Prize Draw - Torque Wrench and Socket

[PhilHo]

How often do you check your caravan wheel nuts?

This month one lucky winner will receive a torque wrench and a plastic sheathed 19mm socked designed for use with all wheels including alloys with 19mm nuts or studs.

The wrench is a Teng 1292AG-EP Torque Wrench 40-210nm 1/2in Drive with a retail value of £86. I picked it up for £50. This is a really good quality torque wrench and I've used a Teng Tools torque wrench myself for about 5 years so I'm not giving away something I wouldn't use.

We (Caravanwise) have had a few instances of caravans loosing their wheels this summer. Just imagine the catastrophe that results from this and the danger to the occupants of the tow car of a caravan being pulled at 55 MPH with a wheel missing. Of course your insurer will pick up the costs but that does not go any way to repairing the effects of the traumatic experience, possibly lost or completely spoilt holiday etc.

It is clearly much better to check the nuts before you tow your caravan.

If you're not sure how to do it there's an article on the subject here:
http://www.caravan-news.co.uk/articles/check-your-wheel-nuts-torque

Read your owners manual for specific recommendations for your caravan. It is important not to over tighten as well as not to under tighten the nuts.

To enter just reply to this email with your address details. The closing date for entries is midnight on 31st October 2013. No cash alternative. If the winner has not provided their address and does not provide this within 7 days of the closing date we reserve the right to re-draw the winner.

Good luck

Phil

PS It would be nice if members could chip in to a discussion on the issue of wheel nut torquing

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Prize Draw sponsored by Caravanwise the caravan insurance firm

 

[PhilHo]

The response to this prize draw has been brilliant. A few people have included notes with their email and I'm pasting a few of them below. Please feel free to add your experience or thoughts.

"Yes it is most important to check wheel nuts, as even over tightening can cause problems by actually breaking the stud off completely" - Anthony

"Just a few lines , to say that having worked in the Motor Trade before retiring for over. 30 years.
I have always after refitting wheels ,Torqued up the wheel nuts , even done this on services or just changing punctured tyres. To this day I still check torque settings on my caravan, even after getting back from its annual service . Also before each trip out and back. My car also has torque settings checked after any of the well known tyre shops have fitted new tyres Torque saves embarrassing Talk" Regards Richard

"we lost a wheel from the caravan a few years ago, as we were going over a bridge. Although we were only doing 40 miles an hour , the wheel bounced and flew through the air and landed on the other side of the road, narrowly missing some workmen. It was a horrifying experience, with the realization it could have done an awful lot of damage, to people as well as property. We were very, very, lucky." Eva

" i always put a smear of grease on each wheel stud before locking up nuts this will help to stop threads binding and will ease your task when trying to unlock them." Doyle I'm not sure about this one. Does anyone have an expert opinion on whether to grease or not? Phil

"I check mine reguIarly and use a permanent marker on the nuts (since losing a wheel years ago). Torque wrench calibration is important too as they do go off. I use weight and rule to calibrate and do the maths. Plus I compare it with my service engineer's wrench every year." Roger

"Did you know that after fitting alloy wheels, they should be re-tightened after about 500 miles?" Colin

I thought it was 50 miles. Phil

 

[adrian bridges]

How often do you check your caravan wheel nuts?

This month one lucky winner will receive a torque wrench and a plastic sheathed 19mm socked designed for use with all wheels including alloys with 19mm nuts or studs.

The wrench is a Teng 1292AG-EP Torque Wrench 40-210nm 1/2in Drive with a retail value of £86. I picked it up for £50. This is a really good quality torque wrench and I've used a Teng Tools torque wrench myself for about 5 years so I'm not giving away something I wouldn't use.

We (Caravanwise) have had a few instances of caravans loosing their wheels this summer. Just imagine the catastrophe that results from this and the danger to the occupants of the tow car of a caravan being pulled at 55 MPH with a wheel missing. Of course your insurer will pick up the costs but that does not go any way to repairing the effects of the traumatic experience, possibly lost or completely spoilt holiday etc.

It is clearly much better to check the nuts before you tow your caravan.

If you're not sure how to do it there's an article on the subject here:
http://www.caravan-news.co.uk/articles/check-your-wheel-nuts-torque

Read your owners manual for specific recommendations for your caravan. It is important not to over tighten as well as not to under tighten the nuts.

To enter just reply to this email with your address details. The closing date for entries is midnight on 31st October 2013. No cash alternative. If the winner has not provided their address and does not provide this within 7 days of the closing date we reserve the right to re-draw the winner.

Good luck

Phil

PS It would be nice if members could chip in to a discussion on the issue of wheel nut torquing

=============================================================
Prize Draw sponsored by Caravanwise the caravan insurance firm

 

[adrian bridges]

Hi Phil,regarding the torque I did experience a situation some years ago,with a car,we didn't have a caravan then. I had new tyres fitted to my car which had alloy wheels and nuts but steel studs. After fitting I had taken the urban motorway one exit on my wak home, probably about 5 miles and on leaving the motorway,decending the slip and turning right on the roundabout the rear passenger side wheel came off and bounced into the hedge,the car dropped to the bump stops and I brought it safely to a halt without anyone being injured. The tyre fitter had not used a torque wrench just an air gun and had stripped the threads in the alloy nuts.I got home using one nut from the others wheels and the tyre depot replaced all the nuts.

 

[G8HAV]

Hi,
I have fitted nut indicators. They are bright yellow and nuts are torqued and the nut indicators aligned.
Makes checking wheel nut movement easy.

 

[Chippy@ntl]

Hi,
I was taught that you must never apply any form of lubricant to nuts/bolts to be torqued up. A clean thread is all that is required.
It is also worth noting that if alloys are fitted then the spare should also be alloy. A spare steel wheel requires different fixings to those used for alloys.
Finally, if one should find an over-torqued fixing it is necessary to slacken off fully before torquing to the correct specification.

 

[scott]

there was a video posted on facebook where somebody lost there wheel in transit due to the wheel nuts not being tightened properly so I would think checking the wheel nuts is a very important job to remember before setting off on any journey