Loose wheel nut indicator

Wheel nut indicators on a bus showing all nuts are as they were left.

Loose wheel nut indicators are small pointed tags, usually made of fluorescent orange or yellow plastic, which are fixed to the lug nuts of the wheels of large vehicles. The tag rotates with the nut, and if the nut becomes loose, the point of the tag shifts noticeably out of alignment with the other tags. If too many lug nuts are loosened, the wheel can detach from the wheel stud; loose wheel nut indicators allow identification of loose nuts before this can occur.

A single wheel nut indicator.

Loose wheel nut indicators or Lug nut indicators are used both by auto mechanics and drivers to identify lug nuts which require tightening, as well as by accident investigators to detect faults after accidents. Although not compulsory in most jurisdictions, road safety bodies recommend their use, especially on large or heavy vehicles such as buses, coaches, large vans, and trucks.

See also

• Torque stripe