Front wheels
Rims:Check for damaged or bent rims. Rims should
not have welding repairs and no rust trails that
indicate it is loose on the wheel.
Lug nuts:Make sure all lug nuts are present and not
loose (look for rust trails around the lug nuts).
There should be no cracks radiating from the
lug bolt holes or distortion of the bolt holes.
Hub oil seal:Check wheel hub oil seal for leaks, and if sight
glass if present, check to see that the oil level
is adequate.
Oil-lubricated front
wheel bearing:If the hubcap has a transparent window, check
for proper lubrication level. If the hubcap does
not have a transparent window, remove the
rubber fill-plug and check for proper level.
If a wheel must be changed, obtain expert tire service help.
Mounting and un-mounting of tires should only be performed by
a qualified technician using necessary safety procedures and
equipment, otherwise the result could be property damage, personal
injury or death.
Driver/Fuel area
Fuel tank:Make sure the fuel tank and caps are secure.
Make sure there is no damage to the tank.
Leaks:Check for any leaks from the fuel tanks.
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Vehicle Inspection Guide
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Rear springs
Torsion, shocks:Make sure torsion arm is not cracked, broken
or missing. Check the shock absorber for
cracks or leaks; there should be no missing or
broken mounting bolts or worn bushings.
Rear brakes
Hoses:Checked for cracked, worn or frayed hoses.
Make sure all couplings are secured.
Chambers:Make sure brake chambers are not cracked or
dented and that they are securely mounted.
Slack adjuster:Check for broken, loose or missing parts; the
angle between the push rod and adjuster arm
should be approximately 90° when the brakes
are applied. When pulled by hand, the push
rod should not move more than approximately
one inch (2.5 cm).
Drum:Make sure there are no cracks, dents or holes
and no loose or missing bolts. Make sure brake
linings are not worn or dangerously thin or
contaminated by lubricant.
Rear wheels
Spacers:Make sure dual wheels are evenly separated
and that tires are not touching one another.
Rims:Check for damaged or bent rims. Rims should
not have welding repairs and no rust trails that
indicate it is loose on the wheel.
Lug nuts:Make sure all lug nuts are present and not
loose (look for rust trails around the lug nuts).
There should be no cracks radiating from the
lug bolt holes or distortion of the bolt holes.
2006 F-650/750(f67)
Supplement
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Vehicle Inspection Guide
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Trailer
If you are pulling a trailer, an inspection of the trailer similar to that of
the tractor should be done. Such an inspection should follow trailer
manufacturer recommendation and should include at a minimum: general
condition, landing gear, doors, sides, lights, reflectors, suspension,
brakes, tires, wheels, cargo placement, stability and tie-downs.
Transmission
If your vehicle is equipped with an automatic transmission, regularly
check the transmission’s neutral start switch. The engine should only
start in the N (Neutral) or P (Park) positions.
If the unit starts in gear and/or the neutral start switch is not
functioning correctly, the vehicle may inadvertently move which
could result in property damage, personal injury or death.
Check the transmission fluid level and shift linkage for proper operation.
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Supplement
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Vehicle Inspection Guide
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Backing up
To reduce the risk of the possibility of personal injury while
backing the vehicle, always be sure your vehicle’s path is clear.
Before backing your vehicle, be sure you can do so safely. If anything
behind the cab limits your view, do not rely on mirrors alone to ensure
that your intended path is clear. If other people are in the vicinity, have
someone standing well behind your vehicle and outside of your intended
path (visible through an exterior mirror) guide you as you back up.
Although OSHA or some governmental regulations may require the use
of an electrical or mechanical back-up alarm to warn bystanders, such an
alarm does not ensure that the intended path is clear. When in doubt,
get out of the vehicle and visually check the intended path is clear;
back-up slowly as to allow others time to move, if necessary.
If an electrical back-up alarm is installed, it should be connected to the
back-up lamp circuit.
Parking your vehicle
Always use the parking brake. When parking on a grade, block the
wheels and turn the front wheels to one side so that if the vehicle rolls,
the front tires will act against the curb to stop the vehicle. The front
wheels will be more effective at stopping a rolling vehicle than the rear
wheels.
When parking your vehicle, do not leave the transmission in
gear; if the key is in the ON position and the vehicle rolls, the
engine could start. Failure to follow these instructions could result in
an unattended vehicle moving, possibly causing personal injury or
property damage.
Driving through water
If driving through deep or standing water is unavoidable, proceed very
slowly especially if the depth is not known. Never drive through water
that is higher than the bottom of the hubs (for trucks) or the bottom of
the wheel rims (for cars). Traction or brake capability may be limited
and your vehicle may stall. Water may also enter your engine’s air intake
and severely damage your engine, drive axles or the transmission
(through the breather ports).
Once through the water, always dry the brakes by moving your vehicle
slowly while applying light pressure on the brake pedal. Wet brakes do
not stop the vehicle as quickly as dry brakes.
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Driving
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If you should become stuck in snow or ice or on a very slippery road
surface, try switching the Traction Controlsystem off. This may allow
excess wheel spin to “dig” the vehicle out and enable a successful
“rocking” maneuver.
Aggressive driving in any road conditions can cause you to lose
control of your vehicle increasing the risk of severe personal
injury or property damage. The occurrence of a Traction Control
event is an indication that at least some of the tires have exceeded
their ability to grip the road; this may lead to an increased risk of loss
of vehicle control, vehicle rollover, personal injury and death. If you
experience a severe road event, SLOW DOWN.
AIR SUSPENSION (IF EQUIPPED)
Note:The vehicle must not be operated without air in the suspension
springs. Operating the vehicle without air in the air suspension springs
will damage the suspension, degrade ride performance and may cause
property damage.
