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NEW AGE TRUCK MAINTENANCECoupling Long Life Truck Specifications with Computer/Mechanical Truck Maintenance Inspection SystemsElectric motors humming, hydraulic tables moving, not traditional truck shop sounds. The technician and his Vis-Check machine are giving a Kenworth T600 with 310,000 miles the once over. The trucks' suspensions, brackets, frame and brakes are getting a mini work out like they might see on the road.
The tech aims his bright spotlight at a bracket, presses a trigger activating the forces opposing the securely clamped axle - devices; small drums, hydraulic tables - he spins the tires, or mimics road pressures in one way or another sending various spins and forces on the suspension and wheel end positions. Vis-Check - It is a system of tools mounted in a low platform that sits in a truck repair bay- each axle of the truck to be examined stops at the check point. A series of road like tests and checks are performed, results recorded. The advantage an early warning a system such as this is that it offers important information a broad range of on existing or developing truck conditions, front-ending even more expensive future down time conditions. Compared to traditional truck maintenance systems All this with minimal inspection time spent... as . In fact, I argue that, coupling one of Million Mile Plus spec'ed custom Kenworth's with visiting my Vis-Check equipped shop once every 25,000 miles, grab a once over & service, and there should be very little reason for the truck to visit any other shop... for way on out there. This truck looks to be a well cared for 2001 Kenworth T600 with 310,000 miles on it. By being able to see the Vis-Check made it obvious the right rear-rear wheel assembly is looser than the left side relative to the axle because Vis-Check held the axle (lifted & secure) while applying at wheel ends independent measurable pressures, recording results and braking response. It is interesting that there was light barley noticible outside edge wear on the right rear tire... it would have gotten much worse! Vis-Check confirmed the cause... or, in this case, the cause made the symptom noticeable. The fix, is to pull the wheel, clean, examine bearings and races for flaking - they were ok - lube - reassemble - adjust - In this case, Vis-Check spotted something early, something most mechanics would miss using traditional tools because they didn't have an easy way to make the checks. -also, the results of the tests are on the computer printout. |
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 A few minutes later,
this time a spotlight in hand the operator is aiming the light at a right side rear cab
shock absorber bracket. The moving tables the truck sits on are controlled by a button on
the lights handle. Twist, pull, pull, twist -a bolt on that bracket is definitely loose.
Now, this bolt did have the tell tale rust stream most always accompanied by a loose bolt. Would a mechanic, under normal circumstances noticed this loose bolt when performing a Preventative Maintenance Inspection on the truck? Probably not. Back when I was a preventative maintenance mechanic for truck leasing companies, would I have found either of these looming problems. The wheel bearing? Never. Before now, there was no way to check it short of tearing it down. It would have required more evidence. The loose shock bracket bolt? Maybe, if the driver complained of a rattle, other wise, probably not. In both cases the truck would have
been shipped down the road with two bigger problems waiting for the opportunity to pop up
at the worst possible time. Dealers often use the $100,000 VisCheck as a free service for their customers. FREE?. The idea is to find and prevent issues that will cause truck owners problems, before there is a serious problem. Then, show the bill payer the problem early, typically reducing the cost of the solution. Most times the smart owner will have the budding issue
fixed, right now. That makes money for the truck dealership and makes money for the truck
owner too. For, it is so much cheaper to fix or prevent the problem than let
it go to seed.
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