Cold mornings are back, and that first frost is a good reminder: it’s time to give your trucks a little extra attention before winter settles in.
If you’re reading this, odds are you already know the fall PM drill. Things like changing engine oil and fuel filters, checking coolant mix and antifreeze strength, testing batteries, inspecting belts and hoses, swapping out worn wiper blades, and making sure the heater and defroster actually work. Brake linings, drums or rotors, air dryers, suspension bushings, shocks…all of it matters. Same with lights and grounds, wheel-nut torque, tread depth, alignment, and casing condition. If you run a truck, you already know these basics matter a lot more once the temperature drops.
We’re aware that most fleets have a fall PM checklist that covers the big stuff, but in our experience, the real trouble usually comes from the small things; the ones that get missed when everything’s still running fine. For example, summer wear can loosen clamp load JUST enough for a wheel to start shifting on the seat. Seals that looked bone-dry in August might start to mist once it gets cold. Tire pressure drops fast on chilly mornings, and a tire that passed inspection yesterday might be leaking by the time the truck hits its first grade today.
Even more importantly, If your fleet runs Alcoa® Wheels, now’s also the time to check your cleaning products and surface care habits. The right chemistry helps resist corrosion and keeps mating surfaces solid when road brine rolls in.
This article is all about the details that usually get skipped. Think things like smarter torque check timing as temps swing, quick checks for galvanic corrosion where mixed metals meet, and dead-simple valve core steps that stop slow leaks before they hit your DVIR.
Call it fall maintenance. Call it cold-weather prep. The idea’s the same. Do the usual stuff well, then throw in a few smart habits that save headaches when the first front moves in.
Fewer surprises. Fewer roadside calls. A quieter maintenance radio, and more miles that go exactly the way they should. Let’s roll into it!
Tip #1: Clean, flat wheel-to-hub faces still matter on aluminum wheels
Dura-Bright® helps surfaces shed grime, but clamp load still depends on clean, flat mating faces. Any rust scale on the hub, road paint on the drum, or powder on the wheel pad will compress once the truck rolls. Then, clamp load drops, the wheel can fret on the mounting face of the wheel, and what looks like ordinary wear and tear turns into elongated holes or small cracks. That’s why it’s important to treat this as core preventive maintenance for all truck wheels, not a nice-to-have.
So make it a quick ritual. Clean (with DuraBright®, simply use soap and water) and dry the hub, drum, and wheel pad. Inspect for pits or raised scale. Mount with the correct hardware, torque with calibrated tools, then perform a torque check after initial service per your spec.. You should be thinking surface prep first, specification second, verification third.
Another good reminder is to tie in inflation checks with this process, because movement gets worse when tires run soft. Cold air lowers air pressure, so check your tire pressures with a quality tire pressure gauge and compare the amount of air to recommended pressures in the owner’s manual or your fleet standard. Record an accurate PSI reading, and make sure the tire pressure monitoring system is working properly. Lastly, take a second to look at each valve stem for leaks or missing caps. Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest difference. In fact…
Tip #2: Small parts can cause big downtime
The little pieces around the wheel end are easy to overlook, yet they can sometimes be the ones that completely strand a truck on the shoulder. When you’re doing your fall PM, consider starting with the air path. Inspect not only each valve stem like we mentioned before, also inspect the grommet and the core. If the stem shows cuts or corrosion, replace it. Spin out the core, check for grit, and install a fresh one if there is ANY doubt whatsoever. Caps matter far more than they get credit for. Another pro tip: consider using metal caps with seals, rather than lightweight plastic. And if you run TPMS, confirm the tire pressure monitoring system reads cleanly after the cap goes back on.
Some more feedback that we’ve gathered from our community is to look at extensions on duals. Ensure they are supported, not rubbing a hole in the sidewall or chafing on the hand hole. If you balance with beads, verify compatibility with sensors and stems, then follow the product guidance for installation quantity and filters. A slow leak from a two-dollar core will wreck a new casing faster than most drivers expect.
After doing this, move to the fasteners. Check nut hexes for rounding, look for galling on the washer faces, and run a clean nut down each stud by hand to feel for damaged threads. Replace any part that drags or binds. Paint marks or wheel-nut indicators are cheap insurance, since a quick walk-around tells a driver if something moved. When in doubt, remove the nuts, clean the seats and threads, torque to spec with calibrated tools, and record the value so you can verify it later.
Finally, finish with the hubcap and vent. Confirm the gasket is intact, the fill level is correct, and the vent is not packed with grime. A blocked vent can push oil past a seal, which looks like ordinary spray until braking performance starts to fade.
