In the United Kingdom alone there are up to 400 wheel detachments from heavy trucks every year. Of these, on average, there are 134 accidents involving vehicle/property damage, 27 injuries and seven have led to fatalities*. In the United States of America, the National Transportation Safety Board reports that wheel detachments occur at an estimated rate of 1,000 per year - almost three a day - resulting in about 20 accidents per week. In other countries, wheel loss occurs at comparable rates.

The main cause of wheel detachment is loose wheel nuts. In addition to jeopardizing safety, the consequences for transport companies are higher operating costs as well as lower delivery efficiency, reduced productivity levels and the potential for large fines. “Nord-Lock now has a range of market leading products that can solve our customers wheel loosening problems across the range of common wheel sizes,” said Graham Souter, Sales Director Europe at Nord-Lock Group. “We create all products with the goal of ensuring customer safety and increasing productivity. We want to make sure that no matter the industry, our customers have the solutions they need to do their job.”

Nord-Lock wheel nuts have been rigorously tested and approved by independent institutes as well as certification authorities**. The product is manufactured from high-quality steel and fully complies with European Directive 2000/53/EC on End of Life Vehicles (ELV), EU Directive 2011/65/EU on the Restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS) and EU Directive 2015/863. All sizes are TÜV approved.

Advantages for all industries

Nord-Lock wedge-locking technology prevents the wheel nuts from loosening, even when experiencing extreme vibration and dynamic loads present in tough industries, such as mining and construction. The wheel nuts can be installed and removed using standard hand tools, making the process quick and easy. Unlike regular wheel nuts, Nord-Lock wheel nuts are reusable (depending on conditions of use) and can be reinstalled after maintenance.

Summary

• Nord-Lock wheel nut range extended to 6 sizes (M16 – M24)
• Suitable for both on-road vehicles (buses, trucks, trailers) and off-road vehicles (tractors, farming equipment, mining equipment, forestry machinery, military vehicles)
• Minimizes risk of accidents and injury, and improves driver productivity while reducing operating and service costs
• Incorporates the Nord-Lock wedge-locking technology, which ensures wheel nuts cannot loosen by itself.
  
  

*2006 report commissioned by the United Kingdom Department of Transport

** Independent comparative testing of different wheel nuts was performed in 2009 by IMA, a leading material testing and research institute in Germany. Contact us for further information and documentation.