The driver noticed that his usually some-what rough riding rig was driving uncharacteristically smooth. At the same time the steering was all over the place and it was harder to control. Then he noticed his hood wouldn't close all the way on the passenger side. After a walk-around inspection he noticed a major crack in his frame.
A broken frame rail on any vehicle is dangerous. A broken frame rail on a truck that hauls 80,000+ lbs. is extremely dangerous. Normally a visual inspection is the only way to determine if your frame is broken. Recently we had a 2006 Peterbilt 379 transfer come in with a broken frame rail. A really broken frame rail. The driver noticed that his usually some-what rough riding rig was driving uncharacteristically smooth. At the same time the steering was all over the place and it was harder to control. Then he noticed his hood wouldn't close all the way on the passenger side. After a walk-around inspection he noticed a major crack in his frame. Once the driver saw the seriousness of the crack, they bound the frame with chains and blocks. This got the truck to our shop with out further damaging the truck. If the frame were to crack all the way, the truck would not be moveable. The mechanic marked the placement of all components, took measurements of the inside of the frame channel then began to disassemble the frame rails. Once the rails were disassembled the crack was welded up. Video of Mag drill making bolt holes in the new frame rail sleeve. Driving any commercial vehicle with a broken frame is illegal.
0 Comments
![]() A customer brought in their 10-wheeler and wanted to replace the tow hitch. The manufacturer had installed a basic pintle hitch. The customer wanted a higher tow capacity to pull a variety of trailers and/or equipment. The truck only had 2 brake lights stock. The customer wanted to add more brake lights and some reverse lights. We extended the length of the plate to cover the rear airbags. This will help protect the bags and brake system while dumping rock or large debris. |
The Shop Blog
Here are some articles written by MDS about diesels, mechanic's life and what captures our attention. Click to see Articles list
Archives
May 2016
Categories
All
|