Manufactured from stainless steel with a knurled finger grip, an end slot allows the use of a screwdriver should the tool become stuck.
Supplied in two sizes:
M12x1.5 suitable for caravans and most cars
M14x1.5 suitable for motor homes, larger cars and vehicles.
First make sure the wheel and hub faces and the bolt threads are clean.
With the wheel off the ground, locate the wheel hangers fitted loosley in the 3 and 4 stud positions. The wheel can now be slid over the wheel hangers and the fixing bolts located in the remaining holes and tightened "finger tight" only.
The wheelhangers can now be removed and the remaining fixing bolts located, again "finger tight" only.
Thump the wheel with the heel of your hand to centre the wheel whilst continuing to tighten the bolts. The wheel can be rotated during this process which will help to centre the bolts.
The final tightening to recommended settings should be done with the wheel on the ground, in the correct sequence using a torque wrench.
Check the wheel bolts after 30 miles or 30 minutes of driving.
One thing that has changed over the years is that wheel studs were part of the wheel hub assembly, so when it came to fitting the wheel you had something to hang the wheel on.
You could then fit the nuts at your leisure without having to support the wheel.
Today it's more of a struggle having to locate the wheel bolts whilst holding the full weight of the wheel and tyre.
This could be causing problems, as it's quite easy to tighten the bolts to the correct torque setting without realising that the wheel and the bolts are not perfectly seated.
Any sudden jolt due to a pot hole or kerbing can cause the wheel to move, losing bolt tension, and losing the important clamping force.
If left unchecked vibration will produce further movement between the wheel and the hub causing the fixing bolts to unscrew or shear, with the subsequent loss of the wheel.
It's the clamping force provided by the wheel fixing bolts that holds the wheel in position against the wheel hub. The bolts are in tension only and will have no shear loading.
The wheel and the hub will then act as one unit with no movement between the two parts, and no shear forces on the fixing bolts.
The wheel hanger/guide is offered as an essential piece of kit for safety and security of the caravan, it's users and other road users.