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Trucks are often designed to be hardy and resourceful tools for anyone to use while driving on or off the road. However, trucks can still break down due to stress and overuse. This may be especially common if you are utilizing your truck in a construction or industrial setting. It is in these situations that knowing how to fix these common problems is essential to ensuring you can get back to work in a timely fashion.
Trucks are often used on work sites and in scenarios where time is of the essence, which is why it can be helpful to have at least some knowledge on how to fix the most common problems that may occur. If you find that you are in this boat and in need of some knowledge on how to fix the most common problems you may encounter when operating a truck, read on. We have compiled some of the best solutions to the most common truck problems.
Flat Tire
One of the most common problems that you can expect to encounter is a flat tire. In most situations, flat tires occur when a sharp foreign object enters the rubber of your tire deep enough to puncture it and release air. While tools such as tire plugs do exist, they may not be the best solution for fixing a tire on an industrial site or while off-roading. When you are in these types of areas, you are more likely to encounter sharp objects that may puncture your tires.
As such, when faced with a flat tire, the best option may be to replace the tire completely. When you do this, you are ensuring that no further damage will come to the flat tire, allowing you to take it to a tire shop and have them repair it at a later date. Doing this can help ensure you will not sustain any more flat tires, and it will help you salvage the popped tire, thus saving you a little money.
Due to the risk of puncturing, it’s advisable to have a spare tire or two on hand wherever you go. Having a tire carrier in your truck bed is ideal, as it can safely, securely, and conveniently house your vehicle’s spare tires.
Cracked Windshield
Another common problem that many people encounter while driving a truck is a cracked windshield. In most cases, a cracked windshield will result from traveling at fast speeds behind another car on a rocky road. When the car in front of you hits a loose piece of gravel, it can throw that piece of gravel toward your vehicle at a high velocity. In some cases, this may crack your windshield or leave the pebble embedded within the windshield. While this may seem like an unfixable form of damage, it is actually not that big of a deal.
You can simply hire a windshield repair team to fill in the crack. In most cases, they will come out to your house and fill in the crack for you. They use a special type of resin that hardens in the sun and is just as resilient as glass, making it a perfect substitute for the chipped glass. Furthermore, this resin is clear, meaning it will look just like any other part of your windshield after it finishes curing.
The only downside of getting a team to fill in the crack on your windshield is that it may leave a bigger mark than you had anticipated. If you are concerned more about the aesthetics of your car than the cost of replacing the windshield, it may be worth it to have the entire windshield professionally replaced. In most cases, this can be done by a mobile technician who will show up at your door and complete the process within a few hours.
Steering Is Pulling or Jerking
Another common truck problem involves a steering system that pulls or jerks while driving at high speeds. Unfortunately, this problem can have many different causes, some of which include worn bushings and ball joints within the front tires or an unevenly worn tire. This issue makes it necessary to be aware of the signs that your ball joints need replacing. In either case, these problems stem from unnoticed wear that may develop in the steering area of the car, namely the ball joints that connect the front suspension to the tires.
With enough wear and tear over time and without any steering alignment adjustments, this problem will continue to get worse and may even cause an accident. The only way to rectify this problem is to go to your local mechanic and have a new set of bushings and ball joints installed in the truck.
The Vehicle Is Vibrating
Yet another common problem that truck owners may experience is their truck vibrating unnecessarily. In most cases, this has something to do with the truck’s suspension system and the quality of the road. Together, these two things can cause unnecessary vibrating within the cabin of the truck. This unnecessary vibrating may cause other problems, such as loosening bolts and tearing apart different components within the car. In most cases, the only way to rectify this problem is to seek out an automobile mechanic who can diagnose the issue and solve it.
The Truck Is Unable To Start
This may seem like the problem of all problems, but don’t worry. In most cases, when a truck is not able to start, it simply means there is a problem with the car battery. The car battery is responsible for operating the starter engine, which is an electrically fueled engine. When your vehicle’s battery has run out of power, it will no longer be able to start the starter engine, which will prohibit your vehicle from starting. If you experience this problem, you can go to your local auto store to pick up a replacement battery or call an auto service to change it for you.
We hope you have enjoyed our recap of solutions to the most common truck problems you can expect to face while on the road or on a work site. If you are looking to purchase upgraded truck equipment such as truck leveling kits, truck armor, or even new sets of bushings and ball joints, be sure to check out Supreme Suspensions today. We have a wide array of automobile parts from many different brands to ensure we are your one-stop shop for everything related to suspensions.