Caterpillar required the use of special tools for some repair operations. Detroit Diesel had a less capricious disposition. Its powertrains were less sensitive to fuel quality and somewhat easier to repair.
But in any case, American tractors nursed their phenomenal resource only with timely maintenance. The main rule in our conditions was the regular change of fuel filters. And also, the use of specific American engine oil and high-quality antifreeze in the cooling system.
The chassis, with two rear axles and a six-by-four wheel arrangement, equipped with interwheel and center differential locks (and most of them offered this in the "standard") were the best fit for our off-road, smashing the sleek Europeans with their simplified wording to smithereens 4x2.
The overseas scheme is optimal from the point of view of the weight distribution of the road train and the redistribution of the load on the driving axles when driving on roads with prolonged ups and downs, sometimes covered with snow and ice. These conditions openly resonate with Russian realities.
Three-axle tractors, when used for container transport, have the best weight distribution along the axles for a heavy-duty road train. Most American trucks used axles and gearboxes from leading manufacturers - Rockwell, Eaton and Fuller. True, International also installed its own driving axles. However, looking ahead, they lost somewhat in quality to others.
The mileage of the bridges reached 2 million kilometers per circle. But it was possible to make a problem by forgetting to turn off the lock in time, having traveled with it a hundred or two kilometers. And it was necessary to carefully assess the condition of the oil seals on all axles, because the wheel bearings in this case are lubricated with liquid oil. In the case of overweight, the load on the saddle was distributed on two axles, and not on one, as in Europeans.
Trucks could be equipped with leaf spring and air suspension on the drive axles. "Pneumatics", subsequently, proved to be better, because the springs could not withstand the onslaught of our roads. An additional catalyst for the truckers' irrepressible love for Uncle Sam's equipment was the loyalty of Russian requirements for the length of the road train (relative to European ones), which made it possible to engage in cargo transportation in our country without headaches. In addition, almost all "Europeans" were equipped with speed limiters, limiting the rate of movement to 90 kilometers per hour. And the American, if necessary, could be accelerated to 120 km / h. Electronics on overseas trucks were significantly less than on "Europeans". It mainly provided engine control and anti-lock braking system operation.