What Holds the Tires on a Car?

by Jackie Johnson
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tires on water image by JoLin from Fotolia.com

Wheels are mounted onto a vehicle's wheel hub and tires mount to the wheels. Lug nuts hold the wheels on the hub and the bead on the tire holds the tire on the wheel.

Types

Vehicles sometimes have hubcaps or upgraded rims that are chrome or stainless steel. Both types still require lug nuts to keep the wheels on the car. The bead is on the inside of the tire and fits inside a lip on the rim of the wheel, sealing the tire to the wheel.

Features

Lug nuts have threads on the inside and are hexagonal on the outside so a lug nut wrench will grip them tightly when removing or tightening them. The lug nuts attach to the wheel studs.

Safety

Lug nuts need to be checked from time to time to make sure they are tight. All vehicles come with a manual lug nut wrench. It's a good idea to check the lug nuts when checking tire pressure to make sure they are still tight, essential for safe driving.

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