Finding the leak in your freightliner air tanks is one of those things that can turn a successful workday in to a massive headache real fast. You're from the road, everything seems to be humming along good, and then a person hear that telltale hiss or observe your gauges dropping faster than these people should. It's a vintage trucker problem, yet that doesn't ensure it is any less annoying. These tanks would be the lungs of your truck's pneumatic program, and when they aren't holding pressure, your brakes and suspension system aren't doing their jobs either.
Let's be truthful, we don't generally think about air tanks until they begin acting up. They're just those huge metal cylinders nestled away underneath the framework, catching road muck and salt. Yet they're doing a lot of heavy lifting. Whether you're driving a Cascadia, a M2, or a well used Classic XL, those tanks are vital for keeping a person safe and maintaining the rig moving.
Why condensation may be the real foe
The biggest threat for your freightliner air tanks isn't actually external—it's what's happening inside. When your air compressor pumps air, it gets hot. As that air moves into the particular cooler environment of the steel tanks, it condenses. This particular leaves you with standing water sitting down at the bottom part of the tank.
In case you don't obtain that water out, you're asking intended for trouble. Water prospects to internal rust, which eats apart at the steel throughout. By the particular time you observe a rust place on the outside, the particular structural integrity associated with the tank might already be affected. Plus, in the particular winter, that water can freeze. The frozen air line or a blocked valve because of ice buildup will be a recipe intended for a roadside breakdown that nobody has time for.
Signs it's time to swap them out
It's appealing to try plus squeeze every last mile from your parts, but freightliner air tanks aren't something you would like to gamble with. Air systems operate under high pressure, and the tank failure can be pretty dramatic—and not in a great way.
Corrosion and deep pitting
A little bit of surface rust is normal, especially if a person drive in the "salt belt" during winter. You can usually wire-brush that off and spray some paint on it. Nevertheless, if you see strong pitting or scaly rust that's flaking off, that's a red light. If the metal is thinning, it's merely a matter associated with time before it develops a pinhole leak or, worse, a catastrophic break up.
Dents plus physical damage
Sometimes things take flight up from the road, or maybe an installation bracket shifts and starts rubbing. If your tank has a significant dent, it creates a tension point. Under 120 PSI, that stress point is really a weakened spot. It might hold for a 7 days, or it may hold for a year, but it's a ticking period bomb. If the container looks misshapen, it's probably better to substitute it.
Humidity in the system
If you're constantly draining the gallon of water out of your tanks each day, your own air dryer possibly failed in the past. At that point, the particular damage to the inside of the freightliner air tanks might already be performed. If you discover a lot associated with "sludge" (a combine of oil plus water) coming out of the drain valves, it's a sign your own compressor is passing oil, which may rot the closes and coat the inside from the container in junk.
Maintenance ways to maintain things running
You don't possess to be a master mechanic in order to take care of your air program. Some simple practices could make your freightliner air tanks last significantly longer.
First and foremost: drain your tanks. Even though you have an automatic moisture ejector, it's a smart idea to pull individuals manual lanyards each every now and then. It enables you verify that the auto-drains are in fact working and gives a chance to see what's coming out of the system. If it's clean air, excellent. If it's the misty mess, you've got work to do.
Following, check your installation hardware. Most freightliner air tanks are held upon by steel straps with rubber liners. With time, those line can wear out there or slip. When that happens, you get metal-on-metal contact. The particular vibration of the particular engine and the road will cause the particular strap to saw right through the tank wall. Replacing a worn silicone shim is a great deal cheaper than changing the entire container.
Finding the particular right replacement part
When the time finally arrives to buy fresh freightliner air tanks , don't just get the first 1 you see on a shelf. Freightliner used a variety associated with tank configurations based on the year and the particular type of the pickup truck.
You need to take a look at a few items: * The Volume: Make sure the capacity matches. Using a tank that's too small can lead to your compressor cycling many times. * Port Configuration: This is usually where people generally get tripped upward. You might find a tank that's the best length plus diameter, but the particular ports are in the wrong spots. A person don't want in order to be re-routing air lines or using a dozen adapters if you don't need to. * Mounting Kind: Some tanks have welded brackets, while others are designed intended for strap mounting.
It's constantly a smart move to have your VIN handy when you're searching for parts. It takes the particular guesswork out of the equation and ensures that the threads on the ports will really match your existing fittings.
Don't forget regarding the air dryer
You can't really talk about freightliner air tanks without mentioning the air clothes dryer. Think of the particular air dryer since the gatekeeper. Its work is to pull the moisture plus oil out associated with the air prior to it ever gets to the tanks.
If your own air dryer container is old and clogged, your tanks are likely to fill up with water. Most drivers discover that changing the dryer filter once a year—usually before winter hits—is the best way to protect the rest of the air system. It's easier to spin on a new filter than it is to draw a tank away from the frame railroad in the center of a snowstorm.
Safety first when working on air systems
If you're preparation on swapping out there your freightliner air tanks your self, please be cautious. We're talking regarding stored energy here. Never, ever consider to unscrew a fitting or a drain valve whilst there's pressure within the system. You'd be surprised just how fast a brass fitting can turn into a projectile when there's 100 lbs of air at the rear of it.
Often chock your wheels before you start. Since your car parking brakes rely on air pressure in order to stay released (in most configurations, they are spring-applied and air-released), messing using the air tanks may cause the truck to advance if it's not really properly secured. Strain the system totally till the gauges study zero before you even get the wrench.
Wrap it up
At the end of the day, freightliner air tanks are fairly simple components, yet they're absolutely essential. Taking five moments a week to check on for leaks plus drain any humidity can save a person thousands of dollars in downtime plus repair bills afterwards on.
Keep an attention on the rust, listen for all those annoying leaks, and don't ignore your air dryer. Your truck (and your wallet) will thank you for it. There's nothing that can compare with the peacefulness of mind that is included with knowing your air system is strong when you're carrying a heavy load down a steep quality. Stay safe out there, and keep those tanks dry!