A simple wheel protector to reduce knock-on wheel nut mishap
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 3:27 pm
A Lotus owner since 1972, I too have damaged many steel and alloy road wheels with my copper hammer; achieved in the main through being so scared of missing the wheel nut/spinner that I did.
So, many years ago I made a simple wheel protector out of a flexible but impact resisting material. I chose polypropylene sheet, as for me, at that time, it was readily available.
I've been using this wheel protector now for thirty-years and more on Elans and a variety of other cars with knock-on type wheel nuts - and I haven?t hit and wheel, spoke, or my fingers in that time.
I made two; the one in the photo is stored/hung on my workshop wall and is in regular use; the second, slightly smaller, is stored in the well of my spare wheel in the boot of my Elan.
The overall dimensions of the larger workshop wheel protector are 330mm x 140mm and 225mm x 130mm for the smaller one. Make a 76mm (3") diameter cutout with straight sides to the outside of the sheet, this to enable the protector to slide over the wheel nut/spinner: see drawing and photo.
Now, I have recently shown this to others (here in the UK, and in Germany and the USA) and all think it a simple but effective tool. So make one, try it.
If it doesn't work for you then bin it. If it does, however, GREAT!
Keep it simple?
So, many years ago I made a simple wheel protector out of a flexible but impact resisting material. I chose polypropylene sheet, as for me, at that time, it was readily available.
I've been using this wheel protector now for thirty-years and more on Elans and a variety of other cars with knock-on type wheel nuts - and I haven?t hit and wheel, spoke, or my fingers in that time.
I made two; the one in the photo is stored/hung on my workshop wall and is in regular use; the second, slightly smaller, is stored in the well of my spare wheel in the boot of my Elan.
The overall dimensions of the larger workshop wheel protector are 330mm x 140mm and 225mm x 130mm for the smaller one. Make a 76mm (3") diameter cutout with straight sides to the outside of the sheet, this to enable the protector to slide over the wheel nut/spinner: see drawing and photo.
Now, I have recently shown this to others (here in the UK, and in Germany and the USA) and all think it a simple but effective tool. So make one, try it.
If it doesn't work for you then bin it. If it does, however, GREAT!
Keep it simple?