# Check your lorry / trailer wheelnuts



## zipzap (16 September 2008)

Just a warning to say that over the last few months of this year I've known a 2 horse lorry &amp; my friend's trailer have wheels fall off apparently without warning whilst being driven on the road whilst loaded. Very luckily in both cases, no one was hurt. The 2 separate yards where the vehicles are kept are in the Crawley area of West Sussex. It's possible that the wheel nuts have been loosened / removed deliberately (There were no wheel nuts to even be found roadside in the case of the trailer!)

Please can I urge all lorry / trailer users to be extremely vigilant. Vehicles checks should be a part of your hitching up / lorry prep process &amp; should be automatic. It is the drivers responsibility to do this before EVERY journey &amp; alarmingly; if there were to be an accident, you would be held accountable for checking road-worthiness of the vehicle prior to use.  

Commercial vehicles apparently have to have 6 weekly' inspections where wheel nut torque is checked &amp; adjusted if necessary. These are Dept. of Transport standards.

I know we all get a bit complacent but I think we need to wise up &amp; be safe - particularly if there is dirty work afoot!


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## Tangaroo (16 September 2008)

I actually have those special plastic arrows that lorry drivers use on my lorry wheels. You put them on every wheel nut and the two ends touch. All you have to do is glance at your wheels and if they are out of alignment you know you have a problem cos they are loose.


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## zipzap (16 September 2008)

Sounds like a great idea Stilton. Will see if hubby can sort me out some.


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## Tangaroo (16 September 2008)

Yeah, my hubby is a lorry driver and he got them from work. Saves me having to worry about the wheel nuts


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## sarah23 (16 September 2008)

That's fine if they do come lose, but what about if somebody has tampered with them as OP is saying might have happened, surely they would make sure they were lined up again so you would never know.


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## perfect11s (16 September 2008)

Good advise you can tap wheelnuts with a small hammer as a quick check,  will make a "ting" noise if ok a dull sound if loose, the arrows are good , Its also good to remove the wheel nuts one at a time clean and oil the threads then re tighten to manufactures specs as some tyre places  only bang them on with a air wrench sometimes very tight sometimes not so!!!


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## wizzi901 (18 September 2008)

What you need are these!!

http://www.tyre-equipment.co.uk/acatalog/CHECKPOINT_Loose_Wheel_Nut_Indicators.html#aCKT_2d10


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## michb52 (19 September 2008)

This actually happened to me a few weeks back with my trailer on the motorway! Felt a bit of movement and thought it was the horse moving in the back but people started to flash and wave me down. When we pulled over the back passenger wheel was gone! The police though that it had been tampered with as none of the other 3 wheels had any sign of loose nuts. I just make sure to add wheel nuts to my check list now before I head out anywhere.


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## ridingsafely (19 September 2008)

Department for Transport report: (Whilst referring to "heavy" vehicles may still be useful)

Heavy vehicle wheel detachment: Frequency of occurrence, current best practice, and potential solutions

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehicles/heavyvehiclewheeldetachmentr1726


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