Don’t Skimp On Wheel-End Maintenance
Stay on top of wheel-end maintenance, and you’ll avoid costly repairs, road failures, and dangerous driving conditions.
Types Of Wheel-End Systems
- Manually adjusted: Most common wheel-end system and individually adjusted. This system has adjustable fastening and uses traditional greasing and service practices.
- Pre-adjusted: Manufacturers are responsible for providing a preset preload amount during assembly and have a spacer between the inner and outer bearings.
- Unitized: This system is like a pre-adjusted wheel-end, with a manufacturer’s assembly, but also includes lubricant in a complete, sealed unit.
Wheel-End Inspection
Inspections are crucial to the well-being of your wheel-end components if you want to avoid potential road failures. Pre-trip make sure to check fluid levels. If work needs to be completed, your mechanical repair provider like Bauer Built will inspect:
- The spindle and threads for spalling, discoloration from overheating, corrosion, and chisel marks. Examine the fastener and lock nuts for marks and deformations that may indicate improper installation.
- Bearing failure is a common cause of wheel-offs, so bearing nuts and washers are inspected for chisel marks and cracks.
- Inside and outside of the hub for broken/damaged components, leaking seals, and loose hub cap gaskets.
Over- And Under-Torquing
Proper installation severely impacts the integrity of your wheel-ends. Poor torque means bearings may fail because of the loss of clamping force on lug nuts. And this can stretch the studs over time. Over-torquing will put extra pressure on the wheel-end’s components and will strain or fracture lug nuts.
Lubrication Is Essential
Lubrication is the primary indicator of your fleet’s wheel-end health. Leakage often indicates a more significant problem, like a seal failure caused by an improper bearing adjustment.
Synthetic and petroleum-based lubricants are acceptable for manually adjusted wheel ends but refer to the manufacturer’s guide for pre-adjusted and unitized systems.
Traditional wheel-end lubrication processes include:
- Oil-bath wheel-ends: Oil is applied to the hub through a fill port and creates less drag on bearings.
- Semi-fluid grease wheel-ends: Grease applications are very common and last longer on bearings while you’re on the road.
Bauer Built Tire & Service’s expert staff are here to help you with all your fleet’s wheel end repair needs. Contact us online to learn more about our fleet maintenance and mounted wheel program.
Categories: Bauer Built Blog, Commercial Tire Tips
