I was looking at some of the posts here (like the one about the PS pulley coming off!) anyone here safety wire up anything on their car?

 

 

al la

There isnt much of a need for it on a car as torque specs and loc washers are good enough. There are places where there are locking tabs and (oh i just drew a blank, forgive me the pins that hold the wheels on).

 

Now if your talking bailing wire, that can be holding up some exhaust systems

 

 

nipper

Nipper, Cotter pins are what your thinking of? That keep the castel nut from loosening.

 

I dunno, I always use bolts/nuts and the proper lockwasher when needed. I also use zip-ties for dumb things that arn't a big deal (Timing covers, hoses and the like)

 

I really don't know what you could hold on/up with bailling wire - except the exhaust, and a door closed Lol!

 

-Tom

YES thank you, cotter pin

And if you are really concerned about it, lock-tite is available in low, medium and high strength. Use the high strength sparingly since it makes the nut or bolt significantly harder to remove when needed.

2nd the Blue Loc-Tite usage.

 

Finding bolts/nuts ready for safety wire would be a pain. Drilling what you have for safety wire would be even more of a pain.

 

Was an aircraft mech in the Marines. Used miles of that stuff. Not something I really want to get back into using.

It was ok to use just got tired of the stabbings from saftey wire. It isnt always the smilpiest thing to do right.

 

Use what your supposed to use for the specific fastner.

 

nipper

Like Tom I've used 'miles of the stuff' as an aircraft mechanic, but seldom see the need to wire anything on a car. ( Except those throw out bearing retainer clips )

I have done quite abit of lock wire on fastners (Nukes) and thought about doing it on certain critcal bolts but the problem is getting those tiny holes drilled through the corner of the bolt head to feed wire through and to do that = drill press and x's time, probably take to machine shop $.

 

If a person wanted to do a show piece or to assure that particular bolt doesn't come off... sure... but like the above posts show is that thread locking compound is standard on vehicles and proven.

 

because it isn't normal...doesn't mean you can't do it.

That pic gave me a major flash back.

Edited January 25, 201016 yr by Indrid cold

You can buy the proper fatseners with the proper holes (i too did my time building missle launchers bomb racks and mind sweepers). Just drilling holes in fasteners can come back and bite you in the tail.

 

I hope you dont think the military just has a shop drill little holes in bolt heads (but then again).

 

Military and airframe use fastners made with the holes along with nylon loc nuts. McMaster Carr usually has both.

 

 

nipper

you can buy a bolt jig that holds them and make your own, unlike nukes, subs and planes the stresses here are a lot less

 

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/topages/drillingjig.php

 

http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/group.asp?GroupID=SAFETYWIRE

 

but why would you want to?

 

Now if your talking bailing wire, that can be holding up some exhaust systems

 

 

nipper

you can buy a bolt jig that holds them and make your own, unlike nukes, subs and planes the stresses here are a lot less

 

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/topages/drillingjig.php

 

http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/group.asp?GroupID=SAFETYWIRE

 

but why would you want to?

 

It's not a stress problem, it's a risk of failure issue (i.e. the safety wire on a oil drain bolt).

how is that oil drain more prone to failure than any other oil drain bolt?

its not how likely a bolt will fail, but the repercussions of said failure

well wire away if it makes you feel better, but with that logic I'm not sure where you'd stop, lug nuts? steering column bolts? brake hardware? unless you're racing it seems like overkill

well wire away if it makes you feel better, but with that logic I'm not sure where you'd stop, lug nuts? steering column bolts? brake hardware? unless you're racing it seems like overkill

 

+1

 

Ya know, Bill, Jeff, Scott, Rob, ect.. Wheel the hell out of there rigs and non of their bolts come loose (Things break before a bolt loosens or breaks)

 

I mean, this is not rocket science - we're not building computers, Its a Subaru.

 

-Tom

I never said you should (or I would), just wondering if anyone did/does.

 

I used to safety wire my K&N oil filters on my bike just because I had the wire and pliers and and hole in the filter for it. So sensitive lol

Edited January 25, 201016 yr by SuperchargedRS