TECH: Safety wiring so you don't die a horrible skidding bloddy death

OK, Some of you have it down and some can do by looking at the pics of other guys safety wiring but Here I am gonna show you a simple How To... to safeting your shit so it doesn't come apart into 5,476 pieces while you're doing 78.457543782905 mph.

Anyway, the best safety wire to use is .025" steel wire. you can use .032" and it's sturdier but harder to use and whatever you safety with .025 will work just fine unless you're working on propeller aircraft or Rotorheads of helicopters.

Anyway, the tools I use are a pair of Snap-on dikes and Snap-on reversable safety wire pliers. For years I used regular safety wire pliers but they only come in right hand twist, you don't always use R/H twist so it's only 1/2 of what you need. When I got out of the Army and had to buy my own tools I think the Snap-on's are the cat's meow.
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OK, here you cut a piece of wire and thread it thru the eye of the bolt head and go around as such. Usually I put 1 R/H twist in it by hand to get it ready for twisting with the pliers.
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Now you take your pliers and clamp on to the wire at a little beyond the hole your twisting to. The wire will shrink as you twist but only just a red headed cunt hair. Once you are used to doing it, it becomes second nature and you instinctively know where to grab. The wire pliers have a lock on them that you use to keep hold of the wires without squeezing. I can't recall how many times I've been to traders village flea market at the tool guys shop and dudes will say, "Hey, that would be a good set of wire pliers without this wierd thing on it." Well, that's the lock dumbass. So, you clap and squeeze the wires in the jaws and set the lock. Now twist.
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the standard for wire is 6 to 12 turns per inch but I like anywhere from 8 to 10. That's another instinctive thing learned over time and experience.

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Then you take whichever wire you decide makes the best "taught" fit and thread it thru the hole of the other bolt. Always remember to saefty where if one bolt loosens the other will tighten.
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Bring the other wire around and give it a Left Hand twist or two by hand and get the pliers back on the wire. Remember, if you have a reversable set to go into Left mode.
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Once you have your twist set up cut the wire with your dikes or with your safety wire pliers about anywhere from 1/2 inch to an inch. It's all a matter of taste and you can usually tell who safeties by where and how they form their pigtail.
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The pigtail is just bent over wire to keep itself from unravelling. Another safety feature of safetys.

Here is my ruler to give you an idea of pitch of twist on a three bolt safety, just at 8 turns per inch. Anytime you're safeting more than two bolts the rule still applys, to safety if one bolt wants to loosen the others will tighten.
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Great info bro n good pics too...copied this one for future reference

Yeah, but how do you get them into your workpiece all wired together like that??

Just jokin!

Great how-to showing the little details of something that everybody thinks they can do until they go to do it.

Thanks!

Z

do you think that you could show some photos of things on your bike safety wired?

good one man. somthing ive been putting off

Why use the left hand twist? What's the purpose behind it?

Great info. Now you need to do a guide on drilling all the holes for this

Sorry, I have nothing on my bike that needs safetys. If you buy AN bolts from grainger that or wherever no need to drill the heads.

Th left hand twist is for the users preference. I don't like wire going over the top of the head of the bolt and will use whatever twist will facillitate that.

There's another way to correctly safety wire, here's what I did.

1) Invite over a buddy that you know can wire.
2) Casualy point to where you wired your shit up......the wrong way.
3) Wait for him to start yacking about he is the king of safety wire blah, blah blah.
4) Hand him a roll of wire and a pair of safety wire pliers and say, prove it big mouth.
4) Open a beer and watch the magic, of course you should take notes and learn so you
can do it yourself the next time.
5) Ride your bike knowing your shit won't fly off and kill someone who you let ride your bike.

THANKS JOSE!!!!!

Beaner, thanks for taking the time to do that writeup, complete with good photos. Thanks
Tyler

Originally Posted by Fredo

There's another way to correctly safety wire, here's what I did.

1) Invite over a buddy that you know can wire.
2) Casualy point to where you wired your shit up......the wrong way.
3) Wait for him to start yacking about he is the king of safety wire blah, blah blah.
4) Hand him a roll of wire and a pair of safety wire pliers and say, prove it big mouth.
4) Open a beer and watch the magic, of course you should take notes and learn so you
can do it yourself the next time.
5) Ride your bike knowing your shit won't fly off and kill someone who you let ride your bike.

THANKS JOSE!!!!!

Took the words right outa' my mouth Fredo

sorry guys this is probably a VERY stupid question but im kinda new to buildin chops but what on your bike should be safety wired and what sort of thing would fly off your bike

I just safety wired my brake caliper and my plug boots at the coil because they vibrate loose!

great write up and for anyone interested in doing this do yourself a favor and DO NOT USE Harbor Freight safety wire pliers after 5 min of trying to get the lock to work you will chuck them across the shop and possible damage something

Originally Posted by BFJosh

great write up and for anyone interested in doing this do yourself a favor and DO NOT USE Harbor Freight safety wire pliers after 5 min of trying to get the lock to work you will chuck them across the shop and possible damage something

That's why you buy good tools, Brother. I use Snap-on because the dude comes to the hanger but I'm sure Mac and Matco safety wire pliers are just as good. I make a living with my tools so I buy quality shit. (some at the flea market with way below market value and trade it in for a new one) Harbor Freight is where I get disposable crap for cheap.

I take that back, I bought a 1/4" drive composite handle micro tooth ratchet for $5.99 and that badboy is the best ratchet I've ever owned. 2 years and a hell of a beating and all I do is lube it now and again with a little AA-130 lubriplate and it's good to go.

I had to Fredo! Dammit it had to be fixed!!!


After:

Looks mucho better!

Originally Posted by Beaner

That's why you buy good tools, Brother. I use Snap-on because the dude comes to the hanger but I'm sure Mac and Matco safety wire pliers are just as good. I make a living with my tools so I buy quality shit. (some at the flea market with way below market value and trade it in for a new one) Harbor Freight is where I get disposable crap for cheap.

I take that back, I bought a 1/4" drive composite handle micro tooth ratchet for $5.99 and that badboy is the best ratchet I've ever owned. 2 years and a hell of a beating and all I do is lube it now and again with a little AA-130 lubriplate and it's good to go.

it was one of those needed to get done on a sunday kind of thing and our snap on guy is super elusive lessons learned

Anybody want to comment on safety wire vs. loc-tite?

Great write- up on safety wiring, I know the aircraft industry has been doing it for years,
some race tracks require it, etc... but ... personally ..any problem Ive had in vehicle or home
use for bolts coming loose due to vibration has been cured by using the proper strength loc-tite for the application.

Well, being that I'm used to Safety wire I would rather do that than glob some loctite on and let it cure and make it a pain in the ass to take out later. Otherwise, cut the safety off and take it right out no fuss no muss.

an old timer told me to put honey (yeah the kind you eat and comes in the little teddy bear)on your bolts because it crystalizes and holds the bolt in, and comes free tit unlike loctite, and it works just as good