Check out this great video featuring the history of International!
10/28/10
10/27/10
Prevent Your Commercial Dump Trucks From Breaking Down!
The effective operation of commercial dump trucks depends toa large extent on whether preventive maintenance is set up for each vehicle and properly carried out at the appropriate intervals. Preventive maintenance is undoubtedly one of the best ways to cut costs and minimize breakdowns by trying to avoid any costly repairs, especially while on a job.
Preventive maintenance helps you protect the financial investment you have in your vehicle as well as allows you to keep your commitments to your customers. Your clients will not stay with you very long if you cannot keep your commitments to them and deliver your service on time.
Following is a list of preventive maintenance tips to help you keep your commercial dump trucks operational and providing service to your customers. A thorough basic inspection that is done on a regular basis will alert you to any potential problems and allow for inexpensive replacement of a part rather than complex and expensive repairs caused when a part breaks down while the vehicle is operational. This should be done on a regular basis, both before extended usage and after prolonged usage.
•Tires - Check for overall tread wear as well as tire pressure. If you have dual tires, be sure to check the inner tire as well as the outer tire.
•Fuel - This may seem a little redundant - of course you would check your fuel to make sure you have enough! Were you aware that lower quantities of fuel cause engine deterioration? Make sure to use a better quality fuel and consider a lubricant to boost the capacity.
•Wipers - You have to be able to see out the front of the cab so make sure your wipers are functional as well as not too worn to be of value.
•Coolants - This level should be maintained at a proper balance. If the level varies to any extent, you may have some leakage going on that would need to be repaired right away.
•Head lights - These are the 'eyes' of your commercial dump trucks andmust be working properly in both high beam and low beam. Anything else certainly needs to be taken care of before any night driving.
•Turn Signals and Brake Lights - This is similar to the head lights as they must function for not only your safety but the safety of those with whom you share the road!
•Horn - This is a vital piece of safety equipment that must be checked on a regular basis and repaired or replaced if not functioning properly.
•Air Filter - This should be changed on a regular basis to keep your engine properly performing and avoid potential engine problems. Retain the date of the last change for your records.
•Oil Change - Keeping the oil changed as recommended by the truck manufacturer is imperative and should be checked before each trip to see if you will need a change while on the road. It is much more cost-effective to do this as planned rather than have an urgent need and not be able to shop around for the best place and price.
•Hoses, especially Fuel - This is one of the items that is easily and inexpensively replaced before problems - and highly costly to repair the damage caused when one breaks while the truck is in use.
•Brake Oil - The level and quality should be checked regularly to ensure proper braking capacity and is a very important safety concern.
•Power Steering Fluid - Another safety item to ensure that the driver can properly steer the truck with ease.
•Fire Extinguisher - Make sure you have one and that it has not expired and/or needs to be recharged. This could save your life and the lives of others in an emergency situation!
To ensure that routine preventive maintenance is done, you can enlist the services of a shop that is trained and perhaps licensed for your brand of commercial dump trucks. They can maintain a record of your vehicle and notify you when it is time to come in for a scheduled preventive maintenance inspection. In the internet age, you can also purchase software that is designed to track equipment maintenance and alert you via email of when preventive maintenance items should be handled. If you can handle the maintenance items yourself, it would be a very cost-effective tool to utilize.
A breakdown while performing a job can cost you not only in terms of money; it can cost you in customer trust and loyalty if you have to delay completing a job you have committed to perform for a customer. Take care of your commercial dump trucks so you can take care of your customers - it is that simple!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_M._Hunter
10/25/10
Northbay Truck Center--For over 15 years!
We repair engines, transmission problems, and heating issues, just to name a few. We also sell brand name tires for fair prices and have an extensive parts department, stocking all parts for Series 5-8 Class trucks. If we don't carry the part, we are able to fabricate what is needed to get the job done for our customers.
"When you choose North Bay Truck Center, we guarantee that you will be nothing less than completely satisfied."
10/21/10
Can you avoid truck repair?
Truck repair is essentially a demanding expense in your business. As long as you have the owner's manual it is going to come handy telling you categorically when to take it for a service maintenance. In its absence how often should you change fluids, check brakes, etc.? Unfortunately, there is not a single answer. There are several variables to consider - the climatic condition your truck is subjected to, the fuel used, the age of your truck, etc., and of course its type.
Another crucial question is how often you are taking care of its service maintenance. Are you doing it yourself or having it done by a technician? Either way, you will have to be proactive in keeping a time log in terms of the service maintenance frequency.
Preventive Maintenance
The adage "prevention is better than cure" will apply squarely for your truck maintenance.
Best Practice Daily Checks
• Regardless of the age and type of the truck you are running, many of the basics are the same. Make it a habit to do a visual check of your truck. This is just to make sure it's clean and sparkling.
• Next, you should do a basic safety check by checking the lights (including hazards), tire condition and air pressure. It is crucial to check fluid levels daily, engine oil, power steering fluid, brake fluid, and transmission fluid. Get your brake line inspected, spark plugs inspected and filters replaced regularly. These can warn you about bigger repair problems beforehand.
