Technical You picked a fine time to leave me, loose wheel...

@flynbrian48 I used this incident to bring up my walkaround the Ole Hotrod and discovery of loose bolts on my shock tower. Safety is important this has got Bandit double checking his knockoffs...whether we do it on our own or farm it out a serious visual, grab, turn and pull listen to the rattles when driving could prevent a tragedy. Even the professionals can error. So thanks for sharing this.

 

How come people can't figure out which side of a car is right, and which is left?

A lot of the cars with knock off wheels are English, so "Driver's" vs. "Passenger's" sides might not be too useful.

 

Well the instruction Brian posted above and I assume its his Dayton instruction...looking forward from the rear the left side is for right hand thread helps...

Below is from a Dayton PDF I found and it makes no distinction how you determine right and left side (we automatically know right...)...Bottom line is instructions are absolutely terrible and people can die from the unbelievable garbage we are expected to follow.

Hubs
To install adapters correctly place hub adapter marked “left”, and with white mesh thread guard, on left side of car. Hub adapter marked “right”, and with red or
brown mesh thread protector, must be installed on right side of car. THIS IS IMPORTANT! DO NOT INSTALL ANY OTHER WAY!

Thread On Cap
Thread knock-off caps on the adapter. Markings on caps indicate proper tightening direction. “Left side” caps must be used on the left side of car and “Right side”
caps must be used on right side of car.

I have worked on Aircraft for years and believe worldwide in aviation looking from the cockpit forward is in fact forward (FWD) to your left is left side (LH) to your right is right (RH) and behind you is (AFT) above is (UP) and finally down is down (DWN)

Automotive I am assuming is the same...whether your steering is on left or right sides are the same.

 

In the book "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive" the author emphasizes the right and left, it made an indelible impression on me, it seems.

I can't see how there can be confusion about, say, which is the rear left tire. Apply the same criteria for every other piece of the car.

So you don't use port and starboard on aircraft? How about on flying boats?

 

I built wings for Commercial/Military Aircraft and we worked on LH and RH and that was always understood as the nose was Forward and looking FWD to your left is left and to your right is right...but you are absolutely right ya gotta know and not everybody does and you have to learn somehow. When you throw in driver and passenger sides it can confuse things as you eluded with Right Hand Drive...Brian had it all right it was followup torque that was the culprit.

Boats and Starboard I know nothing...

 

After reading this thread I imagine that half of the people out there will understand which way to put them on correctly, and then the other half have a 50/50.chance of getting it right, so by my maths 75% will be done right.
Flyn Brian - Thanks for posting, - it’s been interesting.
Clemens

 

Ok, but which direction?

 

Depends on whether you are above or below the equator.

 

That depends on which side of the car you're standing on, and whether you're looking forwards, or backwards.
Oh, and I got the lead mallet today. I whacked them a little tighter, and smacked them until, according to the Brits, I heard a distinctive sound. Which was different from front to rear, owing to the size of the tires, the rotation of the earth and which way the wind blows.
To the cruise night! Tonight, we ride!

 

I don't care how many times its been said but this is still the number one of all time post name..............

 

Every which way but loose!!

 

It seems really elementary to me, that left and right side of any vehicle is when you are driving or piloting the said vehicle, not when standing around and looking at it!

 

That's a mighty strange feeling to see a wheel and tire pass you and realize it looks a lot like your own. The rear Halibrand and M&H came off the left rear of my fenderless '32 5w years ago on the way home from a date. Being a big square shouldered slick and it being a fairly flat 45-50 mph street, when the wheel parted company with the car it continued to roll for a long, long ways. As I slowed and pulled over, it was a sickening feeling waiting for the rear to drop onto the brake drum. For some reason all five lug studs were sheared off. As I sat there and surveyed the damage, a good Samaritan drove up in a van and unloaded my wheel and tire! Nothing was ruined but the studs.
Glad you and your roadster didn't get damaged, as for the shorts and sandals; Mom always said to wear clean clothes (underwear) just in case..... these days there may also be a "style" component to that old adage.

 

Hahaha! Thanks, I knew that meme would come in handy, I just didn't think it'd b so so soon, or about me.

 

Yup. Our car dropped onto the drum just as my wife said, "What was THAT noise?", then tire passed us, and I said, "I think it was that." as it rolled off into the corn.

 

Backwards!

