Lefty Loosey...might help the next guy, and remind me too!

[ebruns1]

I was priming and painting these rear drums before going back on the 48 Dodge.  I only had white paint rustoleum.  After painting I thought this might be a better reminder and easier for those of us with squinty eyes to try reading the little "L"s on the studs!  What do you think?

 

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

it is one of the quirks these old cars have...should not be hard to remember but that sure will not let you forget....

[Dodgeb4ya]

Many of the factory OE brake drum hubs were painted red on the left hand drums... front and rear of the 40's 50's cars..... meaning left hand threads.

Plus of course there is usually a "L" stamped in the end of the bolt or as on a Dodge the stud.

[desoto1939]

it does not matter if the lugs or bolts are stamped left or right.  Most of the mechanics that we have are at best 20 years and they have never been taught that at one point intime there were left and right hand threaded studs or lug bolts so there is no reason for them to look at the stud or nut for the left indicator.  These cars are not what they grew up with just like 6 volt positive ground. everything now is 12 volt neg graound.

 

So As the owner it is your job to reminder them of the key point about your car and NOT ASSUME,AXX, that they the odd ball issues with your car.

 

Rich HArtung

desoto1939@aol.com

[PT81Jan]

I do not want make bad your idea, since I do not know what rims you have.

My Plymouth rims don`t allow to look through it onto the brake drums.

So if I had a reminder inscription on the drums, I would only see that warning when the wheel already is off and I just have teared off a lug ...

I would have to put that note under the hub on the rim.

Anyway, a reminder never hurts.

[greg g]

So remind us all which side is righty loosie, lefty tighty!!  It been ten years since I have needed to think about it.

[T120]

2 hours ago, Dodgeb4ya said:

Many of the factory OE brake drum hubs were painted red on the left hand drums... front and rear of the 40's 50's cars..... meaning left hand threads.

Plus of course there is usually a "L" stamped in the end of the bolt or as on a Dodge the stud.

I  wasn't aware of that - kinda nautical, (left-port-red). LOL

[YukonJack]

2 hours ago, PT81Jan said:

I do not want make bad your idea, since I do not know what rims you have.

My Plymouth rims don`t allow to look through it onto the brake drums.

So if I had a reminder inscription on the drums, I would only see that warning when the wheel already is off and I just have teared off a lug ...

I would have to put that note under the hub on the rim.

Anyway, a reminder never hurts.

I was wondering the same thing. You have to get the wheel off to read the drum.

[DonaldSmith]

I hit the "L" on my leftie bolts with White-Out, to remind myself which way to crank on them. 

[Dodgeb4ya]

4 hours ago, YukonJack said:

I was wondering the same thing. You have to get the wheel off to read the drum.

You can see the red on the hub sticking through the center of the wheel

 front and rear if the red has not been painted over.

Of course the wheel cover need to be off.

Edited June 10, 2018 by Dodgeb4ya

[Frank Elder]

I've owned many a Mopar in my day, and one of the first things I do is replace "L" with "R".........

[ebruns1]

Wow, great to hear the history on red color drums for left side!

 

Duh...after I put that writing on the hub thinking I came up with a great idea it hit me that you wouldn't see it with the wheel installed!  Brain fart!  But after reading your posts I think I will paint the center hub too and write "LEFT" on it there as well so it's viewable with the wheel on the car.  

 

Again, not so much for me, but the future custodian who will inherit this car.  You think many Millenials have ever changed a tire, or even done an oil change?  HAHA!

 

Jim T

[Dan Hiebert]

Reminders are always a good idea, as long as you can see 'em.  I knew a fellow in west Texas with an eclectic plethora of antique cars.  He had the points gap, plug gap, and timing stamped on brass tags, then attached to the firewall of each of his cars so he could quickly tune them up without having to consult (or find) the shop manual.  I always thought that was border-line brilliant.  I can't remember those numbers for any of my cars...

[Plymouthy Adams]

2 hours ago, ebruns1 said:

Wow, great to hear the history on red color drums for left side!

 

Duh...after I put that writing on the hub thinking I came up with a great idea it hit me that you wouldn't see it with the wheel installed!  Brain fart!  But after reading your posts I think I will paint the center hub too and write "LEFT" on it there as well so it's viewable with the wheel on the car.  

 

Again, not so much for me, but the future custodian who will inherit this car.  You think many Millenials have ever changed a tire, or even done an oil change?  HAHA!

 

Jim T

 

they can google it......like the insurance commercial where the kid asked the other if the cat claw in his hand was a lug wrench and the kids answers ..maybe...and THAT kid was holding the folding 4 way lug wrench in his hand....

[desoto1939]

No matter how much you paint the flange of the hub Red, orange and any other color it willnot mean anything to one of the modern mechanics of todays training.  They have not been taught and will not be taught that there are left hand lug bolts and or nuts on cars.  This is not the normal and we can not expect them to know this information. Even if you had  a flashing neon sign infront of them prior to taking off the hub cap they still will set their air gun up for right hand threads.  it is your responsibility to remind the mechanic 20 times that the left side has left had threads both front and rear becasue only you know the specific about your car.  They are trained to work on modern cars and not antiques that are  50+ years old. This is old technology and they have not been exposed to it.

 

Just my 25 cents worthof input.

