ROR warns against dangerous bolts
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• A warning of 'potentially very dangerous' counterfeit wheel nuts and bolts on sale in Europe has been issued by Rubery Owen-Rockwell. An agent for ROR has sent the company an example of a fake wheel nut assembly that was returned to him by a customer who found they were bending in service.
When the assembly was tested by ROR it was found that the bolt stretched, and when only 80% of the recommended torque was applied, the bolt rotated in the hub as the splines had stripped because of their softness.
Graham Ranger of ROR says that the bolts have a surface, and core hardness of around half that of the original parts. The bolts splines will normally cut into the hub, but 'with these bolts, the hub is harder than the splines'.
The nuts and bolts carry no manufacturer identification, and can be recognised by the centering marks on their lathe turned heads, or the absence of the forging indentation.