How do you check a wheel nut indicator?
If you can move the wheel nut with your fingers, it has been loose for a while. Once one wheel nut becomes really loose, vibrations loosen the rest of them. A cheap and effective way of seeing, at a glance, whether your wheel nuts are loose is to add wheel nut indicators.
How do wheel nut indicators work?
Mechanical indicator The tag rotates with the nut, and if the nut becomes loose, the point of the tag shifts noticeably out of alignment with the other tags. If too many lug nuts are loosened, the wheel can detach from the wheel stud; loose wheel nut indicators allow identification of loose nuts before this can occur.
What is a wheel check?
Wheel-Checks are a loose wheel nut indicator that can identify loose wheel nuts with a simple visual inspection. When the lug nuts are properly torqued to specs, the Wheel-Checks are then placed on the lug nuts in a uniform pattern. If a wheel nut has loosened, the Wheel-Check will become out of sequence.
Why do trucks have yellow caps on wheel nuts?
He came up with the simple but effective idea of fitting each wheel nut with a brightly-coloured indicator cap, which at a glance can show a driver or mechanic if a wheel nut is loose on a pre-drive inspection. These tough plastic devices secure adjacent wheel nuts together, which minimises their ability to rotate.
What are the green things on truck lug nuts?
If you mean the ones on the wheel nuts, they’re there to help the driver or mechanic see if any of the nuts have “backed off” or come loose. They’re put on after the nuts are tightened to show a particular pattern so that the triangle of any nut that has loosened will be visually obvious.
What is a wheel nut flag?
The wheel nut flag product is a brightly coloured, flat plastic pointer shaped device that fits tightly over a vehicle wheel nut and is positioned in a uniformed pattern. It is designed to identify any movement of the nut and any excessive over heating at the wheel end.
What are the yellow covers on wheel nuts?
They’re called loose wheel nut indicators (LWNI), commonly seen on vehicles used in mining operations and increasingly popular on government and commercial fleets. They can also be of great benefit to private vehicle owners.
How do I know if my lug nuts are loose?
If the wheel is loose on the hub, the lug nuts may be loose. To test this, lift the vehicle with a floor jack on the side where you suspect the lug nuts are loose. Place your hands at the top and bottom of the wheel and try to rock it. If the wheel moves easily, the lug nuts may be loose.
What is a loose wheel nut indicator?
Loose wheel nut indicators are small pointed tags, usually made of fluorescent orange or yellow plastic, which are fixed to the lug nuts of the wheels of large vehicles. The tag rotates with the nut, and if the nut becomes loose, the point of the tag shifts noticeably out of alignment with the other tags.
What are lug nut indicators?
Loose wheel nut indicators or Lug nut indicators are used both by auto mechanics and drivers to identify lug nuts which require tightening, as well as by accident investigators to detect faults after accidents.
What causes lug nuts to keep coming loose?
What Causes Lug Nuts To Keep Coming Loose? Temperature. Most wheels today are made of an aluminum alloy and are held to the hub with steel lug nuts. Over or Under Torquing. Under torquing your tires is a simple explanation for loose lug nuts. Improper Mating Surfaces. Improper mating surfaces can cause poor clamping force as well, including damaged and contaminated areas.
What are the torque specifications for lug nuts?
Typical Lug Nut Torque Specifications. Lug Size Ft/Lbs Torque. 1/2″ 90-120 9/16″ 120-140 5/8″ 140-160. IMPORTANT NOTICE: As with all types of wheels retorque lug nuts after the first 25 miles & at 100 mile intervals until lug torque is maintained.