Moving a mobile plant — chassis, wheels, brakes and setting up
Symptom
A hot wheel hub after a short run, uneven tyre wear, loose wheel nuts, the trailer pulling to one side when braking, a folding part creeping down, or the plant not level after setting up.
Likely causes
- Long standing - tyres crack and flat-spot, bearings corrode, brakes seize.
- Brake dragging, or a wheel bearing too tight or failing.
- Wheel nuts not re-torqued after fitting or after the first run.
- Loose U-bolts, axle misalignment or wrong tyre pressure.
- Cylinder seal or valve leaking on a folding part; soft ground under support pads.
Most likely and cheapest to check first.
Checks
- Before every move - plant empty and clean, services disconnected and capped, all parts folded with transport locks fitted.
- Wheel nuts torque; tyre pressure, tread and damage; bearing play with the wheel raised.
- Brakes and park brake; air lines and couplings; kingpin, rubbing plate or drawbar eye; lights and markings.
- Dimensions, weight, permit and route.
Fix
- Free and service seized brakes; adjust or replace bearings before moving.
- Re-torque wheel nuts after the first 50–100 km loaded run and after every wheel change.
- Tighten U-bolts; correct pressures; replace damaged or aged tyres.
- Lock folding parts mechanically and repair the hydraulics.
- Set up on firm, level, drained ground or the maker's slab; re-level if a pad sinks.
Stop the equipment if
A wheel hub is hot after a short run, or a folding part creeps. Never work under a raised part held only by hydraulics.
Parts you may need
Treat every move like a trailer out of storage
A mobile plant may move only a few times a year and stand for months between moves. Check the running gear as if it had just come out of storage, and look for new cracks or loose parts on the structure after the road trip, especially around folding joints and silo connections.
FIELD TIPAfter setting up, test every safety function and calibrate the scales before the first batch. Check phase rotation and earthing on the new supply.
⚠ Every check inside a machine starts with full lockout. Safety disclaimer