WORKSHOP
Page 88
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unit. Serving up to 36 lubrication systems, it is powered by either a 12 volt dc motor, or a 24 volt dc motor mounted beneath the reservoir, and protected by a rubber sheath.
As service intervals increase, these systems lubricate bushes and bearings little and often, keeping oil points at optimum levels of lubrication. This not only minimises rates of wear, but also improves the ride as well as the effort needed to steer the vehicle.
As part of its sales campaign, Interlube has done a series of costings which purport to show that over six years an Interlube XGS system fitted to a 38 tonne 6 x 2 tractive unit will save £5,700. This is based on the vehicle wearing out two fewer sets of kingpins and shackle pins, and one set less of brake camshafts, trackrod ends, drag link and brake adjusters when fitted with the Interlube system, Including saving the labour costs of manual greasing, the total divided by six, gives an annual saving of £951. As the system costs £820 installed, Interlube claims a payback period of ten months.
As no vehicle wears at a constant rate, with minimal wear occuring in the first ten months, and there being no average working conditions, these figures are obviously only a guideline. There is no doubt, however, that in the long term, these systems will save a great deal of chassis wear. Perhaps the greatest financial saving will be made because the vehicle is earning longer, with less time spent in the workshop.
Where a vehicle is running mostly on motorways, and is part of a comprehensive maintenance programme, the saving may be minimal. A vehicle operating off road and away from the workshop, a central lubrication system would be invaluable. Indeed, operators in such environments swear by centralised lubrication.
Another factor which further blurs the cost and benefits of such systems, is that if they are fitted correctly, and looked after, they can be taken off a scrapped vehicle, and fitted to its replacement.
It is a mistake to think of these sys tems as something to fit and forget. The danger is that an oilway, either in the bearing or the tube which leads to it, can block. With the modern multiline systems described here, it is less of a danger than with the single line systems, where one line fed all points. A blockage in such a system can be disastrous, as this can cut off lubricant to half the chassis.
Thus although a service no longer involves a thorough greasing of the chassis, a visual inspection is essential. The Quicklub features an indicator pin, which shows if there is a hydraulic lock in the system, and all the systems should be regularly checked for presence of lubricant.
Without a doubt, the operator with an eye to his long term profit will do well by using the best kit for the job, whether that is a high quality, and most important, appropriate lubricant in the engine, or fitting a chassis lubrication system that ensures that the rest of his vehicle is well lubricated. An oil that is specifically developed for a high performance turbo diesel which also meets the standards laid down for a petrol engine, is a tribute to the flexibility of the standards as much as the oil: each really require their own oil. And if your bigends are worth the best available, so are the kingpins.