Snow Equipment Preventative Maintenance
Every
September, Property-Liability Trust holds its Plow Rally and Field Training Event. This
year Dana Wright from Howard Fairfield, Inc. conducted a session about preventative
maintenance for winter maintenance equipment. The purpose was to make participants
generally aware of common repairs Fairfield sees (or parts they sell) related to winter
maintenance, and to help them avoid these breakdowns. Dana provided this information as
guidelines and suggests you check the information provided from the manufacturer.
Sand Spreader
Change the oil in the gearboxes at least once a year. Use SAE 90 gear oil and ensure the
vent is clear of debris (gearboxes are expensive to replace).
Grease points: front and rear shaft bearings, spinner shaft bearings, and feed gate jack
where it first touches the bottom of the spreader.
Inspect conveyor and spinner motors for leaks—check for worn shafts
Check conveyor chain take-up. Most manufactures recommend 30-36" from the rear
shaft to where it first touches the bottom of the spreader.
Check the sander dump body hold-downs for tightness before each use.
Check top screens for damage from the loader pushing down.
In the summer, run the unit 2-3 times and re-lubricate the conveyer chain.
Wash spreaders after every storm.
Repaint the steel units as necessary and keep stainless steel units clean and
maintained. On steel units only the hopper and spinner chute are stainless and still must
be cleaned after every use. The balance of the spreader requires cleaning and painting.
Check pintle chain links—make certain they are not worn out.
Plow Equipment
Frequently, inspect all nuts and bolts on the front plow hitch, the side-plates of the
truck frame, the front wing post, the rear wing post, and the rear wing frame mounting
assembly.
Check for cracks in welds and damaged parts.
Check for worn pins on the plow, wing and wing arms.
Check valve bank assembly for leaks
Check throw on the valve spool.
Check cab control cables for wear and proper adjustment.
Check wing cables for frays—take off covers on rear wing cabinets and check inside
(cable, pulleys, and sheaves).
Check trip block springs for damage and proper tension.
Check trip springs on reversible plows.
Check for tightness of front pump driveshaft and u-joints. A broken driveshaft will ruin
a radiator. Keep u-joints greased if equipped with grease fittings.
Check all cutting edge bolts and nuts of plow and wing.
Use facing blades on carbide blades.
Clean and repaint during summer storage.
Check the chains on the plow lift & wing.
Dump Bodies
Inspect rear hinge pins for wear—keep well greased.
Check threads on manual or air tailgate linkage, adjust and keep well lubricated.
Keep tarps in good shape; check the linkage & chains.
Inspect all body lights for proper operation.
Check for proper operation of backup alarm.
Check for proper operation of body safety prop. You should wedge a 6x6 under the
elevated dump body when working on it. Don’t rely on the prop.
Maintain and repaint as necessary.
Hydraulics
Change the filters after the first 100 hours of use and then every 500-1000 hours.
Pressure test the hydraulic system—most systems require an operating pressure of
the gear type pump of 1800-2000 psi.
Check cylinders for leaks and repair, if necessary.
Inspect cylinder basket pins for wear—keep well greased.
Check all hoses for chaffing—hose hangers may have broken which allow hoses to rub.
Ensure the hydraulic fittings are tight—make repairs while the system is OFF.
Inspect quick disconnects and hoses—make repairs while the system is OFF.
Keep quick disconnect caps on when not in use (to keep it clean).
Always were safety glasses when making any repairs because the hydraulics are under
pressure.