Source: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems announcement
AVON, Ohio – Winter has been making plans for your trucks (CV): corrosion, freeze-ups, blockages – all the fun stuff that can reduce your time on the road, leaving you stuck in the garage or stranded at the roadside. The good news is there’s still time for fleets and owner-operators to help keep these things from happening – and this installment of the Bendix Tech Tips series explains how.
Be on Top of Your Brakes (Tips from Mark Holley, Bendix director of marketing and customer solutions, Wheel-End):
So much depends on what happens at the wheel end, and the importance of brake performance heightens in winter’s road conditions. Get your preventive maintenance in before your wheel ends are put to the test of snow, ice, and more.
- Use your eyes down under: Check the air brake chamber housings for corrosion or damage that could give corrosion a foothold. Ensure the dust plugs are properly installed, which helps prevent corrosive materials from taking hold from within. Fleets may also consider replacing their air chambers with the Bendix® EnduraSure® PRO™ sealed air chamber. This technology incorporates a dust plug with an integrated check valve that allows air to escape from the air chamber but prevents moisture and other contaminants from entering the park side.
- Lubricate, lubricate, lubricate: Several components on drum-braked wheel ends require regular lubrication as a standard maintenance procedure that keeps moisture from building up and enabling corrosion. Ensure automatic slack adjusters, clevis pin connections, cam tubes, shafts, and bushings are all newly greased in preparation for winter.
- Inspect air disc brakes: Any opening into the caliper can permit corrosion. Inspect the boots for tears or punctures and check the integrity of the guide pins, replacing parts where necessary. Make sure the shear adapter cover is in place and fully seated. Additionally, ensure the pads move freely in the carrier – remove them and clean the carrier surface with a wire brush if you need to – and check that the brake moves freely on its guidance system.
Take Care of the Air (Tips from Rick Conklin, Bendix director of engineering, Air Supply, and Drivetrain):
Compressed air powers the braking system – and on today’s vehicles, other crucial functions include automated manual transmissions (AMTs), advanced safety systems, and emissions controls. Winter conditions increase the vulnerability of air systems, so be vigilant.
- Drain the tanks: Draining every three months tends to be sufficient for typical line haul trucks, but if you’re driving something with high air demand, like a vocational truck, monthly or even weekly is recommended, depending on job conditions. In any case, it’s a good idea to manually drain the tanks at the beginning of the cold weather season to eliminate any moisture from the warmer months.
- Check your dryer cartridge: If it hasn’t been replaced lately, then now’s the time: If you see moisture in your tank drainings or have reached the OE’s recommended preventive maintenance (PM) interval for the air system, then an inspection for excessive air consumption (air leaks) and replacement of the air dryer cartridge to an OE-recommended cartridge, like the Bendix® PuraGuard®, may be wise before the winter season hits. Moisture in the air system can condense and freeze in the winter, upping the chances of brake and valve malfunctions.
To view the entire tips announcement, click HERE.
