Drivers' Corner - Caring in Action

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Have you ever had a set of your wheels run off while going down the highway? A driver in Fort Worth, Texas was east bound on its way to his delivery destination early one morning when, to his amazement, he saw a set of driver wheels going past him in the median.

He noticed the difference in the operation of his tractor and immediately pulled over to check what had happened. The back axle had dropped down, however, it was not touching the road. Inspection of the axle revealed that the wheel bearings had gone bad, overheated, and had locked up. The wheels had broken away from the axle and that is what he had seen passing him in the median.

The driver wheels meanwhile had run into the center median, across west bound traffic, up an embankment, through an intersection, and crashed into a local policeman''s passenger window. The local smokey who was sitting at the red light was not injured but he got a wake-up call early that morning. As funny as it was, it could have been very serious.

Mechanical equipment that depends on oil and grease for operation is going to wear out eventually. A daily inspection of these items is necessary. Some points to observe:

1. The maintenance shop should keep accurate records concerning the last time a replacement was made for the wheel bearings. The bearings should be periodically scheduled for replacement. Further, when brake linings are replaced, the wheel bearings should be inspected for wear. Any time the wheels are jacked up, they should be rocked back and forth to determine if slack is in the bearings.

 

2. You can maintain a proper oil level for the bearings as recommended by the manufacturer as through the sight glass on the hub. The glass should be checked daily and noted on the inspection report.

 

3. Check periodically throughout the day for the amount of heat being generated by placing his hand on the hub. Should it be too hot to touch, you should have it checked out immediately.

Bob Hataway is president of TransAlive USA, an organization of 100,000 volunteers across America dedicated to serving drivers and their families in the transportation industry through their Caring in Action=Safety Program. They cover every zip code in the United States and move quickly to meet the needs of the drivers and their families when they experience an accident, illness, heart attack or even death on the highway. Call 800-USA-HURT for assistance.