 

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

[Plymouthy Adams]

3 minutes ago, desoto1939 said:

No matter how much you paint the flange of the hub Red, orange and any other color it willnot mean anything to one of the modern mechanics of todays training.  They have not been taught and will not be taught that there are left hand lug bolts and or nuts on cars.  This is not the normal and we can not expect them to know this information. Even if you had  a flashing neon sign infront of them prior to taking off the hub cap they still will set their air gun up for right hand threads.  it is your responsibility to remind the mechanic 20 times that the left side has left had threads both front and rear becasue only you know the specific about your car.  They are trained to work on modern cars and not antiques that are  50+ years old. This is old technology and they have not been exposed to it.

 

Just my 25 cents worthof input.

 

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

 

for myself, and I can only speak for myself, but the old car hobby is a personal things...farming it out...no way...this is my toy.....I don't play well with others and ever worse when it comes to sharing a toy.....

[Dodgeb4ya]

8 minutes ago, desoto1939 said:

No matter how much you paint the flange of the hub Red, orange and any other color it willnot mean anything to one of the modern mechanics of todays training.  They have not been taught and will not be taught that there are left hand lug bolts and or nuts on cars.  This is not the normal and we can not expect them to know this information. Even if you had  a flashing neon sign infront of them prior to taking off the hub cap they still will set their air gun up for right hand threads.  it is your responsibility to remind the mechanic 20 times that the left side has left had threads both front and rear becasue only you know the specific about your car.  They are trained to work on modern cars and not antiques that are  50+ years old. This is old technology and they have not been exposed to it.

 

Just my 25 cents worthof input.

 

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

Trucks still use LH lug nuts and bolts.

A good  well trained mechanic/ technician will read the end of the stud or nuts before stripping out antique or modern bolts.

LH bolts are still used more than you think.

 

[desoto1939]

10 minutes ago, Dodgeb4ya said:

Trucks still use LH lug nuts and bolts.

A good  well trained mechanic/ technician will read the end of the stud or nuts before stripping out antique or modern bolts.

LH bolts are still used more than you think.

 

You might be correct but why do the mechanics still use the air gun to over tighten the lug nuts on our modern cars? This is because they are lazy and it would require them to use the proper tool or color coded attachment on their air guns to set the proper torque.  When you go to Costco for tires the mechanic uses the gun to remove the lug nuts or bolts but their policy is to use a torque wrench set with the proper torque to hand tighten the nuts and then when done the supervisor then rechecks each wheel before they deliver the car back to you.  can you tell me if and when you have ever seen this done at any other shop. They always over tighten the nuts and then you have to go back to have them loosened and then hand tighten properly.  So time is money in the auto repair business so most mechanics will not taken the time to look at the L or r on the stud or bolt.  My point is that on a truck as you state they have been trained for Left threaded bolts but not on the cars becasue we have not used them in 50+ years, so take the time to tell the mechanic and tell them about your car it only takes a minute and if it is any good quality shop they will welcome the information. Also suggest that you stand by the garage door when they are removing the wheel and tell them again about L/R wheel lugs nuts/bolts.

 

I am not rying to argue the point of L/R being used today but it is still your responsibility as the owner of the car to let them know about the difference becsue this is not standard on our modern cars.

 

Rich HArtung

Desoto1939@aol.com

[Plymouthy Adams]

most shops WILL follow your specific instruction but sadly if you do not stress the fact that the nuts are to be installed by hand, run up and torqued via a torque wrench it may just get the ole air hammer treatment....I have seen a couple shops where this is standard practice even when the big boss is away...all a matter of proper training...I cannot say in how many years, but I have only had one set of tires mounted outside of my shop environment, aligned the dots per my instructions, balance was a single action (no balancing the balance on run up and another weight added) they torqued the wheels, they drove the car in a couple figure 8's, rechecked the torque and handed me the keys.   But yes....you need to let them know your concerns.  Sadly many will that that shortcut...

[BigDaddyO]

Mavis Tires has a note printed in red ink that you need to return to their shop after you put 25 miles on your car after they install new tires so they can retorque the lugs. Their policy is that you cannot just torque them once and expect it it remain torqued, it must be retorqued after 25 miles. Needless to say, the mechanics just slam the wheels on and smash the lugs with the impact wrench in no particular order and lay on it for several seconds after full torque.

[ptwothree]

On 6/9/2018 at 9:29 PM, Frank Elder said:

I've owned many a Mopar in my day, and one of the first things I do is replace "L" with "R".........

Me too!

[MackTheFinger]

When I saw the post about Jim painting his drums it reminded me of reading "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive" for the first time. For those of you who aren't VW nuts it was a great book and I think the author, John Muir; was every VW freak's hero and a greasy copy of it was a given. At least that's how it was for me. At one point he wrote something like "Paint each piece of your engine tins a different color and it'll give you something to smile about when you check your oil in the mornings." Great memories!!

[Dodgeb4ya]

The first thing I do on a newly acquired or resto job Mopar  is make sure that there is a left drum on the left side and a right on the right.

[desoto1939]

19 hours ago, Dodgeb4ya said:

The first thing I do on a newly acquired or resto job Mopar  is make sure that there is a left drum on the left side and a right on the right.

But on a 39 Desoto there is right hand treaded botls on both sides so there is no left or right sided drums and my car is correct with the correct drums and bolts for the lugs.

 

Rich Hartung

[Dodgeb4ya]

If the car came with that set up it gets it. 1940 on up.

39 and back ...no.