When you buy a CAT truck, you earn a lifetime worth of bragging rights. It’s one of the best known trucks in the world, which is probably why you bought it. After all, the more popular your vehicle is, the easier it should be to find parts for it, right? Well, that’s not necessarily the case. For example, Toyota is probably the best-selling car in the world, and its spares are everywhere. Mercedes and BMW are pretty popular too, but their costly parts often have to be imported directly from their manufacturers.
Still, the trucking industry in Australia is quite vibrant, so you can find the right parts for your vehicle, as long as you know where to look. Aftermarket suppliers are a god place to start, but don’t just go to any shop that has ‘truck spares’ in its banner. Look for the type of aftermarket supplier that deals directly with original manufacturing plants. This means you get genuine new parts at far friendlier prices. Here are some CAT parts that are regularly sought by truckers and fleet managers in Sydney.
Braking systems
In any car, the brakes are a matter of life and death, literally. Trucks carry a lot of weight even when they’re ambling down the road, so it’s essential that they have solid brakes. On average, truck brakes need replacement every 80,000km, but individual brake parts can be swapped out as necessary in the interim. Since your truck is imported, you may be unsure of Aussie CAT expertise or maintenance equipment.
For that reason, many drivers and fleet managers prefer to do their own maintenance. That means for every CAT that arrives, someone will buy a brake tune-up kit. They might also ask for a repair kit. Other braking kits include actuator kits and power cylinder kits. Of course it’s not always maintenance tools that are required. Sometimes, the CAT owner wants individual brake parts like diaphragms, linings, pistons, housings, and clutch components.
Engine parts
Similarly, a CAT engine requires attention when it’s not on the road, so there are frequent requests for engine overhaul kits. These orders don’t typically come from drivers. They’re more likely to be used in a private garage, especially for corporate maintenance of a CAT fleet. These foundational CAT engine kits depend on which part of the engine is being repaired. There are distinct kits for electricals, marine portions, and fuel systems.
Quick tip: Americans often say ‘gas’ when they mean ‘petrol/diesel’ so if you want a kit for your truck fluids, look for one labelled Oil and Gas. Apart from an overhaul kit, some garages require a rebuild kit. This is mainly for refurbished CATs and restoration jobs. In both cases, they are likely to need specific engine parts like camshafts, flywheels, gears, cylinder heads, oil pans, and gaskets. For repairs on the fuel system, there are calls for pumps and springs.
Trust your mechanic
With any truck or car, you need a reliable technician. It’s not just about his or her skills. You also need to build up trust. Many drivers have horror stories of taking their vehicles for servicing only to have it break down a few weeks later, despite newly replaced parts. At some garages, the practice is to take a functioning car, swop out its parts for duds, then sell the parts to a different driver.
After all, if you took your car for a brake check, you’re unlikely to look too keenly at your wipers, so you wouldn’t know if they’ve been replaced. One driver went to the extent of discreetly marking his car parts with nail varnish. When he came to pick his car, he noticed his ‘new’ parts had no varnish even though he hadn’t asked for any of them to replaced. This is not a risk you want to take, so find the right parts supplier, and hire an honest mechanic.
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