When To Change Your Heavy Truck Gear Lubes

When You Should Change Your Truck Gear Lubes

     Modern trucks have come a long way since their start over a hundred years ago – from the simple engines and mechanical parts of the first trucks, we now have trucks that are specialized for all kinds of heavy-duty tasks. As their capabilities and environmental pollution standards increased, the amount of necessary equipment under the hood did, too, and today, we have finely-tuned machines that will perform their duties incredibly well…provided that they are maintained properly.

    Some of the most important components in a truck transmission are the gears, which allow the generated movement to be transferred to the axles and the wheels. An improper gear alignment can wreak havoc on the vehicle’s ability to perform well, and the sound of grinding gears is one that no owner wants to hear while they’re on the road. To prevent this, and to keep your truck at its top abilities, it’s a good idea to make sure that your gears are not only set properly, but also lubricated correctly.

    Gear lubricants, when clean and of the right viscosity and type, prevent early gear failure and ensure that your truck will stay reliable and on the road. In dry, dusty climates like Alberta, extra dirt (which grinds down your vehicle's components into microscopic particles of iron, brass, or other contaminants) can find its way into your gear lube lines, which is the first step in a process that leads to degradation, breakdown, and the potential to find yourself looking at thousands of dollars in repair costs. It’s like having sandpaper in your components, instead of lubrication!
    
    At West Tech Mobile, we’re committed to preventative maintenance that fixes problems before they become major ones. For gear lubricants, we actually take samples and analyze them in a lab to determine how much contamination is present, in parts per million – and look to identify potential problems early on, so we can flush it out and easily extend the life of your valuable asset.

    Beyond that, we’ve devised a better filtration system for your powertrain breathers, which allow air to circulate into and out of the system to avoid seal failures elsewhere. This means less grit in your lubricants, and a better, longer overall life of your truck.

Photo 1: The axle breather that the manufacturer puts on the rear axle. It’s about 9” long with no filter in it – this is not enough, and will allow contamination to enter your gear lubes, causing them to eventually break down and create a failure with a large associated cost to fix.

Photo 1

Photo 2: The axle breather from West Tech Mobile, which is much better for preventative maintenance. Notice the inline filtration system in the middle. Ours is much longer with an inline filter, which provides superior filtration and, if you drive your unit while it has any water, road splash, or dust along the axles, then our filter will help prevent costly breakdowns. This filter can also be used on transmissions, transfer cases, and other components in order to extend the life of your components.

Photo 2

 Manufacturers usually suggest guidelines regarding how often you should change your gear lubes, but these are general and do not account for specific environments. In the area around Calgary in Alberta, where we have salty roads, high winds, a dry climate, and plenty of dust, the gear lubes can be contaminated quickly resulting in major problems. If this happens, a rear-end failure can have a repair bill of thousands of dollars’ worth of parts and labour. Comparatively, a West Tech Mobile flush, breather update, and lubricant swap is only a few hundred dollars – and will extend the life of those parts while saving you a lot of money. Simply come in for a lube analysis to see how your gear lubes are holding up!

    We are living in a cost-conscious world now where companies try to make a minimal solution in order to cut costs, and such measures typically result in failed components shortly after the warranty is up. At West Tech Mobile, we strive to create long-term solutions that will keep you going, and making sure you get to where you need to be.

    Call West Tech Mobile for your appointment today, at 403-265-5699, or visit our shop at #22, 5555 51 Ave SE in Calgary, Alberta. We’re happy to offer roadside assistance as well, for all of Alberta, including nearby towns and areas like Airdrie, Okotoks, Strathmore, Cochrane, Bragg Creek and more. Let us know how we can help you get the most out of your heavy-duty trucks!