The Importance Of Lubricating Off-Highway Equipment
Adrian Hill, Technology Manager at Morris Lubricants explains the need to look after off-highway vehicles. He also delves in to why it is so important to use the correct oils, lubricants, and greases for off-highway vehicles such as bull dozers, dump trucks and excavators.
There are many moving parts in off-highway vehicles and these parts have very important jobs to do. They also work hard in tough environments, so it is important that they are maintained correctly. Adrain explores the main parts of off-highway equipment and their lubricant requirements.
ENGINES
Off-highway engines have a tough life. Unlike their on-highway counterparts, they spend more time idling or working at slow speeds, sometimes with extremely high loads. This type of work generates a lot of soot which must be controlled by the engine oil. The oil has to have good dispersancy to stop the soot from sticking together. If this happens it will thicken the oil and reduce its cooling capability, as well as blocking oilways that can lead to oil starvation and engine failure. Soot is also very abrasive and good anti-wear properties are also required.
Morris Lubricants’ range of engine oils used in off-highway vehicles have been developed to combat the issue caused by soot even during long duty hours, as well as following the latest OEM specifications and industry requirements.
TRANSMISSIONS
The job of the transmission is to take power from the engine and deliver it to the wheels or tracks. The ground speeds can be fairly slow but with high loads and for improved operator comfort, heavy duty automatic transmissions are usually chosen. This saves the operator from having to shift gears manually which will cause a lot of wear and tear on clutches. Automatic transmissions select the appropriate gear ratio for the operating conditions. The transmission fluid must provide cooling and protection to gears and bearings whilst still ensuring positive engagement of brake bands and clutch packs required for gear ratio selection.
The range of transmission oils from Morris Lubricants ensure that off-highway equipment still performs in extreme temperatures with outstanding friction control as well as superb rust and corrosion protection for transmission components.
GEARS
To drive wheels or tracks, the power has to be delivered through geared systems. These may take the form of drive axles that contain differentials and reduction hubs. More advanced axles use limited slip differentials that ensure when the equipment is operating on loose or muddy surfaces that full traction is maintained allowing the vehicle to move without slippage. Gear oils must provide high levels of extreme pressure protection to maintain the integrity of meshing gears and to look after bearings. Limited slip differential oils have extra extreme pressure protection to cope with shock loadings.
Morris Lubricants’ range of high-performance gear oils used in off-highway vehicles have exceptional extreme pressure performance, outstanding temperature control as well as superb rust and corrosion protection for gear sets.
OIL IMMERSED BRAKES
The off-highway world brings with it all sorts of challenges for equipment and brake systems are no different. Air ventilated disc brakes would not survive very long where there is a lot of abrasive material in the working environment. To overcome this, brake systems are enclosed to protect them and are cooled using wet brake oil (also known as oil immersed brake oil). The job of the oil is to control frictional heat generated by the application of the brakes, to flush the friction surfaces free of any generated debris and to ensure positive engagement of clutch packs without slippage. Correctly balanced additive chemistry in the oil is essential to prevent noise and vibration.
Formulated using the latest friction modifying technology, Morris Lubricants’ oils for off-highway wet brake systems offer maximum performance whilst eliminating 'squawk and chatter' and prolonging component life.
HYDRAULICS
Off-highway equipment relies heavily on hydraulic systems to do a whole host of different jobs. The main use of hydraulics will be to move booms, buckets, back-hoes or any other piece of functional equipment. Some off-highway equipment is propelled using a hydrostatic transmission, which uses hydraulic fluid pressure to drive motors that turn tracks or wheels. Hydraulic oils must protect the heart of the system which is the pump and provide consistent operational performance over a wide range of extreme temperatures, either very cold or very hot.
Formulated using the latest antiwear technology, Morris Lubricants’ hydraulic oils perform repeatedly whilst maintaining the integral parts of the hydraulic system, even in the toughest of environments.
Key learning points, please take note!
In all these applications, it is both quality and following the correct OEM specifications that count. There is often a temptation to use cheaper oils which can be of inferior quality. However, these lower quality oils may not perform as they should, may not protect the off-highway vehicle as it should, and their use may result in a long stay in the workshop for costly repairs.
The key message is to make sure you use a quality oil that follows OEM and industry specifications – just like Morris Lubricants’ range of quality oils, lubricants and greases. If you need help and advice on what oils to use, they please call our Technical Team on 01743 237541 or email on askade@morris-lubricants.co.uk