Making a business successful requires a lot of hard work. You will also have to focus on providing your team members with the right tools if you want to achieve success. If you operate a construction business, having functional and reliable heavy equipment is imperative. Over $90 billion is spent on heavy equipment in the world each year.
The last thing you want is for your hard-earned money to go to waste, which is why properly maintaining your heaving equipment is a must. Ignoring the need for routine maintenance to this equipment can result in serious repairs issues developing over time.
Are you trying to keep your construction equipment reliable and functional? The information below can help you accomplish this goal.
Make Sure Misalignments Aren’t an Issue
Going into a large lot and clearing it for construction is hard work. Generally, you and your team will work on rugged terrain for weeks on end before paths are smooth enough for cars/trucks to pass through. During the time when your equipment is exposed to this rough terrain, problems can occur if you are not careful. The main concern you should have when working on rough terrain is misalignments. If the wheel alignment on your heavy equipment is off, it can make for some rough operating sessions for your team members.
The longer you drive a piece of heavy equipment with these alignment issues, the harder it will be to avoid damaging the tires it has. This is why test driving each piece of heavy equipment on a job site once a week is important. During these test drives, you need to assess whether or not the machine is pulling to one side or another. If this is occurring, allowing a mechanic to realign the machine is your best bet.
Check For Leaks Regularly
As the owner of a construction business, it is your job to make maintenance easy for your employees. The best way to achieve this goal is by creating a maintenance checklist for each team member to use. One of the first things that should be on this maintenance checklist is checking for leaks. Your employees will need to check both the engine compartment and the hydraulic system a piece of machinery has for leaks.
If you or a team member sees fluids leaking in either of these areas, you need to figure out why immediately. One of the most common causes of these leaks is a faulty gasket. Over time, the cork or rubber a gasket is made from will begin to deteriorate. Using a high-quality replacement gasket is crucial when trying to avoid this problem in the future. Trying to assess your gasket replacement options? For more information on gasket material click here.
Inspect the Tire and Axles
Without functional construction equipment, you will have a hard time keeping your business afloat. Instead of letting serious repair issues creep up on you, find a way to discover these problems early on. If your construction equipment does not have functional axles or tire, it will be unable to operate properly. This is why inspecting these crucial components before using a piece of equipment is a wise idea.
Most of the large axles mounted on pieces of heavy machinery will feature rubber boots. These boots are designed to keep dust out of the axle joints. An axle boot also houses the lubrication a joint needs to stay working correctly. Over time, these rubber boots will start to dry out and will need to be replaced. Inspecting the boots is a great way to see what condition they are in and whether or not it is time for new ones.
You also need to pay close attention to the tires on your heavy equipment. The longer these tires are on a piece of equipment, the more damage they will ultimately sustain. If you start to notice that a tire is leaking air consistently, replacing it is your best course of action. Ignoring the need for new heavy equipment tires can lead to unsafe working conditions for your employees. With the help of an experienced tire supplier, finding the right replacement components and getting them installed will be a breeze.
Keep Your Heavy Equipment Properly Lubricated
Do you work in dry and dusty areas on a regular basis? If you answered yes, then keeping your heavy equipment properly lubricated is crucial. The hydraulic components that your heavy equipment has, needs the right amount of fluid to stay working properly. Checking the hydraulic fluid levels in your machine daily can help you discover problems before they do too much damage.
If you notice the hydraulic fluid levels are consistently low, then there is a leak that needs to be found and fixed. Most construction business owners have limited experience when it comes to fixing complicated problems like this. By hiring an experienced heavy equipment mechanic, you can get your hydraulic leak fixed in no time. Allowing this issue to persist can lead to the hydraulic components on your machine seizing up. This is why taking action as soon as these leaks are discovered is imperative.
Keep Electrical Wiring Protected
Another important thing to focus on when trying to keep your construction equipment functional is the electrical wiring it has. Most of this wiring will be wrapped in a protective layer of rubber or plastic. However, this protective coating will start to deteriorate as it ages. If you start to see bare spots of exposed wiring, fixing this issue is vital.
These bare spots of wire can arc and destroy some of the electrical components on the piece of heavy equipment. Using things like electrical tape or even heat-shrink tubing can help you fix this problem.
Heavy Equipment Maintenance is a Great Investment
While keeping your construction equipment in good working order can be expensive, it is worth the money you invest. Well-maintained one will perform better and allow you to finish jobs on schedule. Allowing professionals to help with some of the maintenance mentioned in this article is a great way to avoid mistakes.
