Stertil-Koni shares 10 tips for vehicle lift safety
With the winter season approaching, it’s an important time to solidify your preventative maintenance practices in your shops. With this in mind, lift manufacturer Stertil-Koni recommends 10 top tips for the safe operation of heavy-duty vehicle lifts during cold winter months. “Safety is always mission number one in the service bay,” said Dr. Jean DellAmore, president of
Oil analysis and total base number
Historically, you’ve probably used total base number (TBN) as a key indicator of the remaining useful oil life in your fleet’s engines. The rule of thumb was to drain oil when the TBN reached one-third of its starting value. But changes in engine design—along with the move to Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) fuels—have decreased
The do’s and don’ts of combining air disc and drum brakes
Even as air disc brakes become increasingly popular in North American commercial vehicle fleets, concerns of brake system balance—the amount of work handled by each brake in a system—may arise when they are installed in combination with drum brakes. While these hybrid braking setups deliver advantages in stopping power and uptime, it’s important to understand
Brake maintenance myth: Adjust the slack at every inspection
For fleets and drivers operating vehicles equipped with automatic slack adjusters (ASAs): Do not manually adjust the ASA if the brake is beyond the stroke limit. It’s sound advice from Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems and Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake (BSFB). Some technicians servicing drum brakes will adjust ASAs at every PM inspection. Properly installed, operating
Beyond ‘What failed?’—know why it failed
It’s natural for anyone who works on similarly-equipped vehicles to discover patterns in the failure points, particularly with diagnostic trouble codes. The first few that come into the service bay usually mean the tech will need to closely follow the diagnostic steps. At least, that’s what happens in a perfect world. Reality is a much
Three tips for seat belt maintenance
Seat belt laws have been in place long enough that most everyone has become accustomed to buckling up. You get in, reach over, pull the belt across and click it in place. It is most likely such an automatic part of getting ready that the act hardly gets noticed. As a result, seat belts can
Bendix updates service interval recommendations for air dryer cartridges
As part of the Bendix Tech Tips Series, Bendix offers new guidelines and service interval recommendations across its range of air dryer cartridges. These updates reflect the results of extensive real-world testing and customer input from a wide array of vehicle applications, as well as a growing number of aftermarket replacement choices, according to the
Proactive tire prep for the summer season
Summer is peak hauling season. Fleets must identify and address truck issues now before they interrupt operations, causing missed deadlines and delivery dates. Where does that process start? With tires. A variety of factors can impact tire performance and result in unplanned downtime—from tread depth to inflation pressure. GCR Tires and Service recommended the following
Don’t ignore that in-line air filter
When it comes to air filters, most replaceable filters for the engine air intake, or spin-on air filters for the air brake system, are likely to be on a regular maintenance list. But what about in-line air filters for the trailer air system? Some trailer brake systems will have in-line filters designed to screen
Detecting tricky transmission leaks
Have you ever worked on a transmission leak only to discover the fluid was coming from another part of the engine? If so, you’re not alone. Here are some tips for tracking down the true source of those fluid leaks. Transmissions have a way of getting the rap for sloppy neighbors. We all know that
Air disc brake maintenance tips
Over the past several years, adoption of air disc brakes (ADBs) has climbed to 18% to 25% of brakes ordered on trucks, according to brake manufacturers, who anticipate that number reaching 50% within the next decade. This means that technicians will need to be familiar with both the tried-and-true drum brakes and their disc brake
Let’s talk spring suspension maintenance
Spring suspension manufacturer maintenance recommendations include periodic checks of fastener torque values and usually include an initial re-torque after break-in. While regular preventative maintenance will keep the majority of spring suspensions rolling productively, there may come a time when a spring needs to be replaced. Typically, a broken spring can be identified during a walk-around
