So there I was, driving a single-lane mountain pass over Mexico’s Sierra Juarez mountains, so when should I meet? A semi truck is coming in the opposite direction. I came back into a curve with a wider shoulder, and the skilled driver completed a multi-point turn on a downhill side to leave me enough room to slip through. But the first time he signaled for me to pass his truck, I couldn’t. It was actually robbing the truck of an inch of the clearance we needed. At that moment I wondered, How can spikes on wheels be semi-legal?
Why do some semi trucks have bolts on their wheels?
The bolts you see on truck wheels are nut caps, advertised as a way to get debris away from the lug nuts. Some truck drivers say they install them to look cool, while others claim the spikes warn motorists to keep their distance.
Drivers bent on making motorists stay away? Because these big rigs have big blind spots. From the cab of most semi-trucks, it is impossible to see a vehicle directly behind your trailer, pass your trailer, or even drive directly in front of you. Although most civilian drivers share the road with semi-trucks daily, little do they know about staying safe around these vehicles.
In addition, many truck drivers are proud of the appearance of their vehicles. Some drivers are owners/operators: they own their trucks, and they hook up different trailers for different trips. In North America, there is a particularly strong culture of modifying and decorating these vehicles with various accessories. Many semi-truck owners clearly feel the sprocket nut covers match the look they are shooting for.
Are bolts on truck wheels legal?
While the federal government dictates that semi-truck lug nuts cannot be missing or loose, and bolt holes cannot be “out of round,” it has no laws regulating the shape of lug nut caps. As long as these accessories do not go beyond the widest point of the truck, they are perfectly legal.
The lowdown on federal regulations for semi-trucks comes courtesy of attorneys at Pittman, Roberts, and Welsch ().
Given this, it might be surprising that no one seemed to care about the huge spikes in passenger car window height. But here’s the truth: Although I found the threaded nut caps annoying on my mountain trail adventure, I was never in danger.
Although they may look intimidating, most threaded lug nut covers are made of chrome-plated plastic. Some are made of aluminium. None of them have weapons. They will all disintegrate upon impact with another vehicle.
The studs on truck wheels can be a no brainer
All in all, the sprocket lug nut covers aren’t a hazard and can actually remind motorists to avoid the semi-blind spots of trucks. In this way, they may keep some motorists safe. Plus, they rarely exceed the width of the bumper, side steps, or air tanks of a semi-truck, so it’s almost impossible for them to crash into a car.
However, I have encountered one of the rare situations where threaded nut caps can be annoying or even dangerous. So if you’re a member of the 0.01% of semi-truck drivers who regularly cruise single-track mountain trails in your big rig, maybe think twice before installing bolt-on nut covers. Safe travels, and thanks for keeping our cargo moving!
Then, find out why or watch a discussion of threaded lug nut covers in the video below:
