Fleet operators in Flagstaff, AZ must take good care of their semi trucks to protect their investment and to ensure the overall efficiency of their operations. There are a lot of ongoing maintenance tasks and semi truck repairs that must be performed on these vehicles, including checking and maintaining the driveline to ensure it remains in good condition.
Here’s a quick overview of some of the steps you should take to keep the drive shaft and U-joints in your driveline properly functioning:
- Tolerance: Before you apply new lubrication, make sure you check for excess tolerances in the system. You want to do this before the new lubrication is on, because that lube could hide or partially conceal some of the issues associated with excessive tolerances and play.
- Know movement maximums: There are maximum amounts of movement for certain parts in the driveline. If those maximum measurements are exceeded, it could be bad news for the condition of your driveline. At U-joints, the maximum end play is just .006 inches, and any more than that will result in failure of the joint. In addition, the up and down slip movement should have a maximum allowance of .017 inches, and any more than that will also result in failure.
- Check the bearings: Check on what kind of bearings you have, and make sure they remain in good condition. Newer bearings might be the self-aligning style. These center bearings will have a gold collar without any deflectors. This style was first introduced in the early 2000s and is now popularly used on a wide range of semi trucks. It will allow for a positive or negative five-degree angle of deflection, but no more than that.
- Damage and debris: Check regularly for any damage and debris that might be present in the driveline. Dents might occur on the shaft, and you might be missing some weights after long-term usage. You should be sure to look for dirt or foreign material as well. All of these issues could potentially put your driveline off balance or cause issues with vibration. Both of these problems can result in system failure that can damage both the axle and the transmission.
- Understand the driveshaft: A standard slip application for the driveshaft will have splines that are supposed to face the end yoke and power source. An outboard slip assembly, meanwhile, has splines that will instead face the application’s rear.
- Know how to lubricate: Regular lubrication is important for long-term reliable operation of the driveline. At the U-joints, the grease should purge all of the seals to ensure old grease does not contaminate or cause any other issues with the new grease. At slip splines, you should be able to get all the lubrication you need with anywhere from six to eight pumps of a lube gun.
Interested in learning more about maintaining the driveline in your semi truck? Contact Emergency Response – Truck, Trailer & RV Repair for more information about professional semi truck repair in Flagstaff, AZ, and we will be happy to answer any questions you have for us.