TRUCK HINGE MAINTENANCE
How to make your hinges last longer
We have all seen those trucks driving down the road with rust stains bleeding down the door and destroying the paint or tarnishing the decals. It looks bad, and if they are rusting like that, it means they are about to start having door issues. That means costly repairs and truck down time. NOT IDEAL!
Unless you are going to use stainless hinges or use a McLaren Doors hingeless door, the fact is they are going to rust! When McLaren Doors designed the Insul-Lite door, we researched different ways to improve the longevity of your hinge. We have managed to break it down to 3 simple points that we now call “hinge S.L.C’s” and we would like to share them with you.
Your S.L.C’s are:
1. Straight – When hinges are installed even on a slight angle, it reduces the life of the hinge! You might not notice right away but there are telltale signs. Grease splatter by a specific hinge or difficulty opening the door at certain points could indicate signs of friction caused by slanted hinges.
2. Lubricate – Greasing hinges once a month can greatly reduce the hinge deterioration rate as well as keep the door operating smoothly which can help reduce driver fatigue. We recommend a white lithium grease as it has less tendency to attract dirt, which brings us to our 3rd point.
3. Clean – Road debris, salt, and environmental pollutants acts like sand paper on your hinges, and cause rusting especially between the door panel and the hinge. A quick spray will help clear out the debris and keep the hinge rotating properly.
Although you can’t stop the inevitable march of rust, with these three simple steps you can save some money, reduce an injury, or even just keep your moving billboard looking better longer!