timbo33 Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 Hi there, I'm a military modeller and I've just started modelling some UK & US Softskins for a D-Day Mulberry Harbour exhibition. I've noticed a lot of restored British Trucks have the wheel nuts painted Red and White - would they have been like this during the war or was this a peacetime affectation? Thanks in anticipation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 IIRC the red ones hold the split rims together, the white ones are for fastening the wheel to the hub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo33 Posted February 11, 2021 Author Share Posted February 11, 2021 Thanks John - were they painted like that during WW2 - specifically around D-Day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon king Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 Red split rim nuts are specifically mentioned in wartime drivers handbooks but white hub nuts were a parade/peacetime affectation I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo33 Posted February 11, 2021 Author Share Posted February 11, 2021 Thanks Simon. Were they painted red to stop crews undoing them when changing wheels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Herbert Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 The regulation and the practice during and well beyond WW2 was that British vehicles had the nuts that hold split rims together painted red as undoing them with any amount of pressure in the tire could be fatal. The nuts that hold the wheel onto the hub were painted white to distinguish them from the red ones. This was not an affectation but a safety measure and was in place long before D day. It was specificly mentioned in some camouflage regulations that the painting of wheel nuts did not compromise camouflage and was to be continued. Red towing hooks and lifting points are an affectation but very common post war. It also became normal practice to paint fuel caps red for petrol or yellow for diesel post war but I don't know of this was required by regulation or just popular tarting up. David 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo33 Posted February 11, 2021 Author Share Posted February 11, 2021 Thanks David, I'll get my red and white paints out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally dugan Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 post war jerry cans had a aluminum tag attached to the handle which was painted red for petrol and yellow for diesel also yellow was used on vehicle sockets for lights on trailers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon king Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 Factory fresh MWR, red paint visible 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo33 Posted February 11, 2021 Author Share Posted February 11, 2021 Also, presumably applied to Empire vehicles, e.g. Canadian? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 (edited) A wartime picture ,possibly taken on Chiselhurst Common.o fa Dodge WC5 2 in Britsh markings. No colour on either set of nuts. Edited February 13, 2021 by Tony B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 I believe the painting of wheel nuts white is a peacetime practice. Split rim clamping nuts were supposed to be painted red and I've seen it mentioned in a wartime publication. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surveyor Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 On 2/11/2021 at 3:16 PM, simon king said: Red split rim nuts are specifically mentioned in wartime drivers handbooks but white hub nuts were a parade/peacetime affectation I think Can you give a reference for the book please it sounds a good one to have Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally dugan Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 A quote from a 1939 instruction book [ on each wheel there are two rings of nuts the outer set is coloured red if you only want to remove the wheel to get the wheel off slacken the inner ring of [ uncoloured nuts] the ring of red nut s should be never touched unless the tyre is deflated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surveyor Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 I wonder why the difference, it looks like checking that you don't do clock wise, but opposite does the manual say if the thread is a different size Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnwardle Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 Some photos of 'For BFs' a pocket sized booklet published in 1942 by Vauxhall motors aimed at Bedford drivers. Explaining why the outer wheel nuts are painted red. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted February 14, 2021 Share Posted February 14, 2021 Very good little booklet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woa2 Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 In my 1944 workshop manual for my Ford WOT2 it mentions about the Red nuts. After a friend talked about white wheel nuts, I looked at all the photos I had of all wartime Ford WOT2 trucks and none had white wheel nuts. Seems to be a post-war thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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