30 Fleet Maintenance | November/December 2017
Inspection, rebuilding
and reassembly
of submerged
wheel ends
By STEMCO officials
In light of the recent weather
events caused by Hurricanes
Harvey and Irma, and severe
weather in general involving
flooding and storm surge, tractors
and trailers exposed to
water submersion require special
consideration to the work
procedures used in salvage
and/or rebuild of the units.
If wheel ends are not properly
repaired, wheel end performance
may degrade, up to
and including possible catastrophic
wheel end failure.
PROTECT
TECHNICIANS AND
THE ENVIRONMENT
Before inspecting units that
have been submerged in flood
water, technicians should use
caution to protect themselves
from unknown chemical
composition. Personal protective
equipment should
be worn for the face, hands
and body while exposed to
contaminated wheel ends.
Environmental precautions
should also be followed.
Consulting with local EPA officials
regarding proper handling
and disposal procedures
will ensure all hazardous
waste from affected
wheel ends will be
disposed of per EPA
requirements.
IDENTIFY
WHEEL END
TYPE AND
CONDITIONS
Once proper
safety considerations
are made,
technicians should
inspect the wheel end.
The technician should address
the following questions:
Is the wheel end lubricated
with oil or grease?
For oil, drain the wheel end
lubricant into an approved
receptacle and inspect for
» STEMCO’s Aftermarket
Platinum Performance System
can lower maintenance
costs by reducing down-time
and protecting wheel end
components, the company says.
Photo courtesy of STEMCO
water contamination. If no
lubricant contamination
is found, install the hub
cap with a new gasket and
refill to the proper level.
If the wheel end is lubricated
with grease, follow the recommended
annual inspection
procedure for grease wheel
ends. This involves removing
the outer bearing and inspecting
the hub cavity for proper
lubricant level and condition.
If no contaminants are present
assure proper grease
level and reassemble. If the
lubricant is determined to be
contaminated, a complete
disassembly is required.
Does the wheel end
contain a pre-adjusted
bearing package?
Some pre-adjusted wheel ends
have limited rebuild capabilities.
For this type of wheel
end, contact the pre-adjusted
wheel end manufacturer
for rebuild instructions.
GENERAL STEPS
Once the type and condition
of the wheel end have been
identified, it’s necessary to
inspect all wheel ends, not just
a random sampling. The exterior
of each wheel end should
then be cleaned, washing off
potential chemicals or other
contamination. This cleaning
should be done in a location
with approved drainage and
run-off collection capabilities.
In all cases where lubricant
is drained or removed from
a wheel end, properly
dispose of that lubricant.
Disposal may differ
depending on level
and type of chemical
contamination in
the lubricant.
Water, especially
salt water, is one of
the most dangerous
contaminants that
can seep through the
seals protecting wheel
ends and affect the functionality
of the bearings over
the short- and long-term. To
avoid wheel end failure, costly
maintenance and potential
safety risks on the road, it’s
critically important to not put
any unit into service until it
has had a complete wheel
end inspection or repair.
» STEMCO Sentinel Hub Caps
are designed to eliminate
the contamination of grime,
dirt or water, to extend
seal and bearing life.
Photo courtesy of STEMCO
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