MOT FAIL ON WHEEL NUTS - 9 September 2022 at 2:16PM in Motoring 25 replies 1.2K views

Midrash7

Tester stated nuts are on wrong way round - quoted 'incompatible wheels and fixings';  I think he has used a broad interpretation since they passed the last MOT
The nuts are the correct ones
If I am charged for a retest by Halfords i may appeal, worse i can never get thru by phone .... so cant return car within 24hrs.
lesson - PUT all YOUR WHEEL COVERS ON before the MOT

Midrash7

note, they only stated nuts were wrong on the two wheels with no plastic wheel covers! i forgot to put them all on.

Ebe_Scrooge

How can a wheel nut be on the wrong way round?  It's either on or it's not.  Can you clarify what you mean?

Midrash7

the nuts have a slight bevel on one end, flat on t'other;  bevel apparently must face the wheel; had no covers on for my last yrs MOT and they were inspected, passed fine; travelled 100's of miles as it is w/no probs

Herzlos

So you just need to unscrew them and put them back on the other way round? Couldn't you do that in the MOT bay or car park and then get the free retest?

The moral of the story is to check you're putting them back on correctly, given that you presumably took them off since they don't have plastic covers on, and not that you should hide the badly fitted nuts with the covers.

They are bevelled on the inside to prevent movement.

Billxx

The bevel sinks the nut snugly into the wheel and centres it.  A bit harsh failing an MOT on that when it takes two minutes to take the nut off the spigot and turn it over.  Rotten luck!

HumberFlyer

I didn't think you could put a tyre on the wrong way round. Mine just failed on 3 being wrong way round....... fitted by a tyre fitting company 6 weeks ago

Midrash7

Halfords wouldnt allow that, nor a 30 sec job for them to swap em round - no need for a jack either, swapping one at a time. needs a new mot appt.
took me five mins

they were not badly fitting, all fully metal to metal, but yes, better not to mention wheel covers

caprikid1

I would be more concerned about who has put your wheel nuts on the wrong way round !!.

A lot of wheel nuts can only go one way but plenty clearly have two ways to go on, If they are on the wrong way they won't seat correctly and the wheel could come off.

You need to understand which idiot did this and not let them near your car again !!.

Ebe_Scrooge

HumberFlyer said:

I didn't think you could put a tyre on the wrong way round. Mine just failed on 3 being wrong way round....... fitted by a tyre fitting company 6 weeks ago

A lot of tyres, especially the less-expensive ones, can be fitted any which way.  But you can get asymmetric tyres or directional tyres, which have to be fitted in a particular orientation.  Much as Kwik-Fit get slated on this site a lot of times, they do have a nice little article which describes the different types quite succinctly : https://www.kwik-fit.com/blog/tyre-tread-whats-the-difference-between-asymmetric-and-directional-tyres

Midrash7

Its actually not the original wheels, but from same make of car; nuts are correct; flat side down actually clamps wheel better; tester/s agreed the wheels are fine