OOSC, Part II, Item 12. Wheels, Rims and Hubs, i. Hubs - Thermal Tools to Detect Overheated Hubs
| Entry Date | March 15, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Issue Number | 08-021-VEH |
| Name | Blair Fant |
| Agency | State of Alaska Commercial Vehicle Enforcement |
| Address | 11900 Industry Way Bldg MAnchorage, AK, 99515United StatesMap It (opens in a new tab) |
| Phone | (907) 365-1235 |
| Fax | (907) 345-7838 |
| [email protected] | |
| Committee | Vehicle Committee |
| Status | Closed |
| Summary of Issue | We need guidance and OOS criteria for overheated hubs found by thermal guns. We use these infrared thermometers as a tool to detect overheated brakes. If found, we do a full inspection on the brake system. We are very successful with these tools and are catching bad brakes much more frequently. It is as useful as the IRIS van but is portable and very simple to use. |
| Justification or Need | Because of the ongoing issue with bearing failures and wheels coming off of vehicles, this is a great tool to detect overheated and unsafe bearings. The State of Indiana is doing this on a pilot program. We have looked at some smoking hubs with these thermal guns, and it identifies the temperature immediately. Getting bearing and hub manufacturers to give the failure temperatures could be used as the basis for an OOS condition. |
| Request for Action | Request thermal gun usage be included in the OOS criteria if certain temperatures regisdter in the hubs and bearings. |