When October rolls around and fall weather approaches—particularly in the northern US—the days grow shorter as the sun dips lower into the autumn sky. Birds organize as they anticipate their annual departure to the sunny South while squirrels gather food for the cold months ahead. Like clockwork, nature prepares herself for the approach of winter.
We humans need to prepare for the colder weather as well. Winter will soon return, and along with it comes the snow. Everyone who owns a car or truck must focus on their get-ready-for-winter checklist: winter wiper blades, winter tires, engine coolant and antifreeze levels, windshield-wiper fluid, winter-grade engine oil, battery check, etc.
GET READY
If you work in the snow removal industry, you already know it’s best that you stay ahead of the seasonal curve. Don’t postpone things until the snow falls. That’s too late. And your customers aren’t going to patiently wait for you to get your act together.
On the other hand, if you are kind of new to snow plowing, there’s lots to do. Here are 10 ways to prepare your new plow for the season:
1. Change the hydraulic fluid—that’s right, do it once a year
2. Grease important wear points
3. Clean and grease all electrical connections
4. Check all nuts and bolts for tightness
5. Check for leaks in plow cylinders, hoses, and pump
6. Tighten trip and return springs
7. Inspect all welds in plow structure and vehicle mount
8. Re-torque all fasteners on vehicle mount
9. Inspect and properly align plow lights
10. Make sure all plow functions work properly
Bonus tip: Make sure your front suspension can lift the plow without squatting.
If you can check off all but the bonus tip, maybe you need to look at a few alternatives in rubber spring technology.
SPRING ALTERNATIVES
If your suspension squats down when you lift the plow, that’s a problem. Even though your truck comes with factory-installed bump stops, they’re not going help with a heavy plow on the front end. You’re going to need something to keep the front end up and the back end down.
Inserting a metal shim would solve the squatting on a straight axle. So would cranking up the torsion bars on an A-frame (control arm) suspension. But needless to say, this would also create havoc with ride quality, not to mention the overall control of the vehicle.
There is an alternative to older, conventional methods. In order to keep the vehicle level, stable, and riding smoothly, many have found the best solution comes in the form of a hollow rubber spring. The original bump stops on your vehicle can be removed easily and replaced with Aeon® rubber springs from Timbren. Every Timbren SES product is designed to fit easily between the frame and the axle—or control arm if the truck has an independent suspension.
And if you’re wondering about the rear suspension…
Trucks with a hopper spreader installed on the back end of the vehicle squat under a full load of salt or sand. A Timbren SES kit helps prevent roll and sway at high speeds and protects the suspension against damaged and broken leaf springs. And with more than 450 kits to choose from, a Timbren SES kit easily replaces the existing bump stops.
Below are six good reasons Timbren SES upgrades are the choice of professionals:
6 REASONS TO SWITCH
Easy installation:
If you know how to remove a bump stop, you can install an SES kit. Some are so easy, all you do is pry the bump stop out of its cup and replace it by popping the Aeon spring up into the same cup.
Zero maintenance: Unlike air spring helpers, SES upgrades do not require any upkeep. If you purchased the appropriate kit for your vehicle, the rubber springs last the life of your vehicle.
Eliminate squatting:
It doesn’t take much to cause today’s pickups to squat. Timbren SES upgrades are designed to keep your vehicle level even under the heaviest loads.
Increase stability:
A truck that doesn’t sit level has problems with stability. Not only do Timbren upgrades level the load, they reduce roll and sway for loaded vehicles.
Lifetime warranty: Every Timbren SES kit comes with a lifetime warranty for as long as you own the vehicle.
100% satisfaction guarantee:
Here’s the kicker… If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, your money will be cheerfully refunded.
UPGRADE YOUR FLEET
The constant load of heavy equipment places a major stress on any truck suspension. Timbren SES products keep your snow-removal equipment out of the repair shop and on the road. Whether you use a small half-ton plow truck or a heavy-duty rescue vehicle, you will want your entire fleet outfitted with Timbren SES upgrades.
And just in time for the wintery weather.
MODERN WORKTRUCK SOLUTIONS:
OCTOBER 2019 ISSUE
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