Chassis Lube Solutions
Automatic chassis lubrication systems can save time and money.
Deborah Lockridge
Senior Editor
Bill Januszewski has used automatic chassis lubrication systems at Trimac System Transportation for at least a decade. He says they more than pay for themselves in the form of longer-lasting components.
"The [payback] that really demonstrated itself in our fleet was the virtual elimination of having to replace parts like kingpins, tie rod ends, and suspension parts that have a finite life," he says. "We very rarely have to put in a set of kingpins or tie rod ends" on trucks within the Calgary, Alberta-based bulk transportation fleet.
Darry Stuart, on the other hand, says he has never been able to cost-justify the systems for any of the fleets he works with as a maintenance management consultant.
"I just have not been able to make the numbers work between the expense of the system and the cost to maintain them," he says.
Systems that automatically grease most of your chassis lube points as the truck and/or trailer are going down the road have a lot of potential benefits – but as Stuart has discovered, they're not for everyone.
LUBE ON THE FLY
Automatic chassis lubrication is a centralized system that greases suspension, steering and brake components – kingpins, steering draglinks, tie rod ends, camshafts, slack adjusters, suspension components, etc – at regular intervals while the vehicle is on the road. They also may lubricate the fifth wheel and auxiliary equipment such as liftgates, tag axles, drop axles and dump bodies. There are also systems for trailers.
Grease is stored in a reservoir and is dispersed to the lube points via a pump and a controller. There are several types of distribution methods, each of which claims its own advantages. The systems may be operated electrically or through the air system. How often they actuate may be determined by number of brake applications, number of times the ignition's cranked, or automatic timers.
Nearly 80 percent of trucks, trailers and heavy equipment produced in Europe is shipped from the factory with automatic lubrication systems installed, according to Jim Pinder, manager of sales activity at Groeneveld North America. In North America, it's less than 15 percent, he says – but the demand is growing.
One reason for increased demand is the technician shortage. In a time when it's hard to attract young people into the maintenance business, the more you can do to get away from the "grease monkey" stereotype, the better.
"It's very difficult to get young people into our industry," Pinder says. Those that are interested are often attracted by the idea of using laptops to diagnose high–tech electronic engines and components. "If you tell them, ‘here's a grease gun,' you lose them quickly."
Today's technicians are in high demand, says Melinda Pulliam, product manager at Lubriquip. "If you're having labor problems, would you rather have mechanics spending their time on other preventative maintenance issues rather than lubing your fleet? Part of it comes down to where you want your labor putting their efforts."
Vogel Lubrication Inc. estimates it takes an average of 24 hours during a year to manually grease a truck, but only two hours a year to maintain the automatic lubrication system.
Another benefit of automatic lubrication systems is the ability to help extend maintenance intervals. With many fleets today able to extend oil drain intervals, chassis lubrication can sometimes be the limiting factor in getting maintenance procedures synchronized at longer intervals. Although there are still a few things they can't lubricate, such as drivelines and U–joints, automatic lubrication systems can work hand in hand with sealed U–joints and other low–maintenance and "lubed for life" components to keep you from having to bring the truck in as often.
Even if you don't want to extend your maintenance intervals, onboard lubrication systems can offer a payback in the form of longer component life, because the parts are being lubricated more frequently and consistently. With manual lube jobs, if the technician doesn't properly clean the grease zerks, you can get contamination, which can lead to component failure.
"If your cousin's high school drop-out kid is the grease guy at the shop and he only does about 50 percent of the grease fittings, he may not be getting all the lube points, and you're paying for bearing wear," says Mark Pendergrass, product manager for Lincoln Industrial, which markets the Quicklub system.
Even the best manual grease jobs, however, have their shortcomings. Lubriquip's Pulliam explains it this way: "When you lube something manually, you fill it full. As the amount of grease decreases (with use), it hardens, and it's replaced by dirt. You conceivably end up with metal–to-metal contact rather than having that constant film layer [of lube]. You end up with spikes of high levels of lubrication and a potential of zero lubrication by the time it comes in for its next PM."
With the regular, even lubrication of an automatic system, she says, component life can be extended four to six times.
Groeneveld's Pinder also points out that with the corrosive de-icers being used on highways in many states, it's more important than ever to make sure grease stays in and corrosive spray stays out. "By having fresh grease put in there [frequently], it prevents some of that degradation," he says. "I ask fleet superintendents, ‘When you bring in the truck to grease, do you ever see rusty water coming out of the grease joint?' Most say yes, they do. At that point, it's already started to deteriorate."
Another benefit is savings on grease itself. Typically, automatic lube systems use less grease than doing it manually. "With an automatic system, you have a controlled amount of grease," explains Neil MacKay, general manager, Interlube Systems Inc. "If it's manual, they tend to overgrease it to the point where they see grease oozing out of the bearing."
There are also some intangible benefits that are hard to measure, says Pulliam. "Drivers say the vehicles actually handle better. It's better steering reaction, it's better braking reaction, tires don't lock up because brakes don't lock up. They're easier to back in when you're backing a trailer and semi together, because the fifth wheel's got regular lube and everything bends better."
NOT A PANACEA
While there are many potential benefits, automatic lubrication systems do have some potential drawbacks.
One issue revolves around the type of lube used. While some of the systems are able to pump the No. 2 grease typically used to grease chassis components, others use "fluid grease." Critics say components were designed to use No. 2 grease, not the more liquid 0 and 00 lubricants used in some systems.
