Updated: 4/19/10 – Report from Light & Medium Duty Truck Magazine
NHTSA Investigates GM Truck Brakes
By Light & Medium Truck
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating Chevrolet and GMC pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles for possible brake failure, Bloomberg News reported.
NHTSA said it has received complaints about loss of braking effectiveness due to brake lines that rupture because of corrosion. The agency has received 110 complaints about a loss of braking effectiveness, including three crashes, involving the vehicles. In 37 of those cases, a brake line failure was confirmed by a dealer inspection, Bloomberg said.
The defect may affect 6 million Chevrolet and GMC C/K series pickups and SUVs for the 1999 through 2003 model years.
General Motors did not immediately respond to a request for comments, Bloomberg said.
Napa County Fire Department’s 2006 Pierce Enforcer which had a "soft rollover" in the Deer Park area of the Napa Valley. The engine was responding to a tree into power lines, rounded a corner and the back wheels left the roadway and the engine rolled over one time coming to rest on its wheels. All occupants were wearing seat belts, and the airbag system activated.
More details to come with real information as we get them. Please take the time to evaluate articles posted on the internet without full details. We will not post information here without proper backup information.
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Fire truck maintenance is an essential part of every fire department’s routine and budget. However, with the nation facing an economic downturn, fire department officials are looking for ways to save money. FDNNTV.com’s Barbara Brooks and veteran fire department Maintenance Officer Sammy Dominick, Sr. bring you tips on daily fire truck maintenance practices that can help your department save money and keep your vehicles in optimum working condition.
Fire Truck Maintenance That Can Be Performed By Firefighters
Unless a fire department has its own full-service maintenance shop, most fire apparatus repairs must be outsourced to a third-party fire mechanic. However, there are several things that firefighters can do on a daily and weekly basis in the station to catch problems early and to prevent the need for costly repairs. These measures will also ensure the safety of the apparatus and its crew.
Apparatus Inspection Forms
Most fire departments have an Apparatus Inspection Form that operators must fill out prior to, and in some cases after, each shift. Sammy Dominick, Sr., a retired Rancho Cucamonga Fire District Maintenance Officer with thirty years of experience, explains, "On that form the individual is signing that he has checked all of the emergency lighting, he’s checked the brakes, he’s checked the steering, he checked the tires, wheels and all of the particulars, all of the equipment that is essential to the firefighting component. They’ve got to check that off daily." Inspecting all of a fire department’s apparatus on a daily basis will insure early detection of potential problems, preventing a possible accident or malfunction. Identifying these issues right away will also prevent additional, related problems, thereby saving the fire department money.
Fire Pump Maintenance
Fire pumps should be maintained on a weekly basis. Dominick advises that pump operators should always backflush the pump to clear out rocks and debris that might have entered the pump during the use of a fire hydrant. He explains, "Every time a contractor breaks into the main pipe, all of that concrete, those pieces and rocks, follow through the mains, come up the hydrants, and stay at the head of the hydrant." He suggests that firefighters make a habit of flowing the hydrant before they hook up to it with their fire apparatus to flush that debris out of the hydrant and keep it from entering the pump. He also recommends that firefighters operate the relief valve or governor on a weekly, if not daily, basis.
"Over and Under" Checks
Keeping a fire apparatus’ moving components properly lubricated is another preventative maintenance measure that firefighters can take. Using a creeper, personnel can access the undercarriage of the fire truck and lubricate all of its fittings. Sammy Dominick explains that this can also be used as an opportunity to check a myriad of other components, saying, "Going under with a creeper and doing what we call an "over and under’ – over is everything on top and under is getting on the creeper, check the drive shaft, the U-Joints, look for leaks in the pump, the differential, the engine, the transmission, maybe a major water leak."
Hoses
Besides looking for damage and leaks, operators should check that all hoses are securely mounted and are not chaffing against the drive shaft or wheels.
Drive Shaft
It is also important to make sure that the drive shaft is not cracked or bent. Apparatus operators need to be sure that the drive shaft’s couplings are securely mounted and free of foreign objects.
Brake Slack Adjustor
Inspecting a vehicle’s front brake slack adjustor is also very important. There should not be any broken, loose or missing parts. With the brakes released, the push rod should not travel more than one inch.
Steering Linkage
Similarly, steering linkage should not have any worn or cracked connecting links, arms or rods. Operators should also check to make sure all of these parts are securely mounted.
Importance of Doing Daily and Weekly Fire Truck Inspections
Dominick stresses the importance of firefighters doing daily and weekly maintenance checks on the fire apparatus in their stations, saying, "Anyone that has a license to drive an apparatus should be able to maintain it to the best level they can. Like the "Out of Service Criteria". Is it a tire problem? Is it a brake problem? Is it a major leak problem? Is it a steering problem? Those kinds of things, you are out of service, no question. You take that on a public road and you get into an accident with it and you haven’t checked it, it’s on you. The liability is on the driver."
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“Unsubstantiated” – Research is continuing by NHTSA and Ford
THIS INFORMATION SEEMS TO ONLY BE AFFECTING ONE DEPARTMENT AT THIS TIME AND THE PROBLEM DOES NOT SEEM TO BE WIDESPREAD – PLEASE USE THIS AS INFORMATION ONLY AT THIS TIME
SAFETY ALERT!! IMMEDIATATE ACTION REQUIRED!!
** Submitted by a Member **
If you or any of your employees use and drive 2002 through 2010 FORD Expeditions, Explorers, Rangers, F150, F250, F350 F450, F550 with STEEL rims/wheels PLEASE take them to a Ford Dealership, reputable vehicle repair shop or tire shop and have the tires REMOVED from the wheel and the rims/wheels inspected for cracks as shown in the photos. Take the photos with you to show what you want inspected. I say this because the failure CAN NOT be seen with the tire on the rim/wheel.
This does NOT apply to vehicles with aluminum wheels. If you are experiencing any of the following it could be signs that you have a cracked rim, slow or fast air leak, wobble or vibrations while driving.
This is a SERIOUS issue and we need to be sure to get those vehicles checked out. For the newer vehicles that may be still under warranty it would be best to take them to a Ford dealership to be taken care of that way.
The USFS Region 4 is starting to get reports of cracked rims/wheels, just last week the H-T had 4, new Ford trucks inspected and 3 of them had cracked rims. So this is not just an issue with older vehicles.
There is no technical bulletin or Ford recall on this issue yet, please have you vehicles inspected.
If you personally own a Ford please take the time to have it checked out also, safety awareness and risk assessment doesn’t stop when we go home.
** Please put a comment here if you have seen this issue in your fleet **
