A heavy-duty truck or any vehicle used for commercial purposes will usually suffer more wear and tear than standard passenger vehicles, as it is carrying that heavier weight even if it's not being used to tow or haul something. Common problems with heavy-duty trucks are not going to be the same as problems you might experience with passenger trucks; note a few of those problems here so you know what to expect by way of needed truck repairs.
Early wear of the clutch
Your truck's clutch often suffers more wear and tear than a standard passenger vehicle because of the many stops and starts when on the road, plus the heavier load it's hauling, as mentioned above. This may cause a clutch to wear out quickly, but any clutch should have an expected lifespan, even in a heavy-duty truck. If the one in your truck wears out more quickly than it should, it may be that you've installed, or keep installing, the wrong size or model for your truck. A lightweight clutch meant for a passenger vehicle is going to burn up quickly in a heavy truck, so note if you need to upgrade to something heavier and more durable, and meant for a commercial truck.
Losing coolant
A heavy truck may use up coolant quickly because of how hot the engine runs due to its heavier load, but if you know the fluid is being lost sooner than it should be, this signals a leak. If you don't notice coolant on the ground, this fluid may be getting mixed with the oil and running into the engine, where it burns away. Check the oil itself and note if you can see a greenish tinge to it, which often means that coolant is being circulated in the oil lines. A mechanic can locate and patch the leak between lines so that the coolant stays sealed in the radiator hoses.
Uneven tread wear
When tires wear down unevenly, but you know they are properly aligned, it may be that your truck is unevenly loaded. If you keep a forklift or other heavy piece of equipment to one side, or tend to run the truck with one side loaded down more than the other, this puts more weight on that side. In turn, the truck pulls and drags, causing the tires to wear down unevenly. Move that forklift to the front or back and try to load the truck so that the weight is evenly distributed, and this should prevent that uneven wear to the tires.
Share17 March 2017
I rely a lot of my car as I am a paraplegic. I can only drive a car that has specially modified with wheel controls, so it's very important that I get my car serviced by a company that knows what it is doing. I also need my car to be serviced quickly as I am very limited in how much I can get around without it. This blog has some tips on how to find a car servicing company that will suit you if driving a disability-modified car. I hope it will be useful to other people with disabilities who rely on their cars as much as me.
