Sunk Truck? ArvinMeritor has some helpful tips

WINNIPEG — Owners of trucks submerged above their wheel wells along the Red River in Southern Manitoba and North Dakota are reminded that brakes, wheel ends, universal joints, and other heavy-duty vehicle components require a thorough inspection for damage.

Truck components supplier ArvinMeritor offers this advice for vehicle owners before their vehicles return to service:

1. Don’t Start the Vehicle. You risk further component damage if the vehicle’s air lines, wheel-end sensors, seals, or electrical connections are contaminated by water.

2. Ask About Special Service Bulletins: Ask your suppliers or their field representatives about recommended service procedures for submerged components. ArvinMeritor has publications that specifically address the inspection and service of submerged components. Call ArvinMeritor’s Customer Service Center at 800-535-5560 or access publications in the Tech Library on ArvinMeritor’s website, by clicking here. 

3. Record the Conditions. Determine how long the vehicle or component was submerged. Note the type of water-saltwater or fresh-and any special conditions like heavy silt or chemical contaminants. Look for waterlines, dampness, or other indicators of the depth of the water and inform your technician.

4. Clarify Whether Parts are Warrantable or Serviceable. In general, components that are damaged by flooding are not warrantable. Some components, like the transmission, may need to be returned to the manufacturer for service.

5. Inspect, Clean, Replace: From the brake system to the wheel ends, there are special inspection and service procedures for components, air lines, wiring, and connections that have been submersed in water.

In some cases-universal joints and center bearings, for example-inspection isn’t possible and the component should be replaced. Use OEM-quality replacement parts that match the safety, reliability, or durability of the original, ArvinMeritor says. In other cases, the component must be completely disassembled and checked for water and contaminant damage that includes, but is not limited to, rust and corrosion.

"Returning a vehicle to service after a flood requires a careful, comprehensive inspection to ensure that your components will perform as expected," according to the company.