Heavy-duty axles are generally quite tough, but they’re not indestructible. Whether you’ve overloaded your truck or have collided with something on the road, axles can snap. Generally, a snapped axle is quite apparent. Symptoms include a loud clicking and knocking noise, extreme power loss, and poor traction. Since your heavy-duty axles are directly connected to your drivetrain, leaving damaged axles unchecked may end up causing damage to other components. If you’d like to get an axle replaced, give us a call, and we’ll schedule you in for an appointment. 

What Causes an Axle to Snap? 

Overloading

The most common cause of a snapped heavy-duty axle is an overloaded truck. If you’ve exceeded your heavy-duty vehicle’s weight capacity, your axles are a lot more likely to snap. Generally, your vehicle’s weight capacity takes into account the strength of your axles as well, so be sure not to exceed these limits. 

Exceeding your heavy-duty truck’s weight limit is not the only way your axles can become overloaded. You may put too much stress on them simply by driving over uneven terrain. Whether on logging roads or construction sites, if you have one wheel lift off the ground, the others are then forced to compensate for the loss of traction. This puts excess stress on your remaining axles and makes them more likely to snap. 

Collision or Contact with Road Debris

Getting into an accident or hitting road debris can cause your axle to snap or bend. Even something as simple as driving into a large curb can damage your axles. Keep in mind that if you drive into a curb and come to a dead stop, the weight of your entire heavy-duty truck and trailer is being placed on your axle. 

Contact us Today

If you’re looking for a heavy-duty repair shop that does axle repair of all kinds, give us a call, and we’ll book you in at our next available time.