• Look underneath your high-mileage truck for signs of fluid leaks, they shouldn't be ignored. If left unattended to they can turn into expensive truck repair jobs.
• Listen for unusual sounds, such as thumps, bangs or pings. These could be warning signs that your truck needs serious attention. Keeping track of any new noises and info on when they started may help your mechanic to diagnose the problem.
Best Practices for increased mileage
• Tire pressure is critical! It is a proven fact that you can improve your gas mileage by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. This will also ward off unexpected flats and blowouts.
• Performing regular tune-ups on you truck will keep your truck's engine running at top speed.
• Stick to a certain mechanic who knows the history of your truck.
• Another most important system to the "health" of your engine is the lubrication system; clean oil in your truck is like healthy blood in a human body so change it every three months.
Therefore, it is better to learn how to maintain your high-mileage truck to keep repair bills at a minimum and enjoy increased mileage. The concept is quite simple - maintain the truck before it becomes too late and breaks down. Remember, a stitch in time saves nine. Regular truck maintenance multiplies profits and reduces truck repair instances.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Alen
10/14/10
How Tires Are Built
The process begins with the mixing of basic rubbers with process oils, carbon black, pigments, antioxidants, accelerators and other additives, each of which contributes certain properties to the compound.
These ingredients are mixed in giant blenders called Banbury machines operating under tremendous heat and pressure. They blend the many ingredients together into a hot, black gummy compound that will be milled again and again.
2. The cooled rubber takes several forms. Most often it is processed into carefully identified slabs that will be transported to breakdown mills. These mills feed the rubber between massive pairs of rollers, over and over, feeding, mixing and blending to prepare the different compounds for the feed mills, where they are slit into strips and carried by conveyor belts to become sidewalls, treads or other parts of the tire.
Still another kind of rubber coats the fabric that will be used to make up the tire's body. The fabrics come in huge rolls, and they are as specialized and critical as the rubber blends. Many kinds of fabrics are used: polyester, rayon or nylon. Most of today's passenger tires have polyester cord bodies.
3. Another component, shaped like a hoop, is called a bead. It has high-tensile steel wire forming its backbone, which will fit against the vehicle's wheel rim. The strands are aligned into a ribbon coated with rubber for adhesion, then wound into loops that are then wrapped together to secure them until they are assembled with the rest of the tire.
Radial tires are built on one or two tire machines. The tire starts with a double layer of synthetic gum rubber called an innerliner that will seal in air and make the tire tubeless.
4. Next come two layers of ply fabric, the cords. Two strips called apexes stiffen the area just above the bead. Next, a pair of chafer strips is added, so called because they resist chafing from the wheel rim when mounted on a car.
The tire building machine pre-shapes radial tires into a form very close to their final dimension to make sure the many components are in proper position before the tire goes into the mold.
5. Now the tire builder adds the steel belts that resist punctures and hold the tread firmly against the road. The tread is the last part to go on the tire. After automatic rollers press all the parts firmly together, the radial tire, now called a green tire, is ready for inspection and curing.
6. The curing press is where tires get their final shape and tread pattern. Hot molds like giant waffle irons shape and vulcanize the tire. The molds are engraved with the tread pattern, the sidewall markings of the manufacturer and those required by law.
Tires are cured at over 300 degrees for 12 to 25 minutes, depending on their size. As the press swings open, the tires are popped from their molds onto a long conveyor that carries them to final finish and inspection.
7. If anything is wrong with the tire - if anything even seems to be wrong with the tire, even the slightest blemish - it is rejected. Some flaws are caught by an inspector's trained eyes and hands; others are found by specialized machines.
Inspection doesn't stop at the surface. Some tires are pulled from the production line and X-rayed to detect any hidden weaknesses or internal failures. In addition, quality control engineers regularly cut apart randomly chosen tires and study every detail of their construction that affects performance, ride or safety.
8. This is how all the parts come together: the tread and sidewall, supported by the body, and held to the wheel by the rubber-coated steel bead. But whatever the details, the basics are fundamentally the same: steel, fabric, rubber, and lots of work and care, design and engineering.
Vist the Goodyear website for more information.
10/11/10
Performance Tool by Wilmar Corporation
Their mission is to develop a high quality product with superior packaging at a reasonable price. North Bay Truck Center is happy to provide our customers with this quality tool line.
Stop by our PARTS HOUSE to see the full line of Performance Tools!
10/07/10
North Bay Truck Center Carries ADT Tools!!
ATD's tools and equipment are quality control tested at the manufacturer, by independent labs and in the field to ensure they meet the performance and durability professional mechanics demand today and will continue to demand for years to come.
Product Categories:
- A/C & Cooling Systems
- Air Preparation Products
- Air Tools
- Battery & Electrical
- Brake, Wheel & Suspension
- Diagnostics
- Electric Power Tools
- Engine Tools
- Hand Tools
- Lifting
- Lighting & Extension Cords
- Lubrication
- Paint & Body Shop
- Power Tool Accessories
- Pullers
- Repair Shop
- Tool Storage
- Welding
10/04/10
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