 

Its really good to talk about it not everybody was taught in the classroom, racetrack or field. Many things you can screw this way and that way and it might just end up rolling around in the car without affecting anything this is not one of those.

If this prevents just one incident and a few are enlightened/corrected...great.

 

Not to beat a dead horse , but “safety wire “ is as stated a safety to retain a fastener from loosing . Not to tighten up and show you its loosing by you observing its now tighter . I think we all understand that the knockoffs most be tight and tightened the correct direction on the correct side of the car. All I’m trying to express is in today’s world a simple MISTAKE , can cause irreversible effects . Just be as safe as we can while enjoying this hobby , there are many other events out of our control daily to effect our life’s it shouldn’t be one that we could have prevented .

 

I own a flying boat, and I use left and right without anyone getting confused.
Bob

 

Back in the 60s, I owned a 64 Corvette with the factory knock off wheels.
Because I had friends at the time that had sports cars with knock off wheels, I would take the supplied lead hammer and check the wheels at every fill-up. Before going on any long trip, part of my routine was to check all four wheels for tightness. I put a lot of miles on that car, and my overall impression of the knock off wheels was positive.
Even taking these measures, it wasn't enough to prevent me from having the right side rear wheel from coming loose on a twisty mountain highway, and on another occasion, actually losing a wheel and spinner on another long trip. My conclusion was that short of locking the knock off spinner, like you would an aircraft bolt, there was no way to guarantee that the wheels would not come loose.
I readily admit, that I would still love to have those wheels today.
My wife still has not forgiven me for selling the car in the early 70s. The only car that would satisfy her, is the one I sold. I spent a fair amount of time looking for it, but had no success. 50 years is a long time to live with being guilted like that.
Bob

 

It is interesting the knockoff deal as this was a huge racing accessory and with all the tire rotations during race I sure as heck don't think anyone was lock-wiring the spinners on...as the race would be over by the time lock-wiring was done...Can someone elude and @Bandit Billy was there a lock-wire provision on your rims and spinners or is it a completely different safety deal?

 

Dave your right check twice no check three times on critical things we tighten...and what comes after...post tightening torque(noted). Lotta safety threads on the Hamb with pretty graphic details and pics...we have to be vigilant...as we are the mechanics and a fair percentage of us are backyard and that is not to say we are daft. Welding is one of those things that could result in issues for example...Hey this has been going on since the birth of the Hobby and the Licensed pros can F things up too. We are human and we will error and we have to do our best every turn of the wrench to prevent serious tragedy. Again this thread is a wake up call to everyone...

Quoted...
Safety wire or locking-wire is a type of positive locking device that prevents fasteners from loosening or falling out due to vibration and other forces. The presence of safety wiring may also serve to indicate that the fasteners have been properly tightened.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_wire

 

Just ONE more Loose Wheel story. In 1982 I was driving my '34 coupe at 60+mph in heavy traffic on I-5 in San Diego when my right rear tire departed. Without any help from me the car headed for the right shoulder (dragging an axle and brake backing plate will do that for you) and some how, no one hit me. I never saw the tire pass me (some poor dude in a VW bug took it in his driver's door) but I did notice the brake drum sailing off like a Frisbee. With a single chamber master cylinder I knew I had no brakes so I just rode it out and made it to the shoulder. After all the excitement, I managed to gather up the pieces and had the car on it's wheels when the rollback arrived. Lessons learned.......1. Torque the damn lug nuts, 2. Have a dual brake system, 3. Replacement steel rear fenders are hard to find.

 

More embarrassment and horseshoes (warning call)...torque of Lug-nuts just as important as already eluded. Our hobby is dangerous enough we must be vigilant. Fun and games with a very serious side.

 

Come off, will ya? I'll show ya...


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Check the lug nuts on the trailer while you're at it.

 

Mine are mounted so the spinner tightens to the rear of the car on each wheel per my instructions. They included a safety clip that goes through the end of the pinset adapter, which prevents the knock off from coming off but not from loosening. The manufacturer refers to the clips as fail safe device but not to take the place of safety wire to prevent the spinner from loosening. In fact they supplied me with the wire and the safety pliers plus a lead hammer.

 

No kidding!

 

The biggest problem comes from any rotational slop in the drive pins and mounting holes.
Accelerating and braking with slop available is almost guaranteed to create a loose knock off spinner.

The top of it rotates to the rear of the car, so American Drivers side will have regular everyday right hand threads. The American passenger side will have backwards left had threads.