Wheel Nuts - one feels loose on each wheel

[bateman1982]

Hello all,
New MG3 hybrid owner, got about 1,000miles on the clock.
Noticed today that one of the lug nuts on each wheel looks more extended out than the others and I can rotate that particular one by hand on each wheel.

Is this part of the design?
The fact that it's one per wheel makes it seem like it's deliberate to me rather than something that's worked it's way loose over time

 

[salty]

That can't be right. Think they need tightening. Have you checked all the others, too?

Ignore this post, MG Clive has sorted it.

 

[bateman1982]

All the others are fine, it's just one per wheel and you can see on visual inspection which one it is.

I've just found this on Reddit that's making me think it's a feature and not an issue.

https://www.reddit.com/r/kia/s/IfkojzXHJc

 

[Pine]

Is it a looking wheel nut that stands higher?

 

[bateman1982]

Is it a looking wheel nut that stands higher?

I suspect it's this actually. Not sure how to confirm or deny!

 

[MG Clive]

The locking wheel nut protrudes slightly further than the other four nuts, and it spins round.

 

[salty]

The locking wheel nut protrudes slightly further than the other four nuts, and it spins round.

There you go, sorted.

 

[bateman1982]

Great stuff, thanks all for your responses. Good to know it's working as designed rather than my wheels being about to fall off

 

[MG Clive]

FYI, this is what the locking wheel nut looks like without it's plastic cover on, the plastic cover goes onto the 17mm hex nut, which spins round so that thieves can't get a wrench onto it and steal your wheels. The locking wheel nut key/socket goes over the hex nut and locates onto the splined part around the outside, and this is the part that tightens onto the wheel.

 

[Cooperman]

FYI, this is what the locking wheel nut looks like without it's plastic cover on, the plastic cover goes onto the 17mm hex nut, which spins round so that thieves can't get a wrench onto it and steal your wheels. The locking wheel nut key/socket goes over the hex nut and locates onto the splined part around the outside, and this is the part that tightens onto the wheel.
View attachment 32493

Just to add that the splined part is a specific key code for your car. I'm not sure how many combinations MG use but it's probably more than enough to deter a thief from carrying around a set of what might be many hundreds of key sockets.

 

[Whoopedoodaa]

Hello all,
New MG3 hybrid owner, got about 1,000miles on the clock.
Noticed today that one of the lug nuts on each wheel looks more extended out than the others and I can rotate that particular one by hand on each wheel.

Is this part of the design?
The fact that it's one per wheel makes it seem like it's deliberate to me rather than something that's worked it's way loose over time

That is the wheel locking nut. Of all the plastic nut covers that one is the only nut cover that swivels and is perfectly normal.