MARK262 Transtalk 16 18/3/03 3:13 pm Page 1
MARCH 2003
Transtalk
Issues concerning vehicles, safety & maintenance
Wheel detachments -
the hidden danger
On average one heavy vehicle wheel detachment is reported each week in New Zealand.
Our country is not alone in having a wheel detachment problem. In the United Kingdom
between February and April 1997 there were 127 wheel detachment incidents and 92 involved
total detachments of one or more wheels.
Estimates of between 2000 and 3000 incidents
and 10 deaths per year have been made in the
UK. In the province of Ontario, Canada, a 1995
law change added an “absolute liability”
clause for wheel detachments from heavy
vehicles. This means that the vehicle operator
is liable for the wheel detachment, irrespective
of the reasons for the wheel loss.
There are four primary causes of wheel
detachment. These are:
I Wheel nuts coming loose/wheel studs
breaking
I Bearing failure
I Rim failure
I Axle failure.
Rim and axle failures are rare events, however
bearing failures and wheel nuts coming loose
are the main reasons for most wheel
detachment incidents. Bearing failures are
caused by a lack of lubrication, incorrect
preload adjustment, spalling of the bearing
surface and overheating of the hub.
An investigation in the state of Maryland
(USA) found that the lack of proper
lubrication for wheel bearings was among
the main causes of wheel loss accidents.
The causes of loose wheel nuts and broken
studs are:
I Under-torquing or over-torquing nuts
I Poor condition of mating surfaces
I Differential thermal expansion
ISSUE NO. SIXTEEN
I Relaxation of stud preload
I Damaged threads
I High friction between nut and stud
I High friction levels between nut and
captive washer
I Overload impact (wheel hitting curb at
speed).
Rim types on heavy vehicles used in New
Zealand are either spoke mounted or disc type.
Spoke-mounted rims have lost favour since the
advent of aluminium disc-type rims and these
have been extensively used in off-highway and
logging applications. There are two categories
of disc-type rims: spigot-mounted (hub piloted)
or stud located (bud). Spigot-mounted rims are
now the most common type of disc-mounted
rims in vehicles above a five tonne tare weight
and come in an 8 or 10 stud pattern with various
pitch circle diameters.
Figures 1 - 2 show spoke- and spigot-mounted
wheels respectively.
Figure 1: Spoke-mounted rim
FastLane
New VTNZ station for Rotorua
Located on Fairy Springs Road, Rotorua’s
newest VTNZ vehicle testing station will offer
WoFs and CoFA services to meet increasing
demand in the region. Those buying cars
and local car dealers will find it particularly
handy for VT CHECK pre-purchase
inspections and completing Change of
Ownership, MVR and RUC collection. The
new station is expected to take the pressure
off Rotorua’s other VTNZ station in
Marguerita Street.
Tory Street award
The Tory Street VTNZ station in Wellington
has received a customer service award for
landmark customer loyalty and growth,
resulting in VT2000 club membership.
Figure 2: Spigot-mounted disc-type rim
Under-torquing or over-torquing is frequently
caused by the use of air impact wrenches, so
final tightening of a wheel assembly should
be carried out with a calibrated torque
wrench. The mating surfaces between rims in
dual tyre assemblies and between rim and
hub should be clean and free from paint, rust,
dirt, grease and oil. This will reduce the
amount of relaxation that occurs after
remounting a wheel assembly. Some
relaxation will always occur and this
necessitates the re-torquing of the wheel
bolts after a short period of running.
continued over
MARK262 Transtalk 16 18/3/03 3:13 pm Page 2
Studies in the UK concluded that keeping
truck wheels fixed tight is fundamentally just
a matter of creating enough clamp force and
maintaining it. Small differences in friction
coefficient at the threads and between nut
and washer cause big variations in the
required tightening torque to ensure the
clamping force is adequate.
