Knock Off Wheel Safety Wire

[Ron61]

Kevins,

It does work either way. But this way if I ever have to tighten them it is easier for me to feel the wire and see that it is back to where it was along with the dots.

Ron

[Gaz64]

Originally Posted by kevins2

The tug test should work either way. If you install it to tighten if the spinner loosens and the wire strums like a guitar string, the spinner loosened.

Yes, just short of tight, you know your own feel, and if one changes, it will stand out. No need for the wire to be tight.

Gary

[Danr55]

Hey guys just a hint don't rely solely on safety wire. I had a little event the other day on a run up to Jake's corner slow down on the freeway to make a right hand turn got 50 yards down the road and the right rear tire fell off. luckily I was only doing about 5 miles an hour after making the turn. I got out of the car the rear fender was resting on the top of the tire and keeping the car from falling all the way to the ground. I went back up the road a ways and picked up the spinner and the safety wire was still attached to the spinner but had broken off at the wheel. I'm still trying to figure out how rubbing on an aluminum wheel broke a stainless steel safety wire. So the investigation continues but just a word to the wise if you have the ability to use clips or half pins in your wheels, use them.

[patrickt]

Dan, how long had that spinner been on that wheel? IOW, when was the last time you pulled the wheel for one reason or another?

[CSX 4133]

I use clear plastic tubing from Aircraft Spruce to enclose the safety wire(double strand) where it passes behind the wheel spoke. It protects the wheel surface and the wire itself.

[Danr55]

Patrick, the car just came out of a complete frame off in October. I checked the wires on all of the wheels when the car came back. It made one trip of about 200 miles on a check ride last year. It's spent most of the last 3 or 4 months sitting in the garage because it's been too cold for this old man to drive it. I am still trying to figure out how a stainless steel QQS-416, .032 diameter safety wire can wear through on an aluminum wheel.

[1795]

Is it possible that the safety wire was over twisted and had pinched on itself thereby weakening it?

I am just wondering how tight the spinner was to begin with. Race cobras do not use safety wire, as it would take too much time to cut off and re-install during a pit stop. I have not had a spinner loosen at all during hard race driving.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Danr55

Patrick, the car just came out of a complete frame off in October. I checked the wires on all of the wheels when the car came back.

Remove the other three safety wires and gently "tap" the spinners and see if they were only finger tight.

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Remove the other three safety wires and gently "tap" the spinners and see if they were only finger tight.

No need to remove the wires unless they are wired backwards. If they are wired to tighten if the spinner loosens, then just tap the spinner ear. If the wire loosens then the wires were holding it, tighten the spinner and re-wire. Some prefer to have the wire tight, my old farm training was to leave a little slack and if you see or feel it tighten then you know the bolt (spinner) was loosening up.

[kevins2]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

No need to remove the wires unless they are wired backwards. If they are wired to tighten if the spinner loosens, then just tap the spinner ear. If the wire loosens then the wires were holding it, tighten the spinner and re-wire. Some prefer to have the wire tight, my old farm training was to leave a little slack and if you see or feel it tighten then you know the bolt (spinner) was loosening up.

That's the way I do it as well. And, although I haven't experienced it, it is my understanding that the wire won't prevent the spinner from coming off and will eventually break, so it's really just a tell-tale, not something that will hold it, and should be checked frequently for tightness.

[patrickt]

Yep, that's a good point. If you can tighten them any (with or without safety wire) with a light tap, then they were loose to begin with. Could the spinner have somehow hit a curb, broken the wire, and loosened all without you knowing it? This seems rather bizarre.

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Yep, that's a good point. If you can tighten them any (with or without safety wire) with a light tap, then they were loose to begin with. Could the spinner have somehow hit a curb, broken the wire, and loosened all without you knowing it? This seems rather bizarre.

Anything that would have hit it would have left a lot of scraping distress on the spinners, and most likely not just one of them (ie, multiple rotations to loosen it). I doubt it was hit, most likely not tight enough to begin with. I always tightened mine with the car still on jack but in contact enough to keep the tire from spinning so it would be able to draw it in.

[patrickt]

Hmmm, maybe sabotage by the ex-wife.

[1795]

Like Tony does, I always tighten the spinners with the car up on jack stands and then give them a few more good whacks when the tires are on the ground. You do not want to only hand tighten them in the air and then try to fully tighten on the ground. You can gain a little bit of wheel movement when the weight of the car is on it on the ground, but not enough to pull the tire in much more than a little bit. Sometimes when you have placed the wheel on and hand tightened the spinner the first few whacks will move the wheel in a substantial distance. You can put some resistance on the tire with your leg or hand as you tighten with the hammer to ensure that you have pulled the wheel in all the way.

Jim

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by 1795

Like Tony does, I always tighten the spinners with the car up on jack stands and then give them a few more good whacks when the tires are on the ground. You do not want to only hand tighten them in the air and then try to fully tighten on the ground. You can gain a little bit of wheel movement when the weight of the car is on it on the ground, but not enough to pull the tire in much more than a little bit. Sometimes when you have placed the wheel on and hand tightened the spinner the first few whacks will move the wheel in a substantial distance. You can put some resistance on the tire with your leg or hand as you tighten with the hammer to ensure that you have pulled the wheel in all the way.

Jim

PS. I use that method for any tire on any car. I loosen the lugnuts under full weight but tighten with just enough weight on the tire to keep it from spinning so that the lugnuts (or spinner) have enough play to pull the wheel inwards.

[Grubby]

In many aero space applications, the safety wired fastener can not be seen or inspected. That is one of the reasons safety wire is used to keep the fastener from coming loose.

Obviously, you can use your safety wire any way you like.

John