The clever 3-thread rule will enable you to fix engagement problems when using bolts, and it will also help you avoid issues with protrusion.

Dear Heloise: Concerning the righty-tighty, lefty-loosey confusion, I'm from the old school when clocks were round and had 12 digits on them. To tighten a nut or bolt, you would just turn the nut or ...

DEAR CAR TALK: Is it possible for lug nuts to loosen over a period of time (after 2,500 miles) if they were improperly installed? I had seasonal tires changed at a service location, and about a month ...

Engineers with fastener manufacturers assure me if nuts and bolts are torqued to their proper value, they will hold within specifications without a lock washer. In fact, they warn lock washers can ...

Q: My toilet seat has plastic bolts that keep coming loose, making the seat wobble and very uncomfortable to sit on. I keep tightening the nuts, but they work loose quickly. Can you help? --L. James A ...

Q: I had a flat tire fixed, and my neighbor said I should have the wheel nuts “torqued” by someone, as the young man at the gas station didn’t do this. I didn’t want to sound ignorant by asking what ...