FORMIDABLE ...THIS HEAVYWEIGHT MAINTENANCE PROBLEM
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THE formidable maintenance problem presented by heavy tractors used to haul or push indivisible-load outfits was stressed by Mr. J. Whitaker, assistant fleet engineer of Reed Transport Ltd., when he spoke to the IRTE in Maidstone last week.
Front-wheel-drive joints or couplings came in for special attention, he remarked, and were usually packed with a form of moly grease because gear oil tended to leak out around the spherical outer surface.
Also demanding close attention were engine and gearbox mountings, since any misalignment of the independently mounted units could soon cause coupling or bearing failures.
Mr. Whitaker felt that the semi-automatic gearbox using air pressure for gear selection, as on some recent models, did not give the reliability expected from such a unit.
Regular attention to selector-piston "0" rings was necessary otherwise all the oil could be blown into the transfer box. through the seals, to atmosphere.
Danger of cracks But on the contrary, power steering assistance, whether by oil or air systems, seemed relatively trouble-free, he said.
In a wide-ranging talk covering rigids, artics, mobile cranes and tankers, Mr. Whitaker commented particularly on the need for constant vigilance in checking for cracks in tank-mounting feet on rigids. This resulted from load movement and could lead to a costly repair job.