Winter Preventative Maintenance
The purchase of a new truck can range anywhere from $100,000 to
upwards of $300,000. This is not something you want to do all that
often. In order to prevent costly purchases, we must keep up with
the maintenance on our trucks. Regular inspection and maintenance
have been proven to extend the life of the truck exponentially.
Preventative Maintenance, or P.M., is done on all different levels.
Daily P.M. takes place whenever the truck fuels up or takes a break.
From checking tire pressure and fluids to fuel additives and
filters, we do these kinds of things without a second thought.
Once we move past all of the daily and per trip P.M., we get to the
maintenance that may take a little time, knowledge and tools. Not
every driver has the ability to do these preventative maintenance
tasks. At Truck Pro Repair, we not only have everything you need but
we take this part of the job very seriously. This is not only a
Driver’s livelihood but also a company investment. Our standards are
top notch, and we always go the extra mile.
The long trips cause serious wear on the tires, and with a single
sometimes costing $800, it is important to keep up on tread depth
and pressures. We check the U-bolts, which tend to loosen over time.
We go through the batteries and charging systems. All of which the
cold weather wreaks havoc on. With the invention of the LED bulb,
which seems to last longer, all lighting must still be checked. Any
cracks or moisture can cause corrosion causing bulbs to burn out
prematurely.
One of the most important systems on our truck is our breaks. We
must keep a close eye on these ensuring pads are at the desired
thickness and rotors are changed when needed. The system itself
needs bleeding and flushed. Bearings need to be checked, and the oil
level in the hubs for oil lubricated wheel bearings needs to be
checked. Oil in the front drive axle and any chassis lubrication
needs to be done, including lubricating the hinges and locks and
sealing strips.
Truck Pro Repair spends the time and puts in the effort to ensure
your truck will perform top notch for the duration of ownership.
Things like checking for charge air cooler leaks will prolong the
life and lower the overall cost of repairs. The Charge Air Cooler is
located in the front of the radiator and should be checked for leaks
with a pressure test kit. They are designed to cool superheated air
from the turbo before it moves into the intake manifold. The greater
the amount of pressure weight lost, the lower the fuel mileage and
higher your diesel expense will be.
Preventative maintenance may seem like an expensive, and even at
times, unneeded expense. But I can assure you, if done regularly and
correctly, it will extend the life of your truck and will lower the
overall expense of repairs in the long run. If you have any
questions about what we do or how we do it please feel free to give
us a call or set up an appointment for your truck today.
