Act now to ensure CV wheel safety, says Disc-Lock

Disc-Lock Europe, European distributor of the Disc-Lock Safety Wheel Nut, is urging transport operators to act before, not after a wheel loss event.

The company is exhibiting at the forthcoming Commercial Vehicle Show 2014 and Disc-Lock chairman and wheel security expert, Bob Hope, will be on hand to discuss, with transport operators and transport engineers, the common causes of wheel detachment from commercial vehicles and how they can be avoided.

Says Bob Hope: “I have worked for Disc-Lock Europe for the past 25 years and I am staggered that wheel separation continues to be such a huge issue, when you consider all that has been written and said about loose wheel nuts and wheel loss, the research that has been undertaken and the best practice guide lines which have been published. Incredibly, I still continue to receive calls on a weekly basis from companies who have experienced wheel loss events, resulting in prohibitions to full-scale wheel separations involving other vehicles and pedestrians.”

According to research from the Transport and Road Research Laboratory, 7,500–11,000 wheel-fixing defects take place in the UK every year and this statistic does not appear to be in decline. Furthermore, 19 per cent of wheel-fixing problems reported by the DVSA (VOSA) involve trucks fitted with nut movement indicators and similar devices.

Hope continues:  “There is no room for complacency where wheel loss issues are concerned. The range of potential causes of wheel detachment are many, from worn or stretched studs as a result of over-tightening, to corrosion and poor maintenance. Indeed, many operators would be appalled at the state of some of the standard wheel nuts that turn up in my office. But whatever the cause, my advice to operators and transport engineers is to act before the event takes place. It will save a great deal of money, time and grief.”

The Disc-Lock Safety Wheel Nut maintains wheels secure on their axles and complies with the specification for Spigot Mounted wheel systems. Unlike some other wheel nut retention products it is straightforward, quick and easy to fit and remove and no more expensive than a standard wheel nut. Furthermore, it does not cause damage to the face of the wheel.

Disc-Lock Safety Wheel Nuts have been available in the UK since the early 1990s. The product has been rigorously tried and tested over the years and as a result is approved by all major axle and trailer manufacturers for spigot mounted wheel fixings. The Disc-Lock nut is also fitted and specified by many leading truck and bus fleets, is used by the Ministry of Defence and has NATO specification numbers.