MAHA issues axle play detector advice
Workshop equipment provider MAHA UK is urging hauliers and service repair companies to invest in axle play detector technology, in a bid to save time and improve accuracy when checking the condition of steered axles.
MAHA UK sales manager Nick Austin believes axle play detectors represent an opportunity for companies to capitalise on. Already a mandatory requirement for authorised test facilities (ATFs), they are intended to find defects and wear on steering components, wheel bearings, shock absorbers and suspension – whether that be through lateral or longitudinal movement of the test plates.
They can check all components that swivel, twist or pivot – in essence, it can check everything in one action, ensuring they’re working as they should be. Using an axle play detector will also be quick and precise, as opposed to using a lever or pry bar, which is an outdated scene witnessed inside some workshops, according to Nick.
He said: “I think there are technicians that have become accustomed to using old-fashioned methods, and I would advise them to invest in an axle play detector, as it will allow them to complete a job professionally and more efficiently. By twisting the chassis, I’ve found excessive play in bushes on the rear of a vehicle before, which I would never have found using a pry bar, for example.
“What’s more, because there is no ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ print-out during an MOT, it is down to the tester’s discretion as to how much or little play they believe is in the components – there is no greater accuracy than an axle play detector, which just goes to show how important it is for an ATF. It should also be a helpful part of the preventative maintenance inspection.”
Nick reports a recent influx of customers purchasing commercial brake testers, then moving onto axle play detectors, but acknowledges there is considerable scope for hauliers and service repair companies to add the MAHA LMS 20.0 to their portfolio.
He said: “There has actually been an increase in customers incorporating other pieces of equipment to their orders; for example, they might want to add an inspection pit or headlight tester to the end of the bay.
“I’ve definitely noticed an upward trend in people investing in inspection products for their maintenance regime – in other words, having the complete spec.”
More information on the MAHA LMS 20.0 axle play detector is available at the website.
