ENGLISH • METRIC The Nord-Lock wheel nut Product information
Loose wheel nuts cause more than loose wheels Loose wheel nuts on heavy vehicles is a costly, dangerous and unsolved problem. Fortunately, a solution to loose wheel nuts is available. A widespread and dangerous problem You might be surprised how often wheels fall off heavy vehicles. In the United Kingdom alone, there are up to 400 wheel detachments from trucks every year. Of those there are, on average, 134 accidents involving vehicle/property damage, 27 injury accidents and up to seven fatalities.
What makes wheel nuts come loose? The blame is normally placed on the driver when a wheel falls off its axle, even though conventional wheel nuts lack a locking function. While many drivers and firms have not experienced wheel detachment in the course of their work, unbalanced wheels due to loosening wheel nuts are a common occurrence. The result is not only increased costs but also unstable driving, which can contribute to driver fatigue.
The solution to loosening wheel nuts The Nord-Lock wheel nut safely secures wheels on both on road as well as off road heavy vehicles. The product is based on the same principle as the Nord-Lock bolt securing system, and maintains high clamping force even under extreme operating conditions. Each nut incorporates a pair of captivated washers with cam faces on one side, where a cam angle ‘α’ is greater than the thread pitch ‘β’. On the opposite side there are radial teeth.
Scientific proof of the wedge-locking function Results prove that the Nord-Lock wheel nut does not rotate loose and will safely secure the wheel even under the most extreme operating conditions. More information on all testing is available at www.safe-wheels.com.
Extreme operating conditions test, on-road On-road track testing was performed at RDW’s Test Center in Lelystad, The Netherlands. The wheel joints of a 3-axle extended trailer were secured with the Nord-Lock wheel nut marked in order to detect any rotation. The truck was then driven in both directions on an oval track with concave, banked curves in order to exert the same stress on all wheel joints.
Technical specifications & assembly instructions The Nord-Lock wheel nut is a Swedish product manufactured from high-quality steel. The product is pre-lubricated to ensure uniform friction and thereby accurate preload during tightening. The lubrication also inhibits corrosion which facilitates disassembly and helps prolong the life of wheel studs. The Nord-Lock wheel nut is reusable and durable.
Assembly instructions • Place the rim over the wheel hub. Ensure the wheel studs are not damaged • Fit and tighten the nuts with a calibrated torque wrench at the recommended torque, in the sequences illustrated here • Retighten the nuts after the first 100 km of driving Maintenance Before reuse, inspect the nuts and wheel studs to make sure that the threads are free from particles and are undamaged. Re-lubricate the nuts before reuse.
Joining parts together is one of the most critical steps when delivering a product or system. The Nord-Lock Group is focused on solving the toughest bolting challenges. We offer a unique combination of bolting expertise and a wide product range, including wedge-locking technology and Superbolt tensioners — all designed and developed in-house. The tools available through Nord-Lock Performance Services add value throughout a project and ensure that your bolting application pays back multiple times.