The suspension system automatically adjusts to different loads to
maintain a constant frame height. The system allows for ease of vehicle
loading and provides improved vehicle ride and increased driver comfort.
Air suspension dump switch (if equipped)
The system is controlled by a switch
located on the instrument panel.
The switch will operate only when
the ignition is in the ACC
(Accessory) or IGNITION positions
and the air tanks have sufficient
pressure to fill the air springs. When
the ignition is turned off, the
suspension will remain in whatever
state it was last set.
Note:The suspension will dump air when the ignition is in the ACC or
IGNITION position, but will only fill when the ignition is in the IGNITION
position.
When the upper portion of the switch is pressed and the vehicle speed is
below 5 mph (8 km/h), air supplied to the air spring is exhausted,
lowering the frame for loading. Pressing the lower portion of the switch
causes air to fill the air springs so the vehicle will remain at normal ride
height.
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Driving
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Tractor-trailer connections
To reduce the risk of personal injury, use extreme caution when
making brake and light connections. Inclement weather and
accumulated road contamination deposits on handhold and stepping
surfaces require extra care to avoid slip and falls. Provide adequate
lighting of working areas.
Do not climb on the back of the tractor unless it has been
provided with a deck plate and handholds. Use a three-point
stance when climbing up and down from a deck plate. Do not jump
from the vehicle. Whenever possible, make all connections while
standing on the ground.
Connecting and disconnecting a trailer with air suspension
When connecting to a trailer:
•Press the lower portion of the switch and air will exhaust from the air
suspension system.
•After making the connection to the trailer, press the upper portion of
the switch, then raise the landing gear.
When disconnecting the trailer:
•Lower the landing gear, then press the lower portion of the switch.
•Disconnect the brake hoses, trailer-side and rear light connectors,
then pull the release lever on the fifth wheel.
The upper portion of the switch must be pressed before operating with a
trailer or operating in the bobtail mode.
Suspension conversions
It is not recommended, or approved, that suspension conversions be
performed. However, it is understood that, on occasion, aftermarket
add-on suspensions are installed by others on the truck chassis which
allow operator control for weight transfer from other axles (i.e., air lift
axles).
When operating a loaded vehicle, the driver must keep all
adjustable axles on the ground at all times, supporting their
share of the vehicle’s load. Failure to do so can overload other axles,
tires, wheels, springs, steering components, brakes and frames,
resulting in early component failure, loss of vehicle control, possible
property damage and personal injury.
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Driving
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Rear axles with locking or limited-slip differentials
If your vehicle is equipped with a locking or limited-slip differential, note
the following:
•Power will be transmitted to the opposite wheel should one of the
wheels begin to slip.
•Both wheels must be raised off the ground should it be necessary to
operate one wheel with the vehicle stationary.
If both wheels are not raised off the ground, the one wheel that
is not raised may pull the vehicle off its support, possibly
resulting in personal injury
Driver-controlled differential lock
To prevent the vehicle from moving when servicing the wheels, tires or
brakes, turn the engine off and raise all drive wheels of the locker
differential axle. Axles equipped with NoSPIN Detroit Locker differentials
deliver power to both wheels even when only one wheel is on the
ground.
Failure to raise all drive wheels with this type of differential
could cause the vehicle to move unexpectedly, resulting in
property damage, personal injury or death.
Care should be taken to avoid sudden accelerations when both drive
wheels are on a slippery surface.
Sudden accelerations on slippery surfaces could cause the
wheels to spin, the vehicle to turn sideways on a crowned road
surface or in a turn, possibly resulting in loss of vehicle control and
personal injury.
Some Dana/Spicer drive axles have a driver-controlled differential lock.
The differential lock can lock or unlock the differential when the vehicle
is moving or stopped. When extra traction is required, the differential
lock will provide full power to both axles.
When the differential is locked, the vehicle’s turning radius will increase
(vehicle will “under-steer”)
The differential can be locked or unlocked when the vehicle is moving at
a constant speed of less than 25 mph (40 km/h) and while the wheels
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are not slipping. The differential must not be locked when the vehicle is
traveling down steep grades and traction is minimal.
Note:Never use the differential lock at vehicle speeds above 25 mph (40
km/h).
Note:The driver-controlled differential lock function will vary with some
transmissions.
•Vehicles equipped with an Allison 3000 Series transmission:The
differential lock and differential lock light will automatically disengage
at speeds above 25 mph (40 km/h). The differential lock will remain
off until either the vehicle is restarted or the differential lock switch is
turned off then back on.
•Vehicles equipped with a 5–speed, 6–speed or 7–speed manual
transmission or a non-MD automatic transmission:The driver
must manually deactivate the differential lock if using it at speeds
above 25 mph (40 km/h).
•Vehicles equipped with a 10–speed transmission:The differential
lock can only be activated when in low range and it will only stay
activated until it is turned off or when the transmission is put into
high range. When active and shifted into high range, it will temporarily
deactivate (automatically) until low range is selected again.
Axle conversions
It is not recommended, or approved, for axle conversions to be
performed. However, it is understood that, on occasion, aftermarket
add-on axles are installed by others on the truck chassis which allow
operator control for weight transfer from other axles (i.e., air lift axles).
When operating a loaded vehicle, the driver must keep all
adjustable axles on the ground at all times, supporting their
share of the vehicle’s load. Failure to do so can overload other axles,
tires, wheels, springs, steering components, brakes and frames,
resulting in early component failure, loss of vehicle control, possible
property damage and personal injury.
TWO-SPEED REAR AXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
A two-speed rear axle allows the driver to select a LO range for greater
pulling power and a HI range for greater road speed and fuel economy.
These ranges can also be used to provide additional steps between
transmission shifts when driving on steep grades and/or fuel economy
may be factors.
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USA(fus)
Driving
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