Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/791967
March 2017 | Overdrive | 35 INSTALLATION. Before installing a set of wheels, make sure the studs, drum and mounting faces all are clean, says Dave Walters, Alcoa field service manag- er. On hub pilot wheels, oil the studs and the gap between the flange. "Excess or foreign material can work its way into the joints sometimes," says Brandon Uzarek, Accuride product design engineer. "You'll lose clamping force." RE-TORQUING. To account for any shifting that takes place when the truck hits the road, re-torque the wheels be- tween five and 100 miles after the initial mount and again every 10,000 miles, Uzarek says. Walters' recommendation avoids the inconvenience of the 10,000-mile checkup. He suggests taking a five- to 10-mile test drive after the wheel initially is mounted to settle the joint, then checking the torque. (This method is included in the Technology and Maintenance Council's Recommended Practice 237.) "If you cleaned them and did every- thing properly, you shouldn't have to re-torque them again unless the wheel is removed," Walters says. It's fine that re-torquing practices vary, as long as the process is application-spe- cific and part of an established routine, says Chris Putz, an engineer with Max- ion Wheels. CLEANING. Keeping wheels clean also can prolong their life. "The faster we take care of any rust, the longer the wheel should last," Uzarek says. A simple soap and water bath is suffi- cient for aluminum, while a wire brush is effective for removing corrosion from steel. "The hidden corrosion is what's going to get you," Walters 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 de- veloped advanced proprietary anti-cor- rosive wheel coatings that won't flake, which Walters says offer advantages over many paints. REFINISHING. Worn wheels can look like new after refinishing, but a coat of paint won't fix structural issues, Uzarek says. When wheels begin to lose material, they need to be removed from service. Repeated refinishing can erode the wheel's DOT roll stamp, which by law must be visible for highway use. "Once the roll stamp is gone, you've basically got junk," Walters says. Habitual refinishing also can remove enough material to make the wheel unsafe to operate, Walters says, so each wheel should be re-inspected thoroughly after refinishing. "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 proper- ties or the microstructure of the steel." Also, paint applied too thick can cause a loss in clamping force, as can paint that has not cured properly. A pre-trip inspection for cracks and rust is usually sufficient for maintenance of aluminum and steel wheels. A few other best practices, though, can almost ensure that wheels last as long as your truck. BY JASON CANNON MAINTAINING YOUR WHEELS Wheel torque should be checked soon after the initial mount.