When wind, road noise is more than just a distraction
We’ve all seen television shows or movies where the characters are carrying on a conversation in a moving vehicle. There is something typically missing from such scenes, namely noise. But we don’t even notice as our attention is on the characters and what is being said. Nevertheless, in real life quite a lot of noise
Diagnosing truck vibrations isn’t always fun and games
The American artist Winslow Homer didn’t intend his 1872 painting Snap the Whip (pictured above) to provide a visual representation of the force released by vibration on a truck. But Homer’s painting does just that, in addition to being a nostalgic look at bare-footed schoolboys at play. Linked together by holding hands, the boys at
Be it engine oil or delicious pasta: Beware of too much of a good thing
Some years ago, shortly after we were married, my wife made spaghetti using her own special recipe. This dish was one of the best plates of spaghetti I had ever experienced. I boldly proclaimed how I could easily eat this spaghetti every night. This experience was the first time I personally learned the truth of
The unglamorous drive axle—don’t ignore it
Drive axles are the silent heroes in a truck’s powertrain, but due to their position at the back of the truck, the drive axles remain more or less out of view and out of mind. Sharp looking custom wheels may be the only reason the drive axle gets so much as a glance from anyone
The importance of context when communicating in a truck shop
Language is a funny thing. Words provide the ability for us to communicate our thoughts and desires. And while our words make it possible for us to work together and get more accomplished than we ever could as individuals, language also carries the potential to bring confusion and distrust. Technicians sometimes form their own unique
Keep your cool this summer: Tips for maintaining your truck’s complete cooling system
As summer warms up, the increased temperatures places greater demands on truck cooling systems. Cooling systems, along with other powertrain systems, continue to grow more complex. While powertrain systems are amazingly robust, the increased complexity means it is more critical than ever to properly maintain these systems to avoid breakdowns and the accompanying downtime and
Avoiding the automatic transmission fluid levels pitfalls
Checking the fluid level in a manual transmission is typically a fairly straightforward process: remove the fill plug, stick your finger in and see how close the fluid level is to the bottom of the fill hole. To be sure, the transmission specifications may indicate distinct fill levels or temperatures at which the level should
How to avoid unexpected ‘no crank’ events
Our thoughts are focused on the journey for the day. Schedules need to be kept. The details of the route are worked out. Truck fluid levels are all good to go. Turn the key, press the Start button, and expect the engine to spin to life with a throaty rumble, ready to take on the
Playing favorites: Is your favorite shop task really the best approach for the repair?
We all have our favorite task. To some it may seem odd to think of having a favorite job to perform. Nevertheless, we all have some particular task or type of work that brings us the greatest satisfaction. On the other hand, there is also a least favorite in our catalog of things to do
Truck maintenance tips to reduce tire wear
In our high-tech age, it is all too easy to overlook the purely mechanical aspects of a truck that have needed to be maintained ever since some ingenious person mounted a wheel to an axle in order to move a load that was too large to be carried or dragged. Since that great breakthrough, when
Tips for truck hydraulic brake maintenance
The winter months bring some challenging conditions for commercial trucks. Snow, rain and mud seem to get into everything, particularly the brakes. All that wet muck tends to find its way into the wheel-end brake assemblies, adding a nice layer of grinding material and creating less-than-ideal operating conditions. Grooves are worn in drums or rotors
Don’t overlook those vital truck service incidentals
It’s no surprise how many variations there are when it comes to truck maintenance schedules. The operating conditions for the individual vehicles, or the fleet vehicles in general, help to determine what systems need to be serviced and when. In addition, the truck service information source will point out specific components that need to be
