DIY maintenance on 7.5 tonne Iveco?

I know my way around the wife’s freelander and have carried out most repairs. Just wondering whether maintaining a 7.5 tonne Iveco is just a notch too far. I appreciate I would need to buy a load rated trolley jack and axle stands before I could get started. But just wonder if the actual work to replace discs, pads … is another level compared to that of a car?

Any advice welcomed.

Good luck. Routine maintenance you may get away with but I wouldn’t fancy changing a rear diff single-handed.

Never done it but I assume it’s the same principle just bigger parts. Guess the main issue would be having a suitable space to work on it. Assume it’s hydraulic brakes rather than air brakes.

Getting a workshop repair manual seems quite tricky. I think it might be air brakes as the vehicle does have a load sensing valve.

Are you just trying to win the pickup truck vs van competition by trumping everyone with a 7.5 tonner.?
Try parking that at BPW 😆

I take it your one of them lucky bams with a pre 97 license.

Same principals bigger tools. Speaking as someone who just broke an expensive ball joint splittee trying to break out the unit on a 3500kg iveco

Remember tires on a 7.5t are likely to be 100psi and also tires on horse boxes will have spent alot of time standing in UV…….

It’s great! No need to take front wheel off the bike and there is still plenty of room when the bike is in the back.

I take it your one of them lucky bams with a pre 97 license.

That depends on your viewpoint. Lucky to have the pre 97 licence, but unlucky in the age stakes!

Remember tires on a 7.5t are likely to be 100psi and also tires on horse boxes will have spent alot of time standing in UV…….

Good point.

True that.

Just been relieved of 300 quid to do my B1+E 🙁

It’s the same but everything is that much heavier. A fair amount of stuff will require jacks, winching or at least some form of muscle assistant. Stuff that you would not think twice about on a car.

Plus bigger tools etc.

Brakes are hydraulic but air operated. Not just pure air like most stuff.

How bigs your socket set?

The eurocargo is a good wagon. I’ve just quit as after sales manager for an iveco repairer

Looks like a thread for the STW resident truck and bus mech…

Since everything is bigger it is also easier to get to, most work compared to a car is a lot more straight forward, you don’t need to remove half the vehicle to get to stuff and the lack of fiddlyness is refreshing. Changing pads is easy, discs also, you will be able to lift the callipers off on your own certainly on a 7.5tonner, if I can lift bus callipers on my own which are bigger.

Most of the issues will be much like a car, so worn bushes here and there, worn ball joints, a big sledge hammer helps, split hoses, the radiator and intercooler are really easy to change, you will unlikely get problems with the engine bar the odd oil leak.

The other thing is on a truck everything is designed for use in a industrial environment so once repaired will last a good while longer than it would on a car.

The biggest issue is cost of parts, things like tyres won’t be cheap due to their size, a service will cost a fair bit as you will need about 15 litres of engine oil for a start, there is gearbox and diff oil to change also, along with many filters. There are ways to reduce costs such a parts from a scrappy and retreaded tyres, there are a good few reconditioning firms out there too.

You will need a 1/2 inch drive good quality (i.e snap on) electric impact gun, and an impact socket set, you won’t touch m18 and m22 bolts with a ratchet, some jobs like the clutch you won’t be able to do without a gearbox jack. Slogging spanners are a good tool too.

Mostly the same principles, just bigger.
7.5 tonne stuff is still mostly in the realm of one person repairs, unless it’s something major. Things like brake discs will need hubs removed, which can be challenge if you don’t have the correct tools, or if you don’t know how to adjust the bearings back up.

It’s when you get up to vehicles with 22.5″ wheels, that help is needed for anything other than run of the mill repairs, and you really need to know what you’re doing. One wrong move, and things will hurt. Things like a brake calliper/carrier weigh well over 20kg, and a rear brake disc/hub assembly are well over 40kg. I can get them off/on myself, but I probably shouldn’t, and one wrong move could result in a very painful injury.
As an apprentice, the key thing you learn to think about, is if it does fall, where’s it going to go, and will you be in the way.

3/4″ socket set and a scaffold bar are needed. Its a while since I was in the trade but recon most things can be done without a pit. When I worked on them the Alternator used to earth the starter relay. So if it wont start then the alternator is goosed.

Cheers fellas. Always good to hear from those in the know and you have given me confidence that for basic stuff I should be good to go.

I’ve just quit as after sales manager for an iveco repairer

Can you help me get a workshop/repair manual for a 1993 75e15 model?

Everything that muckytee said (me and a few other forum lurkers apprenticed at the Leyland DAF factory).

Access for many jobs will be much easier than a car. Components are bigger but 7.5t stuff isn’t like the real heavy brake drums, discs, springs etc on larger trucks. Air over hydraulic brakes are fairly straightforward.

Keep on top of maintenance – VOSA checkpoints will be more likely to stop you than a car.

Keep on top of maintenance – VOSA checkpoints will be more likely to stop you than a car.

Thanks for that tip. Not even considered that. 😯

VOSA will hopefully never be an issue – just mentioned it as we have a checkpoint nearby and often see them watching / waiting in a little parking place on the slip road a few miles earlier. Usually they are pulling over artics, but on a quiet truck free weekend a 20 odd year old horseboxes might look fair game to relieve their boredom 🙂

There are plenty of downloadable checklists online so you can keep a quick record of daily / weekly checks – not a legal requirement but is evidence that you are being diligent and not just ignoring it between Mot’s.

If you run into issues there is plenty of info on my forum…not so active for the 7.5 tonners but still a fair bit of past info and advice if you need it.

Horsebox or race truck?

ivecoforums.com

Who get’s pulled at VOSA checkpoints depends mostly on what they’re targeting that day. Could be foreign trucks, could be artics, could be vans, could be horseboxes, or just a random mix of whatever the police decide to pull in.
And they don’t just use dedicated checkpoints. They often use laybys and car parks, and will often turn up at events where they know they’ll get a captive audience.

VOSA have no legal power to stop vehicles, as it’s only the police who have that power. They can however follow you until you stop.

One thing to be aware of, is VOSA have the power to issue various levels of prohibition, the worst of which is, park your vehicle where they tell you, and phone a recovery company. Which may even have the requirement of being a low loader so no wheels are left on the ground.

It’s the DVSA now not VOSA

Old article
http://www.commercialmotor.com/news/vosas-new-stopping-powers-analysed

I should really prompt our manager to print some new manuals with the new name on so I might remember it’s DVSA now…

I never knew they could now stop vehicles. Certainly anything I’ve seen and dealt with around Edinburgh, has always involved the police doing the stopping. Or been picked up during base visits (we deal with a couple fleets that don’t get roadside checks, but they do get twice yearly short notice base visits).

DVSA even have fully battenberged up motorbikes now, I don’t know if they just use them for Motorbike Driving ( riding ) Tests or enforcement as well.

Think the stopping powers are around the same as Highways England Traffic Officers. I’ve seen the DVSA Ford Galaxy’s waiting to pull the LGV’s into the weighbridge near M6 junction 29

They normally just go in front of the LGV with ” FOLLOW ME ” on the rear matrix board.