[Power Surge]

I'll repost something I wrote on another thread on the subject...

"I think there are two accepted methods on safety wire. Using it as a gauge, and using it as a safety device.

As you pointed out, using it with a loop in the middle allows the person to keep an eye on it, and if it gets pulled tighter, then the knockoffs are loosening. This seems to be the preffered method among most experianced Cobra people.

If you use it as a safety measure, then it's tightend from the get go, and used to stop the knockoff from loosening in the first place. There's nothing wrong this method either. There is a really no "force" on the spinner to rotate it on the threads that would be so great as to break PROPERLY (i.e. correct thickness and not overspun) installed safety wire. And if for some reason, a knockoff WAS moved with that kind of force, it would break the safety wire and that would be just as visable to the eye (if not more) as a tightened loop.

So either method is really just as effective. The big thing is to CHECK the wire everytime you take the car out, no matter which method you use."

Take that for what it's worth. Personally, I prefer to use the wire as a safety measure, not a gauge.

The Kirkhams pin idea is a good one. It will stop the knock off from completely coming off, which will stop the wheel from coming off. But it won't stop the knock off from getting loose in the first place. I'd still use the tight safety wire along with the safety pin.

Just my 2 cents.