I am waiting for UPS to bring me a new steering coupler. The old one was pretty much shot with a lot of slop. The worst thing is one of the bolts came completely out! See picture. There are tabs to bend over the bolt heads to keep them from loosing, but apparently it did not work on one of the bolts.

Question: Should I use a Locktite Threadlocker product in addition to the tabs? Which color Threadlocker?

Or could I get new longer bolts for the bottom coupler and have the longer bolts come up through the steerer unit and add a lock nut?

Don't know if you should use locktite on it or not, but for that size thread you want red.

I would just find the right lock plates and install them correctly. They will keep the bolts tight. I'd bet a dollar that the lock plate wasn't used correctly or was worn out (too many bends).

Click to view attachment
Chose wisely

I see one red, one pink. Whats yer point?

I NEVER recommend RED. it is permanent and requires lots of heat to correct in the future. Blue med strength is good for most apps. as with all adhesives, preparation is key. it will not work on greasy threads in a dirty hole.
with the example here, the lock plate will do the trick as Mark says but some blue is cheap insurance.
most fasteners should have a washer. I often find NONE. A washer spreads the load and increases the friction surface area to help retain the fastener. a lock washer adds pre-load to the assemble and increased friction holds it together better.
proper torque fro a given size and grade of fastener is important. not enough torque = not enough friction to prevent it from rattling apart. too much torque can stretch the fastener to the point of partial yield, thus elongating the bolt and loosening its grip

I really appreciate all your suggestions and comments. As a result, hopefully, I can make an educated decision on how to pursue this. Yall are the best! Terry

Point is ..its the blue stuff he needs and the only color you didnt mention ....just felt if someone dont know it would be a mistake to tell them to go get the red ..just feel thats wasnt enough info for the fella
MikeC

Red is fine for larger hardware. Your supposed to use loctite per thread size. Blue won't hold the same on a M3 vs a M8 or M10.

all do respect sir that is not correct ...the Product # refers to how much effort you will need to pull the bolt...
290 Green.. bolt seam sealer....very easy

242 Blue.. remove with hand tools.....little stronger


271 Red.. remove with heat and hand tools...get the BFH and a torch

MikeC