Why You Need to Pay Careful Attention to Truck Axle Bearings
ShareAnyone responsible for keeping a fleet of trucks on the road knows that routine maintenance is crucial. They should also know that cleanliness and attention to detail are even more critical when replacing essential parts, and this is especially important when it comes to the wheel bearings. If you have been noticing some strange issues in or around your axles or if your drivers have been reporting a strange noise, could this be related to your bearings, and what should you do?
Bearings Under Pressure
Truck axle bearings must put up with a tremendous amount of negative force linked to friction, torsion and gravity. You should always choose the highest-quality product without fail and ensure that the bearings are correctly packed in grease before they are applied. Try to avoid any contamination during the process as well, as problems could ensue if any dirt is introduced during installation. As such, you will need to maintain a clean working environment in your workshop and make sure that your engineers adopt best practices.
Leaking Oil
If a bearing has been incorrectly installed or if it starts to break down, you may notice that oil begins to leak out from the end of the wheel hub. This problem could be due to a rotary shaft seal failure that has allowed oil to escape from the axle and overwhelm the bearing. In this case, the oil will tend to wash the grease away from the surface so that the bearings become exposed to extreme levels of wear and tear.
Additional Damage
Incorrect installation can lead to even more significant problems, however. If the bearing was of poor quality, if it was improperly packed or if it was not set with high accuracy, then it could cause damage to the hub and, in turn, the spindle.
Always buy the best-quality bearings and make sure that they are the right specification for your vehicle. Insist on a clean working environment and ensure that your mechanic follows accepted procedure.
Overheating
If the driver has reported some strange noises in this area, it could be due to improperly set bearings. If the engineer had not installed them correctly, then they could overheat during regular operation. If this were allowed to continue for any length of time, then the bearing would eventually run out of supporting grease and could fail.
Best Approach
Once again, this underlines the importance of correct installation according to the specifications given by the manufacturer. When they replace the bearings, the engineer should look carefully at the condition of the hub and spindle to see if there is any damage.
Contact a company that sells products like Hino truck parts to learn more.