Semi-Truck Spring Maintenance: How Often Should You Check Your Springs?

Like any vehicle on the road, proactive maintenance is critical for keeping semi-trucks on the road and operating properly. This is especially important for the springs on your semi-truck. Proper maintenance is as critical as changing the oil or checking the tires.

Frequency of Inspection
As part of your truck spring repair and maintenance procedures, you should plan to check your springs on a regular basis. How often you should check them depends on the usage of the vehicle that the springs are installed in as a vehicle used more often should have the springs checked more frequently than one that is used seldom. There are two options for determining how often springs should be checked one is to do it based on frequency, such as every quarter or twice per year. The other option is to check the springs based on mileage, such as every 50,000 miles.

Why Should You Inspect Your springs?
One of the reasons to develop a truck spring repair and maintenance program is that there are several things that can go wrong with the springs that could affect the performance of your truck. Springs can crack due to age or become damaged due to over-extension. Because your truck travels over highways full of debris, it is easy for that debris to become trapped inside the springs, causing additional damage. Inspecting your springs on a regular basis will allow you to address any damage and keep your truck operating smoothly.

What Should the Inspection Include?
One of the things that you should include as part of your truck spring repair and maintenance program is a thorough cleaning of your springs. The springs should be cleaned with a soapy water or alcohol solution which may expose problems that can be missed during a visual inspection. Using soap will expose slow leaks by forming air bubbles. It is not recommended that solvents, even those labeled organic, open flames, abrasives or pressurized steam be used to clean the springs as they may cause further damage. Air springs should be fully inflated during the inspection or it may be difficult to identify leaks. Even a small leak in a spring means that the spring needs to be replaced. There should also be proper clearance around the spring while it is fully inflated.

Spring Problems
Failure to perform routine truck spring repair and maintenance can result in damage to your springs. Dirt, debris, rust or corrosion on the piston can wear down the spring as that type of buildup can create a surface that is similar to sandpaper. In addition, springs should be checked for sufficient and equal pressure to be sure that the ride height is set properly as part of the truck’s suspension.

Creating a truck spring repair and maintenance program is one of the best ways to insure that your semi-truck’s suspension is in good working order and to keep it running smoothly. Smith Springs are experts in Air Spring and Air Suspension systems, priding themselves on the custom, modern equipment they use and the speed at which they can repair or replace faulty springs. If you are looking for someone to repair or inspect your air springs, visit any one of their three Ohio locations – Mt. Perry, Jackson or Columbus – or give them a call at 800-619-4652.