Tri-Groove Security Nuts

Select the item you want to purchase to see all available options.

Tri Groove Security Nuts

Tri Groove security nuts feature a tapered diameter, making the nuts resistant to gripping devices. They are installed using a special Tri Groove socket, which grips the indentations along the outside of the fastener to turn the nut along a thread.

Tri Groove Nuts are commonly used with driver-less fasteners, such as carriage bolts or concrete anchors for a secure assembly. If the nut is not easily accessible, the fastener assembly will be harder to be tampered with. Security Nuts are commonly used in public outdoor applications including campsites, parks, playgrounds, benches, cars and roof top tents. Stainless Steel Security Nuts are perfect for this type of application since they are rust and corrosion resistant.

Tri Groove Security Nuts are available in Zamak 5 Zinc Alloy and corrosion resistant 316 Stainless Steel. UNC Coarse thread sizes available in diameters up to 5/8 inch.

Trade Names: Trident Security Nuts, Security Nuts, T Groove Nuts, Coned Trident Drive Nuts.

How to Install & Remove TriGroove Tamper Proof Nuts

Installing and Removing Tri-Groove Tamper Proof Security Nuts
Tri-Groove Nut Installation & Removal Transcript

Scroll Down To Continue Reading

Bob: This one I have, this is called a tri groove nut. It has three grooves on it: one, two, three. There's three grooves on here. This is a security nut. This is to prevent anybody from trying to put a wrench on it. It's very hard to put a wrench on this nut.

You could probably put a vice grip on it and it'll hold it and you'll get it off but it's really a deterrent for anybody walking by who wants to try and take something. That's what it's mainly used for and it takes a special socket that goes over this nut and locks into those three grooves to be able to tighten it on.

Now I'm going to demonstrate the installation of a tri-groove nut. This is a security nut so if you want to keep something secure, such as the television, or whatever it may be from anybody removing it.

Tri-groove nuts have these three grooves and you need a special tool or socket to install it. You see they have those three grooves in it. So I'm going to demonstrate this right now, an installation of it.

I'm putting it through my 3/8 steel here. I'm going to screw it on so it snugs up and I'm going to tighten it up with this special tool. I need an adjustable on the other side. There we go.

Bear with me a minute...there we go. So I'm going to wedge it against the vice so I don't have to hold two hands. With these you can only do so much torquing with it cause otherwise it wants to skip out.

Ok, that's the installation of a tri-groove nut. You can't put anything on this to take it off. It's all round. You have to have this tool to take it off. That's what's key to this nut. You can put this where you can't get to the head.

There are installations where you won't be able to access the head so you can't put anything on it. If you can then you would use a security screw with another type of security fastener or wrench to put it in place like a Torx with a pin in the center or something along those lines.

They also have tri-groove bolts that are available. I'm not sure if we have them on our website yet but they are available. You can't take a wrench like this and take it off because what happens is, it's been designed to where you just slide.

Now let's try the ultimate way to get this off: this is a vice grip. So if anything was going to take it off, it's going to be this. So let's see if we can do it. I haven't tried this but I'm gonna give it a shot. I'm trying to grab it on the top ridge of it and I'm gonna try and lock the vise grip; see if it holds.

Nah, see what happens once I apply pressure to it? It starts to slide off. So let's see if I can get it this way...no. There's not enough lip on the top to be able to use the vise grip to grab it. Even this way I can't grab it. So there's basically no way to get this off unless you have the tool. It's too smooth, there's nothing for the vice grip to grab. This is the tool, if you're going to use anything, to get this off.

You need the right tool, which is this: socket with the tri-grooves in the socket, and that would take it off and put it on. I'm going to take it off now. As you can see, you have the right tool...you can remove it.

And that's my demonstration of a tri-groove security nut.