In regards to the "wheel loss is no mystery" feature [routeone/Big Story/19 December 2018], nowhere does it mention the proximate cause of 'wheel loss syndrome', which is precession.
Space precludes a detailed explanation of the principle, but there is plenty of information on precession to be found online.
The other factor is the importance of thoroughly cleaning all mating faces. If you have ten thou of rust, paint or dirt on each face, that will leave a gap of over a millimetre after it's all worn off, as it will inevitably do, due to road shocks and heat expansion and contraction.
I always fit a couple of wheel-nut retaining clips to each wheel, locking four opposing wheel nuts while leaving the other six un-protected. I find this preferable to locking all the nuts, since, if the nuts do become minded to make a break for freedom, it will be easy to spot while ensuring that there are still enough nuts to hold the wheel on.
These clips cost me about £30 per vehicle, and are far more effective than the little yellow pointers, which make it easier to find the nuts in the grass after they have come off.
One has to ask why, among all the stupid petty regulations that plague us, wheel-nut retaining clips are not mandatory.
Hugo Miller, Arun Coaches
