BT/SER/M-293                                                                                                              8th July 2003     

                                                        CIRCULAR

To : All Business Managers / Service Engineers / Dealers

Subject : Overloading of Trax Pick-up vehicles.

I.                Due to severe overload conditions on Trax Pick-ups a number of field complaints are reported where Wheel Rims have cracked / failed, some  Chassis have been reported cracked and a number of Hubs have also reported failed.

Detailed analysis made by ourselves, as also by our Suppliers M/s Wheels India Ltd., has clearly established that these failures are clearly attributable to severe overload. Also that no such failures are seen to occur under normal operating conditions. The Normal Operating conditions already factor in a substantial safety margin for overload. Such failures as have occurred are clearly due to overload far beyond any safety margins. It is understood and observed in the field that 3 to 4 Tons load is being carried.

It is therefore decided that all service claims / warranty claims for failures of Hubs, Chassis, Rims and similar components, will not be accepted unless backed by following particulars from the Service Engineer –

 

i)          A Photograph of the vehicle showing overall that no alterations to the vehicle are made facilitating overload, clearly showing the ‘Registration number’ of the vehicle along with the ‘Hold’ and the ‘Rear Axle Leaf springs’.

ii)         Confirmation that no extra leaves to reinforce the leaf springs is done.

iii)        No ‘high side’ holds are used on the vehicle.

iv)                A declaration from the Service Engineer that the normal usage by the operator

    does not involve overload.

The Service Department will henceforth not readily accept Warranty Claims for these parts unless they fully satisfy themselves about the normality of the operating conditions.

 

II.                Similarly in the case of Wheel Joint uprooting, also it is established that this is on account of high overload and over-speed, in combination with bad roads. It is very clear that the Wheel Joints, in terms of the articulation range, in terms of strength etc, is fully proven, and that no failures were reported till severe overloading on bad roads is resorted to,  where operators ply vehicles at high speeds.

Wheel Joint claims also will require to be similarly backed by evidence that vehicles are not tampered with, and are not being overloaded.

 

(S.B. Dugad)                                                                                                                 Dy.Divn. Manager (Service)