Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/772176
commercial carrier journal | january 2017 29 Keep them going 'round and 'round BY JASON CANNON T ires get a lot of attention throughout their lifecycle, but the things they are wrapped around – the wheels – often are overlooked beyond pre-trip inspections. Aluminum and steel wheels practically are bulletproof, and a daily glimpse for cracks and rust probably is sufficient – as long as you take the steps necessary to maintain them. "If you have good maintenance practices, the wheel should last the life of the vehicle, if not longer," says Brandon Uzarek, Accuride product design engineer. Whether you're running steel or aluminum wheels, be sure all mounts and surfaces are clean and flat, Uzarek says. Dave Walters, Alcoa field service manager, says before install- ing a set of wheels, make sure the studs, drum and mounting faces all are clean. On hub pilot wheels, oil the studs and the gap between the flange. "Sometimes, excess or foreign material can work its way into the joints, and you'll lose clamping force," Uzarek says. Tackling re-torqueing To account for any shiing that takes place when the truck final- ly hits the road, re-torque the wheels between five and 100 miles aer the initial mount and again every 10,000 miles. "A lot of fleets do not do re-torques because it's an inconve- nience," Uzarek says. Walters says fleets can mitigate much of that inconve- nience and still reap the benefits of proper torque by taking a five- to 10-mile test drive aer the wheel initially is mounted to settle the joint, then checking the torque. is method was included in the Technology and Maintenance Council's Recommended Practice 237. "If you cleaned them and did everything properly, you shouldn't have to re-torque them again unless the wheel is removed," he says. Re-torqueing practices can vary, but that's fine as long as the process is application-specific, says Chris Putz, Maxion Wheels principal engineer for commercial vehicle wheels. "e fleets know best their operations and vehicle duty cycles," Putz says. "We would just recommend they have some estab- lished program for checking torque." Cleaning for longevity Keeping wheels clean also can help prolong their life. "e faster we take care of any rust, the longer the wheel should last," Uzarek says. A simple soap and water bath is sufficient for aluminum, while a wire brush is an effective tool for removing corrosion from steel. "e hidden corrosion is what's going to get you," Wal- ters says. "If you wash the truck and keep it clean, that's key to keeping corrosion from working down into the hidden places." Harsh salts and corrosives used to de-ice roads can eat through the wheel's finish, Putz says. Wheel makers have developed advanced proprietary an- ti-corrosive surface treatment coatings for their wheels that won't flake, which Walters says offer advantages over many paints. Refinishing the right way Wheel refinishing can help make worn wheels look like new, but a coat of paint won't fix structural issues. When wheels begin to lose material, they need to be removed from service. e refinishing process also can be tricky, Uzarek says. Paint applied too thick can cause a loss in clamping force, as can paint that has not cured properly. Each wheel should be re-inspected thoroughly aer the refinishing process is complete. Habitual refinishing can re- move enough material to make the wheel unsafe to operate. "One thing we hear a lot of is burning off the paint in an oven, and we have not approved that process," Walters says. "Depending upon time and temperature, it could change the mechanical properties or the microstructure of the steel." When refinishing, you could be eroding the wheel's roll stamp, which by U.S. Department of Transportation law must be visible for highway use. "Once the roll stamp is gone, you've basically got junk," Walters says. "Once you cannot read the DOT stamp, you're done." in focus: WHEEL MAINTENANCE Before installing a set of wheels, make sure the studs, drum and mounting faces all are clean.