrong on. I imagine if you had a supply of them and had them plated correctly they would be easy to sell. Not having them would be like say a perfect breast enhancement and someone left off the nipple.

...but you have to leave off 3 nipples to make a new replacement part look like an original

Three nipples on and three nipples off. Now modern looks vintage.

You helped me out with a 9/16 "hex tri-slot nut" once upon a time. Thanks again!

Keep in mind that there are 7/16, 1/2 and 9/16 sizes, but only the 1/2" is reproduced AFAIK. You could command the entire intergalactic market for the other 2 sizes...

[/quote]You helped me out with a 9/16 "hex tri-slot nut" once upon a time. Thanks again!

Keep in mind that there are 7/16, 1/2 and 9/16 sizes, but only the 1/2" is reproduced AFAIK. You could command the entire intergalactic market for the other 2 sizes...
[/quote]

Yes, i am aware of all the sizes.
I've got them all in the storage container, out in the garage.
I should start selling them off, on the Mopar related web sites, and ebay, and see what i can get for them.