Safety Wiring: Not Just for Race Drivers and Jet Pilots

People who are serious about safety know a thing or two about safety wiring. Commonly found in race cars and airplanes, safety wiring involves threading a piece of wire through a drilled hole in a nut and/or bolt in such a way that there is tension on the nut in the direction of it tightening. In other words, the wire is a like a leash that won't let the nut or bolt loosen. Race cars get lots of abuse, so builders use safety wiring to insure nothing comes loose during a race. If safety is a top concern for you and your car or truck, maybe you should wire your important nuts and bolts, too. I've seen a trend recently of car and truck owners choosing to utilize safety wiring. Before you go drilling holes in all of your hardware, be sure you learn about proper safety wiring techniques. Improperly attempting to install safety wires could do more harm than good. When you're ready, there are safety wiring tools to make the job much easier, like this one from Craftsman.