ZOOMiata
ZOOMiata GRM+ Memberand Dork
3/14/09 8:41 a.m.

Why do some trucks and buses have neon-coloured, tear-drop shaped washers under the lug nuts?

sachilles
sachilles Reader
3/14/09 8:54 a.m.

flair?

blaze86vic
blaze86vic Reader
3/14/09 9:28 a.m.

They are supposed to be pointing either strait out or strait in and they will rotate if the lugs become loose. It's just a quick indicator.

mad_machine
mad_machine GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
3/14/09 9:33 a.m.

and there you have it.. it's all a matter of safety.

You are also supposed to retorque after the first 100 miles

foxtrapper
foxtrapper SuperDork
3/14/09 12:38 p.m.

Baltimore managed to lead the way on those things a few years ago when they were having quite a rash of wheels falling off of busses.

Tim Baxter
Tim Baxter Online Editor
3/14/09 1:40 p.m.

I find it kind of funny that they'll worry so much with the lug nuts but mount some crappy retread that sure to fling itself all across the freeway.

benzbaron
benzbaron Reader
3/14/09 3:30 p.m.

Hell I was driving once and a tractor trailers spare tire came out on the freeway and rolled and almost hit me. I was driving my toyota pickup which is basically unstable above 70mph, now that's what you call fun!

EvanB
EvanB GRM+ Memberand Reader
3/14/09 3:44 p.m.

I was driving on a 2 lane highway once (in the miata) when a semi was coming the other way. Just as it was passing me a retread flew off and hit my front bumper/hood.

mad_machine
mad_machine GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
3/14/09 3:54 p.m.

ever priced new truck tyres vs retreads? Even the cheapest of new truck tyres will make an expensive R compound radial look reasonable.. then times it by 18

RedS13Coupe
RedS13Coupe Reader
3/14/09 4:03 p.m.

Wow, what a coincidence... the buses at school just got these and I have been wondering what the hell they were.

I thought it may have been a "tighten an additional 1/2 rotation" type of thing...

porksboy
porksboy HalfDork
3/14/09 6:32 p.m.
RedS13Coupe wrote: Wow, what a coincidence... the buses at school just got these and I have been wondering what the hell they were. I thought it may have been a "tighten an additional 1/2 rotation" type of thing...

For some reason I flashed to the old joke about tourqe specs "a quarter turn before it breaks"

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