If you have a metal lathe just looking for some work, why not make your own lock nuts? That’s what [my mechanics insight] did when faced with a peculiar lock nut that needed replacing in a car.

Locking lug nuts have been around since the 1960s, but I remember when they started getting particularly popular in the ’80s. I was in high school, and my friend loved to show off his fancy rims.

Typically, we’ll throw a simple helical spring lock washer on a stud or bolt, torque down the nut nice and snug, and call it a day, feeling like we’ve made a secure joint. But nothing could ...