Best Tow Truck Maintenance Tips

In order to have a smooth experience in operating a tow truck, proper maintenance is required. A tow truck does very tasking jobs including hauling heavy vehicles. No one would wish to have a tow truck breakdown during a roadside assistance service. There is one way of ensuring this – keeping your truck well maintained. Here is a look at important tow truck maintenance tips.

Tires

Essentially, it is the tires that bear all the weight of the tow truck. Keeping them in good shape will help you avoid downtime caused by flat tires. In a tow truck, tires wear out in an uneven fashion based on the loading and drivetrain. Rotate your tires on a regular basis to give them a uniform wear. This rotation is best to be done every time an oil change is carried out. Rotation of tires will not only extend their life but also give you a smoother experience when driving the truck and therefore minimize the stress on the suspension of your truck, which is usually causes uneven tire wear.

Another important tip to note on tire maintenance is keeping them balanced and well aligned. This is because alignment and proper wheel balancing ensure equal distribution of the weight on the axle.

Brakes

At all times, ensure that your truck brakes are in good order. Also, ensure the brake lights are always functioning. You can run a test of this before setting out on any trip by having someone check for you at the back as you engage the brakes. Worn out brakes could be dangerous not just for you but other road users as well. Replace the brake pads as frequent as possible to keep them at their peak performance.

Oil Change

When operating a tow truck, never skip an oil change during your tow truck maintenance. This is one important maintenance aspect that will keep your truck in shape. It is recommended that an oil change is done after every 7500 miles of towing or six months (go with whichever comes first). It is also better to consider using high end and high mileage option oils for your tow truck. These oils have been tailored for operating heavy-duty trucks and thus will give you better value n your truck.

Fluids

Other than the oil, it is mandatory to ensure all other vehicle fluids such as coolant, brake fluid, windshield washing fluid are filled. Conduct a regular check of these fluids and top them off as necessary to avoid breakdowns.

Air filters

Over time, the air filters of your tow truck will become clogged with particles such as dust. Your engine requires fresh air for it to perform at its best. Change the air filters after every 20000 to 30000 miles to ensure optimization of the engine performance.