Small parts do not make the checklist headlines, but they do decide whether the truck rolls the next morning. So pay attention to the little things…like this next tip on our list!
Tip #3: Watch out for cold-soak tire pressure and the first-mile trap
Morning readings tell the truth. After a truck has been parked for a few hours, the air in the casing cools and you get a stable number. That is the time to set pressures. Once the truck rolls, flex and sunlight raise temperature and the gauge climbs. If you bleed a warm tire down to a cold spec, it will be underinflated by the next sunrise.
Practical routine for drivers and shops:
- Park long enough for a true cold-soak. Overnight is best. At minimum, a few hours without sun on the tire.
- Use a calibrated tire gauge and check against your fleet spec or the placard. Record the reading in psi so the next person can compare apples to apples.
- Match duals within a couple of psi. A soft inside dual will carry extra load and run hot, even if the outside tire looks fine.
- Look and listen while you measure. A quick soap test around the valve stem and valve core can save a casing. Replace questionable cores on the spot and install metal caps with seals.
- Verify the tire pressure monitoring system picks up cleanly after you adjust. Set alert thresholds to match seasonal targets so drivers do not get nuisance alarms.
Aim for the recommended cold pressures, not a number taken at a fuel stop after an hour on the road. A good cold-soak habit keeps footprints even, reduces heat build, and helps the wheel joint stay quiet under load. It also gives you a baseline you can trust when the first cold front drags the thermometer down. Any while we’re talking about cold weather…
Tip #4: Have an early salt strategy for your fleet
The first de-icer of the season arrives quietly, then stays in every pocket it can find. Brine easily creeps behind hand holes, around the valve base, and across the mounting pad.
Sometimes, a quick rinse can make your wheels look clean, yet residue remains and starts corrosion where you cannot see it.So, treat the first storm as your signal to tighten up wash habits. Washing both your truck and trailer is critical to remove road de-icer compounds before they trigger corrosion.
Our suggestion is to use pH-balanced, aluminum-safe cleaners (just soap and water for our DuraBright® products)., and avoid strong acids. Rinse thoroughly from both sides of the wheel so runoff does not dry on the pad or around the studs. Dry, then spot-check for white bloom or gritty films. If a wheel does not have a sealed finish, add a compatible protectant before the next route.
Even with DuraBright®, a thorough rinse and dry keeps salts from baking on during the first heat cycle. Make sure to clean hardware and caps as well. A tidy wheel end holds torque better and stays easier to inspect all winter. While you’re inspecting things…make sure to pay attention to tip #5!
Tip #5: Have runout and rim-flange checks that prevent ghost vibrations
Vibration after a tire service often gets blamed on balance, and usually for good reason! However, many times the real issue is runout or rim-flange damage that flew under the radar.
When performing your fall maintenance, give each aluminum wheel a quick lateral and radial runout check when it comes off the truck. A dial indicator is ideal, but in a pinch, spin the wheel on a balancer and watch the outer edge and the bead seat. Look for flat spots, bent flanges, and scars where a tire iron bit the lip. Mark anything questionable, then decide to rotate, repair, or retire based on your spec.
Check drums and hubs too. A bent drum can mimic a wheel issue and cook a new shoe. Small runout problems become big ones once temperatures drop, since cold casings flex less and transmit more shake into bearings and studs. Catch it now and you prevent hot spots, uneven wear, and the mystery clamp-load loss that shows up a week later.
Bonus Tip: Choose the right winter fuel and additives
Cold weather doesn’t just stress wheels and tires; it also affects fuel. You may remember the time where adding a little kerosene to your gasoline was once the standard solution, but modern fuel additives can often achieve the same or better protection. But it’s still important to make sure your fleet is running the correct winter blend or additives to keep tanks and lines from gelling when the temperature drops.
With that in mind, don’t forget to check both the vehicles’ fuel tanks and the bulk storage tanks at your shop or truck stop. A simple step here prevents major downtime when the first deep freeze hits.
Conclusion
Fall PM does not win on big moves alone. It wins on the quiet details that keep clamp load stable, air inside the tires, and corrosion on the run. Clean, flat mating faces set the joint. Small parts like valve stems, cores, and caps keep pressure where it belongs. Cold-soak checks lock in the right number before the day warms up. Smart wash chemistry removes brine before it can start trouble. Simple runout and flange inspections stop vibrations that eat hardware and time. Bring these into your fall routine and the rest of the checklist works better. Fewer comebacks. Fewer roadside calls. A cleaner handoff to winter.