"Captive" Nuts

[hob]

I have been told that my rear spoiler contains "captive" nuts or thread or something to that extent.

 

What exactly are captive nuts and what do they do?, as far as I can see they are just 2 mm of tiny thread I would have thought it would have been better to have a full thread to secure it?

 

Is there a way you can tell a captive nut? from a stock one (just to confirm) and are there special bolts or the way to tighten them over stock ones?

 

Cheers for any help

 

[hob]

*edit* does captive simply mean that it is fixed to the underside of the spoiler, rather than it being "loose" between bolt>spoiler>nut?

[garethr]

*edit* does captive simply mean that it is fixed to the underside of the spoiler, rather than it being "loose" between bolt>spoiler>nut?

Yes. "Captive" just means that the nut cannot turn. You don't need to put a spanner on the nut while you screw in the bolt.

[hob]

Yes. "Captive" just means that the nut cannot turn. You don't need to put a spanner on the nut while you screw in the bolt.

 

ah, so when fully tightened I guess just by hand is enough or hand + spanner for a final turn?

 

Cheers,

[TLicense]

It means the nut is captive. You still need to do the bolt up to full tightness using a spanener etc.

It's used when you can't get to the nut, for example you may weld the nut in place, so it's captive, and then just turn the bolt going through the nut to fix whatever it is that you're fixing.