For instance, ArvinMeritor grease expert Myrtis Hartry says the company "prefers that a customer uses the recommended lubricant and lubrication practices designed by the engineers of the components. Semi-fluid greases (NLGI grades 00, 000) may perform adequately for quite some time in wheel ends and at some non-critical chassis points on the vehicle due to constant replenishment of the grease. However, ArvinMeritor does not recommend the use of semi-fluid lubrication systems for the brakes, universal joints and other critical components that have been validated for solid grease lubrication (NLGI Grades 1 and above.)"
Proponents say because the systems are providing fresh lube so frequently, you don't need the staying power of the thicker grease. In addition, the semi-fluid greases actually have a higher percentage of oil, which is what does the lubricating.
No. 2 grease has a higher percentage of the "soap" that makes it thick.
"When you look at a lot of manufacturer owner's manuals, they will talk about an EP2," says Groeneveld's Pinder, "but when you talk to those people, they want the component lubricated – they're not hung up on the amount of filler. It's the quality of oil that does the lubricating."
Bob Wall, sales engineer for Vogel Lubrication, says ArvinMeritor is the only manufacturer he knows of that has any problem with the automatic lubrication systems that use fluid grease. In addition to the fact that the systems provide more constant lubrication, he says, semi-fluid grease offers some advantages.
"Say a truck is in a city environment where there's a lot of potholes," he says. "With a No. 2 grease, when you hit that pothole, the jarring will force the grease out of the pins, and you have dry pins until the next lube cycle. With fluid grease, there's enough residual oil there. It kind of seeps back into the pin and bushing and gives you better lubricity. The next time the lube system runs, it's easier to accept the grease – you're not creating a void allowing air or water in there."
Another objection to these systems is that not having someone crawling under the truck with a grease gun means the chassis won't get a good look-see to catch potential problems.
"One complaint or objection to an automatic system is that the service manager may not get to see the truck as often, resulting in other problems, according to some fleet managers," says Mark Betner, heavy duty product manager at Citgo.
"They're still going to have to get underneath the truck," Stuart says, to do an A service. "Are they going to look at it that close? Probably not. It's going to give them a lackadaisical attitude because they think the truck's being greased."
Vogel's Wall, however, says many customers have experienced exactly the opposite. "They find they're getting a better quality inspection by not having the distraction of lubricating," he says. "They're under there to do one thing – inspect the truck."
PROPER CARE AND FEEDING
Proper installation and adjustment of these systems is vital to realizing your return on investment, says Trimac's Januszewski. For one thing, he says, you need to make sure the system is getting the right amount of grease into each lube point. You also must have fresh grease in each zerk point to start with.
"There are some components with huge cavities," he says. "You need to make sure those cavities are filled with grease, otherwise it's going to take a year [of automatic lube actuations] to get them filled."
The Technology and Maintenance Council's Recommended Practice 647, "Guidelines for Care and Use of Onboard Lubrication Systems," sets forth procedures to inspect the system after installation and tips on proper activation of the system.
It's also important to realize that this is not an install-it-and-forget-it item.
The grease reservoir must be filled at some interval. Depending on the size of the reservoir and your operation, this could range from every few months to once a year.
The systems need periodic inspection to make sure they're working properly. It could be easy to get lulled into a false sense of security, believing all your chassis parts are being well lubricated. But if a line is pulled loose or a fitting broken by some road debris or a low trailer scraping on a railroad grade, you could see premature component failure as a result of not getting the needed lubrication.
"Things happen," Pulliam says. "Guys run over things. If a line breaks or comes loose, you'll be dumping grease on the ground" instead of into the component.
In addition to checking all tubing, hoses and line connections to make sure they're intact and not leaking, you'll also need to check all lubrication points for a damp seal/collar of grease around lubricated components, notes the TMC's RP 647. If all the points are under- or over-lubricated, you'll need to adjust the frequency of activation at the control unit. If individual lubrication points are over- or under-lubricated, you'll need to adjust the metered amount of lubricant to those points.
Some systems offer the ability to provide electronic diagnostic information. With the advent of telematics, Pinder says, such a system would be able to send an alert back to the home office saying, for instance, the grease reservoir needed refilling or there was a malfunction of some sort.
RUNNING THE NUMBERS
Automatic chassis lubrication systems for a tractor will run you between $1,500 and $2,800 installed. Depending on the truck maker, you can usually get a system installed at the factory or at the OEM's modification center when you buy a new truck. For retrofitting, most companies will train you how to do it yourself or handle installation for a price.
Manufacturers calculate returns on your investment ranging from nine months to three years. "ROI is very fleet specific, depending on [factors such as] how much they spend for PMs, whether you account for unplanned downtime because something was not lubricated properly, cost of components, how many miles you put on in a year," says Lubriquip's Pulliam. Resale value is another thing to consider.
There are also factors that are hard to measure, such as better driveability and technicians who are happier because they don't have to do grease jobs. "It can be difficult to reach some of the lube points," Pulliam points out. "Not having to reach in there and twist yourself up like a contortionist – there are some advantages to that as well."
You need to take a close look at your own operation's numbers. For instance, if you turn over your equipment every couple of years, it might not be worth the investment.
This is where good maintenance records and analysis can help. In fact, Pinder says, as more companies have started computerizing their maintenance departments and getting hard numbers about operation, maintenance and downtime costs, it's making automatic lubrication systems more attractive.
"Automatic [lube systems] require a higher initial investment, which must be weighed against labor for lubrication and improved component life," says Citgo's Betner. "Ultimately, like any concept or option, automatic lubrication systems offer both advantages and disadvantages, and fleet managers must weight the benefits for their operations."
Maintenance For Profit continued...
