No more safety wires needed!

[rsimoes]

I was just at the Kirkhams, checking out my car that is almost ready (super excited) and I was shown the new hubs for the Kirkhams that have a safety tab that eliminates the need for safety wires.

Check it out:


vs the "old" way:

[Igofastr]

Very trick!! Not at all surprised the Kirkhams came up with that. However, for nostalgia's sake, I think I like the looks of safety wire.

[double ugly]

Wasn't there a thread a while back talking about a similar clip used way back when?
In my old formula car days the wheels weren't called pin drives but were called center-locks. No safety wire just a cotter pin prevented the wheel from departing the hub.
John

[John McMahon]

Originally Posted by double ugly

Wasn't there a thread a while back talking about a similar clip used way back when?
In my old formula car days the wheels weren't called pin drives but were called center-locks. No safety wire just a cotter pin prevented the wheel from departing the hub.
John

John,

I sold all I had to Jim Holden. I got mine some years back directly from Halibrand.

two styles......

[rsimoes]

Does the safety wire keep wing nut from turning so it does not become loose, or is it only used as a visual cue. By that I mean, it is installed with slack and if you loose the slack, it should be tightened.

Wy do I ask? Because while the new hubs keep the nuts from coming off it will allow the wheel to become lose enough to make the wheel wobble. So do we still need safety wires? (if they keep that from happening)

[double ugly]

There are two answers to the first question. I have always believed that the wire should have a little slack and before venturing out I always checked that there was some slack in all four wires. Others will tell you to have no slack. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me, however.
Using a clip will prevent the wheel for going it's own way. If you do get a wobble stop and tighten the tri-wing.
The spinner, if on tight, won't likely loosen but if it does I think the wire will keep it from getting looser and hopefully you will check the wires before your next trip and find a wire that doesn't have any slack.
John

[rsimoes]

But does the wire actually stop the tri-wing from coming off? I had heard that it did not, therefore, use the slack idea. . .

[JBo]

The only time I lost one was without safety wire. It may have been a co-incidence though.

[bnewell]

I agree with Ron R...........I like the safety wire look. Plus it is another question I get to answer when onlookers say "why is that wire holding on your wheel"???

[Jamo]

Nice safety advancement, but given that it will still allow a wingnut to loosen enough to let a wheel wobble...I'd still use safety wire.

Rob...I agree with dblfugly. The wire should not be depended upon to hold the wingnut, even though it's going to help (even if you use thicker than .32). Rely on it more as a visual or tactile quick check. I leave mine slightly slack as well...so I can touch it quickly on a walkaround in between track periods or stops on a cruise to see if the wingnut has backed off at all (thereby tightening the wire).

[Paul F]

Has anyone ever had a spinner come loose on the street (not racing)? Why would a spinner come loose if lug nuts don't? Why don't lug nuts have safety wires or cotter pins?

In other words, do I really need safety wire if I don't race my Cobra?

[bnewell]

Paul ~ I have read a few posts here on CC about members loosing a spinner while driving on the street.

I myself have lost a couple of lug nuts over the past 30 years, but at least I had 3 or 4 others to hold the wheel on.

Better keep the safety wire buddy!!!

[Paul F]

Thanks to this forum, I learned about safety wires. I just got a set of knock-offs and didn't know anything about it. I really don't like the safety wire look and so I am interested in the Kirkham solution. I wonder if I can modify my hubs to do the same thing.

Rsimoes, Do you have more detail on how that hub works? I can't really make it out from the picture.

[rsimoes]

Originally Posted by Paul F

Rsimoes, Do you have more detail on how that hub works? I can't really make it out from the picture.

Paul,

The hubs are a little longer (you can see it in the picture above) to have space for the spring actuated pins that come up. The pins are integrated into the hub caps (literally) so that it also keeps the caps from flying off in a race track.

So you'd need to have the hubs and caps from a Kirkham. Whether or not they will fit other brands, I don't know. You may want to contact the Kirkhams. Good luck. Let me know if I can clarify anything. . .

[Paul F]

Ok, I understand now. No, I can't do that on my hubs, but its given me an idea how I might do it for mine.

Thanks.

[big-boss]

I never wired my MKIV wing nuts- I should have. When I went to get the car in Mississippi I drove it back and fought the right rear all the way to Texas- Then pulled it off cleaned all the junk off of it applied some never-sieze bought a 5 dollar dead blow hammer and lived happily ever after. If it seats good and tight you will never have an issue. You understand there is a left and a right-Just like the lug nuts on an 18-wheeler. That is what also keeps them on.
I understand that my new self proclaimed Late Model Original Kirkham will have the cute little F1 locks- So again I will be safety wireless.
JAMO is right though you leave the wire un-tought and if you feel it tight that is when you have a problem- the wire will not hold the nut on.

[Power Surge]

I'll repost something I wrote on another thread on the subject...

"I think there are two accepted methods on safety wire. Using it as a gauge, and using it as a safety device.

As you pointed out, using it with a loop in the middle allows the person to keep an eye on it, and if it gets pulled tighter, then the knockoffs are loosening. This seems to be the preffered method among most experianced Cobra people.

If you use it as a safety measure, then it's tightend from the get go, and used to stop the knockoff from loosening in the first place. There's nothing wrong this method either. There is a really no "force" on the spinner to rotate it on the threads that would be so great as to break PROPERLY (i.e. correct thickness and not overspun) installed safety wire. And if for some reason, a knockoff WAS moved with that kind of force, it would break the safety wire and that would be just as visable to the eye (if not more) as a tightened loop.

So either method is really just as effective. The big thing is to CHECK the wire everytime you take the car out, no matter which method you use."

Take that for what it's worth. Personally, I prefer to use the wire as a safety measure, not a gauge.

The Kirkhams pin idea is a good one. It will stop the knock off from completely coming off, which will stop the wheel from coming off. But it won't stop the knock off from getting loose in the first place. I'd still use the tight safety wire along with the safety pin.

Just my 2 cents.

[big-boss]

I am sort of slow waiting for jury duty-doing my job for God & Country, Think about this:
If you put the safety wire on tight (to hold nut on?) and it for some reason backed off a little bit - Wouldn't it still be "tight"? Therfore missing the scrutny it so deserves?

[JBo]

having lost one in the 70's, I put safety wire on all three ears of mine on the MKIV

[rsimoes]

How do you put a safety pin in? There are no holes for it. . .