Monitoring Lug Nut Movement
Keeping lug nuts properly torqued will keep your commercial fleet operators safe and save you money on costly repairs and potential accidents.
Signs of Loose Lug Nuts
Improperly torqued lug nuts are the leading cause of wheel-off accidents. The weight of commercial tires alone is enough to cause substantial damage to other vehicles. Knowing the warning signs of loose lug nuts will help prevent dangerous accidents and costly damage.
You may have loose lug nuts if you notice:
- Shaking or vibrating in your steering wheel
- Noises coming from your wheels
- Uneven tread wear
Loosening can occur regularly and is often caused by:
- Vibrations
- Bolt fatigue
- Bolt bending
- Excessive force in wheel joints
- Thread damage
- Temperature differences in materials
Benefits of Lug Nut Indicators
Spotting loose lug nuts is a whole lot easier with lug nut indicators. These devices have “teeth” that grip each lug nut and shift with the lug nuts when they loosen. The benefits of lug nut indicators include:
Easy inspections: Any rotation in a lug nut is easily visible with lug nut indicators. You can reduce your pre- and post-trip inspection times because you’ll be able to tell which lug nuts need tightening at a glance. Many brands also offer brightly colored indicators to aid night inspections.
RELATED ARTICLE: Retorquing Lug Nuts After You’ve Had Your Tires Replaced or Removed Is Crucial
Fleet protection: Some lug nut indicators will melt once they exceed a specific temperature, which may suggest a problem with your wheel bearings or brakes. The cap-style indicators cover lug nuts and keep out debris and other contaminants that can compromise their integrity.
Peace of mind: These indicators reduce the chance of a wheel-off accident, which improves everyone’s safety on the road. Fleet operators will be able to put their minds at ease knowing each lug nut is torqued to the proper specifications.
Cost savings: Monitoring lug nuts is a form of preventative maintenance that will save you money on repairs, downtime and possible fines from wheel-off accidents.
Schedule your wheel maintenance at Bauer Built Tire & Service. Our expert technicians administer thorough inspections and repairs that will keep your fleet up and running.
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