M1000 HET Semitrailer … clean bogies a classic

PS: The Preventive Maintenance Monthly, Jan, 2005

Mechanics, with 10 bogies to maintain, the last things you need are chewed up brake lines and suspension cylinder seals on an M1000 HET semitrailer.

But that's what will happen if your operators don't keep the bogie bottoms free of crud and you don't keep the suspension cylinder's wiper seal in place.

Each of those 10 bogies collects lots of dirt, sand and mud during operation, mainly because of how the bottom of the bogie is shaped. What goes in won't come out unless it's removed by the operator.

The longer the gunk stays, the more concrete-like it becomes. And that will flat wear out the air brake lines.

Operators must make sure the bogie bottoms are free off crud after every operation. Pressurized water gets rid of most of it, but a little elbow grease may be needed to get all the gunk out from around the air lines.

The wiper seal on the suspension cylinder is supposed to keep the cylinder surface clean and prevent dirt from scoring the oil seal at the top of the cylinder.

Problem is, field conditions can loosen the seal, so it does no good at all.

Eyeball the cylinders on each bogie. If the wiper seal is not securely in place at the bottom of the cylinder, look at it closely. If it's not damaged, clean it with dry cleaning solvent.

Then coat the outer metal shell with sealing compound, NSN 8030-01-158-6070. Tap the ring back into place in the groove of the packing nut.