Maintenance Q&A – December 2021/January 2022
Q: I have seen different methods of mounting wheels on Class 8 vehicles, and I am confused. Some say to lubricate the studs before threading on the lug nuts, others say nothing about it. I have seen mention of torquing the lug nuts to 450 ft-lbs but ran across a repair shop owner who said that leads to wheel-offs. I have tried looking up the TMC’s recommendations, but I have not been able to get to them. What should I do? Thank you for your assistance.
A: Great question! Wheel studs should be lubricated with one drop, and only one drop, of motor oil to prevent seizing and to assure getting accurate torque readings. Studs should be checked with a gauge (available from Tuffy Manufacturing and others). You probably cannot detect a stretched stud with the naked eye, but the proper tool can.
If possible, do not reuse studs. If they are stretched from previous overtorquing, you could lose a wheel.
Do not rely on torque sticks for the final torque setting. In tests conducted by a TMC Task Force, they have been found to be widely inaccurate. Use them to snug the wheel nuts to within 100 ft-lbs of the desired value, then use a calibrated torque wrench to get an accurate clamping load. And remember to retorque after 500 to 1000 miles.
450 ft-lbs may be the proper value for some trucks, but not all. Depending on wheel and tire size, it could be 500 or up to 550 ft-lbs. Always check the owners manual. Never overtighten wheel nuts. This is one place where “just a little bit more” can lead to broken studs, wheels off and crashes. That little bit more can stretch studs beyond their maximum elasticity, reducing clamping force and can even break studs.
TMC recommended practices are available at no charge to TMC members. Thanks to the efforts of Gail Bristow and a few others, a special owner-operator discounted membership is available.
Gail is an OOIDA member and a TMC Silver Spark award winner for her work as the Cab and Controls Study Group chairman. As a TMC owner-operator member, you get one free copy of the manual each year in your choice of a CD or a two-volume hardbound print edition.
For more information, call 703-838-1763.
Q: My 2016 Volvo VNL developed a squeal coming from somewhere under the truck. It sounds like worn-out brakes, but I just had my brakes relined so I know that can’t be the problem. I had another driver try to locate where the squeal was coming from while I drove around a parking lot, but he couldn’t figure it out. It seemed to come from all around on both sides. Can you help figure out what is causing it and what we can do to get rid of it?
A: The clue to the squeals, but not the cause, is the brake job. Unless you have unitized hubs, your brake tech disassembled the bearings and probably did not follow TMC RP 618 when reassembling them. The guide calls for using a dedicated tool to set the bearings and gauge blocks and a dial indicator to set clearances. If the clearance is too tight or too loose, the resulting squeal indicates excess wear and most likely the need for replacement of the bearing set.
Q: From me: You’ve been doing this for a long time. When are you going to retire?
A: Good question, Paul. Now that I’m in my 80s, the time has come. I’ve had quite a life, with more than half of it in the trucking industry. When I entered, fleets were retiring the last models with 6-volt electrics. Now we have 12 volts and more with electric power in its infancy. There were still about 10% gasoline engines, and cab-overs dominated, at least east of the barrier states (Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas) that prevented using 80,000 pound trucks nationwide.
In 1982, President Reagan signed the Surface Transportation Assistance Act, standardizing weights at 80,000 and opening the door for conventionals nationwide. Engines were overhauled in shop (there were few remanufacturers) at about 250,000 to 300,000 miles, and cabs needed reconditioning at about 400,000. Today we have million-mile engines with additives helping some reach 2 million miles plus. Oils went from requiring drains at 6,000 to 12,000 miles to modern chemistry that allows 60,000-mile oil drains. Sulfur in diesel measured up to 5,000 parts-per-million, great for upper cylinder lubrication but lousy for the environment. The sulfur formed hydrogen sulfide in the exhaust which led to acid rain. Now we have 15 ppm ULSD and clean air.
Brakes were not seen on front wheels in many trucks until required by law, even though most of the braking was done in the front. Today we have superduty drum brakes, and many trucks have disc brakes all around. Suspensions went from stiff springs to air being almost universal. Idling has all but been eliminated due to the wide acceptance of fuel-fired in-cab heaters.
These are but a few of the advances during my tenure. I wonder what the future will bring with modern electronics and electric power.
But I cannot go without acknowledging and thanking a number of people who deserve recognition. First, my wife of 54 plus years, Pat, who stuck by me in the lean years and supported all my efforts. Special thanks to Eberspaecher – formerly Espar heaters – who hired me into this marvelous industry that I grew to love. Thanks to TMC Executive Director Robert Braswell and my mentors Jerry Kreaden, Murrey Alderfer, Chuck Blake and the late OOIDA life member “Uncle Darrell” Hicks, all of whom helped me learn truck maintenance and who to contact for advice.
Thanks to the established trucking journalists, especially one of the greatest, the late Jim Winsor, who accepted and mentored me as I was getting started in my second career.
Thanks to Land Line’s Dave Sweetman and Bob and Suzanne Stempinski, who along with many friends at NAST introduced me to the wonderful world of show trucks, and to Heather DeBaillie, who let me judge at the Iowa 80 Jamboree for more than 15 years.
Next, thanks to the late Ruth Jones, who first recommended me to Land Line, and to Sandi Soendker and Jami Jones, who were not too critical of my efforts as my editors, and to Bill Hudgins, who coached and criticized me when I needed it most. And, finally, the greatest thanks go to you, my readers and fellow OOIDA members, for your questions, kind comments and criticisms and loyalty. You made it all worthwhile.
When I go to meet my Maker, it will be with words of gratitude – “Thank you, Lord. It’s been a great ride!” LL
Editor’s note: Sadly, Paul Abelson turned in this column mere days before he died on
Oct. 7, 2021. It is our honor to share his final work with you and to cherish the memories and celebrate the legacy of our beloved “Professor Paul.”