Maintenance of Tractor Trailer

Maintenance of Tractor Trailer

The maintenance of tractor trailer needs to be carried out according to different maintenance cycles and types, which are detailed below:

Daily Maintenance

Semi-trailer Tractor

Tires: check the tire pressure, observe whether there is lack of air, debris attached, check the steel rims for deformation, cracks, the screw fastening, but also to check the cut marks, 

scratches, bulges, tire tread wear, etc.,  replace the defective tire timely,  avoid excessive high or low tire pressure, overloaded vehicles, regular rotating,  exhausting, conducting wear and tear inspection.

Suspension system: check the tightness of all nuts, bolts and U-bolts to ensure stable driving.

Landing gears: Shake the landing gears and look for cracks in the welds.

Moving parts: Regularly check for cracks or breaks in small parts such as box panel hinges, box hooks, stakes and container locks.

Lights and reflective signs: Check the electrical wiring, turn on the lights in the vehicle to see if there are any broken lights, and ensure that the reflective signs are intact.

Brake system: check the air pipe, air pipe joint, relay valve, camshaft, brake clearance adjusting arm, brake air chamber, brake shoes and other parts for air leakage, and regularly go to a qualified repair shop for routine maintenance.

Wheel system: check the brake drum, axle lubricant leakage, wheel temperature, etc.

Axle: check the cracks, damages or bends, adjust bearing clearance regularly, install tires with cleanliness and press according to specified torque, check the steel plate spring every day, and check the traction pin every month.

Air tank: drain the internal water after parking, brake adjustment arm check the working condition and air chamber travel and adjust it.

Engine: check the oil level, water tank and battery level, fan belt and its tightness, tires, etc., before starting every day, check whether there is any abnormal noise after starting, and whether the brake, steering, lifting mechanism, and light are normal. Also regular inspection and maintenance to prevent battery aging, clean vents, check the oil piping and oil sump for oil leaks.

Chassis: frequently check and clean the connection between the chassis and other parts to ensure that the connectors are normal.

Graded Maintenance

Level 1 Maintenance (working for 50 hours)

Filter and Oil: Clean the air filter, oil coarse and fine filter, and add new oil1.

Battery: Clean the dirt and dust on all surfaces of the battery and the electrode columns, and unclog the vent holes, check the specific gravity of the electrolyte, the height of the liquid level, and tighten the wire connectors.

Engine and starter motor: remove the dirt on carbon brushes and rectifier of engine and starter motor, check the switch status of starter motor, and lubricate the generator bearings.

Level 2 Maintenance (working for 250 hours)

Lubrication: fill the lubrication points of the tractor with oil.

Air filter: clean the soot blowing air filter and record the working hours and replace it in time.

Component Connections: Check tractor component connections for looseness and damage.

Tires: Tires must be replaced when they are worn to a tread groove depth of 1.6 mm. Check the condition of tires frequently. If tires are found to have bulges, cracks, cuts, nails, or abnormal wear, replace the tires and notify the engineer to analyze the cause. To frequently check the vehicle tire pressure, tractor tire pressure according to the requirements of the equipment manufacturer, is strictly prohibited under-inflation or over-inflation. When replacing the tire inflation, the tire steel rim must be fixed with a protective frame to ensure that the rim parts are assembled correctly, and when inflated to 1.5kgf/cm², check again to make sure that the parts are assembled correctly, and the personnel must leave the dangerous area.

Level 3 Maintenance (working for 1,000 hours)

Wheels and Suspension: check and adjust the front and rear wheel housing bearing clearances; check the wheel wobble and exchange the left and right wheels once; check and lubricate the front and rear suspension springs and shock absorbers.

Intake and Exhaust Pipes and Muffler: Clean the carbon dust in the intake and exhaust pipes and muffler.

Radiator: disassemble the radiator and remove external dust and debris, oil and internal scale trapped between the radiator mains.

Oil change: replace all the fuel, transmission, driving gear oil and steering gear hydraulic oil, brake fluid of the brake master cylinder, etc., and clean the pipeline, tank, filter, etc., and then inject the purified new oil.

Lubrication: Lubricate in accordance with the lubrication part of the lubrication oil table.

Seasonal Maintenance

Diesel system: clean the diesel tank and diesel filter.

Cooling system: clean the cooling system and lubricate each water drain switch.

Engine lubrication system: clean the engine lubrication system.

Transmission system: clean the gearbox, reduction box, rear axle and steering gear.