The invention of personal motor vehicles revolutionized the way we travel, and many aspects of everyday life were changed forever. One of the ways everyday life changes was the necessity of maintaining your personal car, especially during winters. Proper maintenance is critical regardless of whether you have the cheapest car or the most expensive car in the market.
Even the most reliable semi-trucks, which may seem sturdy and robust, still need regular maintenance to keep them running. In fact, they actually need more attention than cars because their engines have to do a lot more work. Therefore, we have compiled six vital truck maintenance tips for truck drivers so that their trucks remain in good operating condition and do not cause a crash which could result in a person filing an injury claim in Wesley Chapel, FL.
Regularly check the braking system:
Trucks do not have ABS systems like regular cars. Instead, they have conventional braking systems that are incredibly prone to wear and tear. These braking systems have multiple parts that tend to wear out after a while, and the time they take to wear out depends largely on the driver’s braking habits. Thus, make a habit of changing brake shoes or getting them inspected during every oil change.
Keep an eye on deteriorating engine performance:
It is often said “the mightier they are, the harder they fall”, and the same goes for the engines of trucks, which may seem extremely powerful and resilient. Truck engines can develop multiple issues, especially if the owner does not keep an eye out for unhealthy truck engine’s symptoms.
These symptoms may include excessive smoking, loss of oil pressure, or a decrease in power. If these symptoms linger on for too long, they can result in engine failure. Therefore, if your truck starts to experience any of these symptoms, immediately take it to professionals for repair.
Maintain the body properly:
A considerable number of trucks tend to retire much earlier than anticipated because rust eats their bodies. This happens quite often to trucks that regularly travel in areas where winter roads are treated with salt to get rid of snow. The salt and moisture present in the air form the perfect recipe for a corrosion onslaught on your truck.
Therefore, take some preventative measures like washing your truck after every week, and spraying a lubricant over its body so that the metallic body does not come into contact with any corroding substances.
Maintain lubrication:
Bigger moving parts require heavy lubrication to prevent wear and tear, and therefore, you must keep your truck well lubed. Apply high-quality grease regularly on all moving parts, including suspensions, steering, and drive train zerks.
Change oil regularly:
It is conventional wisdom that every engine runs down with time as the vehicle covers more and more miles. But, what we can do is prevent our truck engine from retiring prematurely. Changing oil regularly does just that because oil undergoes thermal cracking over time, and its viscosity decreases. Therefore, if this oil is not changed, the engine friction increases, and so does the likelihood of engine failure.
Keep your tires well inflated:
Underinflated tires add an extra burden on your engine, which compensates it by using more fuel. Overinflated tires can land you in serious accidents because they are prone to blowouts. Check your tire pressure regularly.
In conclusion, consider scheduling regular maintenance sessions of your vehicle as it will save you a lot of money in the long run.