Suspension maintenance in industrial vehicle fleets: why it is important

The industrial vehicle suspension maintenance represents an important activity in the management of fleets made up of trucks, trailers and semi-trailers. Long distances, different loads and variable operating conditions subject shock absorbers, air springs and other components of the suspension system to continuous stress.

For companies that manage a fleet, carrying out periodic checks allows you to identify any anomalies and plan the necessary interventions. In this way it is possible to check the state of the different components before their wear can influence the overall behavior of the system.

So let's see which suspension components to check and because preventive maintenance takes on particular importance in the management of industrial vehicles.

Industrial vehicle suspension maintenance: why it is important?

Waiting for a component to have an obvious failure is not always the best strategy.

Some elements of truck and industrial vehicle suspensions in fact, they can progressively lose efficiency without immediately showing a visible break.

Preventive maintenance allows you to periodically check the state of the system and identify any signs of deterioration before they become more significant.

In a fleet made up of numerous vehicles, this approach also allows interventions to be planned in a more organized way, inserting them into normal maintenance programmes.

Checking industrial vehicle shock absorbers

The shock absorbers for trucks, trailers and semi-trailers they have the task of controlling the oscillations of the suspension and contributing to the stability of the vehicle.

During a periodic check it is possible to check for any leaks, damage, wear of the connections or other signs that could indicate a reduction in efficiency.

It is important to consider that the wear of a shock absorber is not always immediately visible. Mileage, road conditions, loads and type of use can influence its deterioration over time.

For this reason the shock absorbers should be included in the normal checks required by the maintenance of the industrial vehicle fleet.

Checking the air springs and air suspension

In vehicles equipped with pneumatic suspension, even air springs require periodic checks.

Cracks, abrasions, deformations and pressure losses can represent signs that require further investigation. It is also useful to check the overall behavior of the pneumatic system, since an anomaly can also depend on valves, connections or other elements.

Regularly checking the air springs therefore allows you to evaluate the condition of the component and identify any problems before proceeding with replacement.

Suspension maintenance: tires, bushings and links

The truck suspension maintenance should not focus exclusively on shock absorbers and air springs.

Bushings, supports, attachments and connection points must be considered as parts of a single system.

Tires can also provide useful information: anomalous or non-uniform wear can have various causes, but it may make it advisable to carry out a more in-depth check of the set-up and suspensions.

The objective is therefore to evaluate the overall behavior of the system, avoiding automatically attributing an anomaly to a single component.

Preventive maintenance of industrial vehicles and fleet management

For a transport company, the preventive maintenance of industrial vehicles it also takes on an organizational value.

Scheduling checks and interventions allows you to better understand the status of the vehicles and coordinate maintenance activities with the operational needs of the fleet.

However, there is no universal range valid for every vehicle. Mileage, conditions of use, type of route and loads transported can significantly change the wear of components.

For this reason it is important to follow the instructions for the specific application and integrate suspension checks into the vehicle's maintenance program.

Suspensions for fleets and industrial vehicles: the Way Assauto experience

A correct one maintenance of industrial vehicle suspensions starts from knowledge of the components and the ability to identify the spare part suitable for the specific application.

Way Assauto develops solutions for the world of suspensions for trucks, trailers and semi-trailers, putting technical expertise and knowledge of applications at the service of the industrial vehicle sector.

Shock absorbers, air springs and suspension system components must be considered within a maintenance strategy that takes into account the real operating conditions of the vehicle and the needs of the fleet.