Wheel-Checks are loose wheel-nut indicators that identify a loose wheel nut with a simple visual inspection. When the wheel nuts are properly torqued to specs, the Wheel-Checks are then placed on the wheel nuts in a uniformed pattern, the company says.
Once a wheel-nut has loosened, the Wheel-Check will become out of sequence. It will be visible when the driver does his walk around check and it is the driver’s responsibility to call maintenance and have the wheel thoroughly serviced, the company says.
Wheel-Checks also are heat sensitive, the company says. If there is a binding brake or seized bearing, the heat is transferred through the stud and nut. If this temperature exceeds 248º F, the Wheel-Check will start to blister around the circumference and eventually start to distort, the company says. The driver will be required to go to maintenance and have a thorough assessment on the problem wheel, the company says.
“Wheel-Checks are a simple and inexpensive way of confirming proper wheel torque,” says Stefni Cox-Walters, director of sales at Wheel-Check. “There really is nothing to it, if the nut loosens the Wheel-Check comes out of sequence and that means you need to go to maintenance and get the wheel looked at. It’s that simple. Not everything has to be complicated.
“There is an also an added benefit to the Wheel-Check; they are also heat sensitive so if there is a brake or bearing problem the Wheel-Checks will start to melt. It’s a great added safety feature.”
