Don't Overlook These Seemingly Minor Truck Repairs
by Debra Morgan
If you can start your truck and drive it down the road, you may assume that you can ignore some seemingly minor repairs. However, even small problems with your truck can lead to major repair bills down the road, and can put you and other drivers at risk for an accident. This can be especially true for trucks, as their added weight can make driving while certain repairs are needed even more dangerous. Note a few seemingly minor truck repairs that you don't want to overlook.
1. Soft Brakes, Overly Firm Brakes, or Any Noise Coming from the Brakes
Soft brakes are those that don't grip hard enough to stop your truck when you apply the pedal, and this is especially dangerous for a heavy vehicle like a truck. The weight of the vehicle may push you forward more than you expect when you need to apply the brakes, and you could cause an accident. This is often a sign that you're losing brake fluid and it may very well leak out entirely when you're on the road.
Overly firm brakes may mean that a caliper is malfunctioning. This is the clip that pushes the brake pads against the rotor of the wheel. It may stay squeezed shut after you release the pedal and in turn, it can wear down the pads and the rotors, leading to a very costly repair. Noises like grinding and squealing from the brakes can mean that the rotors are worn down and you're hearing the metal grind against the pads as you apply the brakes, or you may have debris in the braking system. The pads may also be slipping out of place.
All of these problems are also very dangerous as the braking system can fail altogether. The calipers can break altogether so you have no brakes, and pads can slip out of place completely and your truck comes to a sudden stop. Have these symptoms checked by a mechanic as soon as possible.
2. Soft Tires
A tire that repeatedly goes soft is something that should be replaced quickly, as brakes cannot grip a deflated tire. Again, the weight of your truck makes this especially dangerous. You might also be making a small leak in your tire worse if you drive on it; a small leak can be patched but if you drive on the tire and cause the leak or puncture to become larger, you may ruin the tire altogether. To save yourself the cost of a new tire, have this looked at as soon as possible (by mechanics like those at Atchison Truck Repairs Pty Ltd).
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About Me
I've been running an auto service shop for the past 30 years. The trends in cars have changed a lot over that time, and cars are becoming a lot more complicated and automated. People can't fix many items on their own cars any more as you need a computer to diagnose most issues. People use their cars a lot more these days as we live further away from workplaces and schools so it's important for me to be able to get cars back quickly. I have had to keep learning about how the new cars run and I keep a lot of hints on this site so you can all learn the things you can do to make your cars run better.