Ensuring the mating surfaces are clean and
using a calibrated torque wrench will not
guarantee adequate clamping load is
achieved. Attention must be paid to the
condition of the stud and nut threads; any
worn or damaged thread will need to be
replaced. Lubricating the threads and washer-
to-nut interface with new light engine oil will
significantly reduce the coefficient of friction
and ensure a consistent clamping load is
achieved. Checking that the wheel nuts run
freely over the whole length of the stud thread
by hand action only is important.
To ensure the correct clamping force is
achieved and maintained, the following check
and mounting procedures are recommended.
(Check the manufacturers’ recommendations
where available.)
Before removing a wheel:
I Make sure you know the different types of
wheels and nuts
I DO NOT MIX TYPES (spigot and stud
located)
I Do not use “dual purpose” wheels as
replacements for original equipment
I Do not change wheel or tyre specifications
without checking with the manufacturer.
Correct mounting and nut
tightening sequence
I Establish causes of wear and damage on
loose nuts before re-tightening
I Keep the mating surfaces clean and free of
paint. If paint is used it should be no
thicker than 25 microns
I Studs and nuts should comply with BS AU
50 Part 2: Section 3: 1994
I Ensure that nuts run freely over the whole
length of the stud thread by hand action
only
I Prior to mounting the wheel, lubricate the
wheel spigot hole with an anti-seize
compound
I Lubricate threads and washer-to-nut
interfaces (Figure 3) with light engine oil
before assembly
For more information please call VTNZ Technical Service on (04) 381-6500
or email us at: technical@vtnz.co.nz
Captive washer
Figure 3:
Nut and
captive
washer,
Lubricate here spigot rims
1 I Operating gross mass to which you wish the
10 8 assessment to be carried out
3 6
5 4
7 9
2
Figure 4: Tightening sequence
I Mount the wheel on the hub, ensuring
correct alignment on the spigot, that the
valve stems are accessible and that the
valve stem of the inner wheel is clear of the
brake drum
I Initially tighten all nuts using a crosswise
sequence to a torque of 70 Nm
I Spin wheel and check for alignment and
clearances all round
I Final tightening must be with a calibrated
torque wrench set to the manufacturer’s
torque value
I Power-operated tools and extensions to
wheel braces should not be used for final
tightening
I It is critical that all wheel nuts are re-
checked for tightness after the first short
run, ie 100 - 200 km
I Wheel nuts should be checked frequently
in service to ensure that they remain tight.
This recommended procedure aims to ensure
adequate clamping load is achieved and
maintained.
Article edited and reprinted courtesy of Doug Latto
of TERNZ and NZ Trucking magazine.
If there’s a topic or issue you would like Transtalk to
? feature, drop us a line at technical@vtnz.co.nz
Requirements that you
need to meet in order to
have your trailer assessed
for Static Roll Threshold
(SRT)
Familiarise yourself with the LTSA Factsheet
13e on SRT requirements. It is available from
the LTSA or VTNZ web site, or from any VTNZ
testing station.
The SRT Assessment Sheet, operator’s section,
requires that you nominate the:
I Maximum load or body height at which you
operate
I Load type normally carried, ie mixed freight
or uniform density load. See load categories
Complete your name and contact details, and
verify this information by adding your signature
and date.
It is necessary that you have each axle set
weighed with the vehicle unladen, and present
the weighbridge docket to the testing station.
This weighbridge docket is to be no older than
one month. When weighing an axle group, if
another vehicle is normally attached, eg the
front semi-trailer of a “B” train combination,
the other vehicle must be attached, and
unladen, at the time of weighing. However,
there is no requirement to weigh the rear axle
of the other vehicle.
Your trailer should be fully laden before the
SRT measurement. This will ensure that the
outcome of the SRT assessment is as accurate
as possible.
Return this form and the SRT Assessment Sheet
with the operator section completed and the
weighbridge docket attached to the testing
station when you wish the assessment to be
carried out.
Don’t forget to check that you have ✔:
SRT Assessment Sheet: (attached)
Load/body height entered
Operating gross mass entered
Operator’s contact details
Signed and dated
Vehicle:
Vehicle(s) weighed
Weighbridge docket attached
(recent, unladen)
or an SRT assessment cannot be completed.
Transtalk