TFL Tripling Wheel End Bearing Life to Eliminate Unplanned Downtime for Mining Haul Trucks

"Wheel end repairs used to be our biggest headache—they were dirty, exhausting, and held up production. Now, with TFL bearings, these trucks run like they have new legs. We’ve had almost zero unplanned downtime from wheel end failures all year, and my team can finally breathe easier!"

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TFL bearings help mining company save $158,000 annually

Haul Truck

Cost Savings: $158,000

A mid-sized mining company specializing in open-pit copper extraction and processing in Chile.

The company operates a fleet of over 15 200-ton class mining haul trucks, which serve as the lifeblood of the entire mine’s transportation system. Their wheel end assemblies are critical load-bearing and power-transmitting components, supporting the full weight of the vehicle plus hundreds of tons of ore as they navigate rugged haul roads day and night.

"Wheel end repairs used to be our biggest headache—they were dirty, exhausting, and held up production. Now, with TFL bearings, these trucks run like they have new legs. We’ve had almost zero unplanned downtime from wheel end failures all year, and my team can finally breathe easier!"

Key Facts

Constant Heavy Loads & High-Impact Shocks
When fully loaded on downhill grades or traveling over potholed service roads, the wheel end bearings are subjected to impact loads far exceeding their standard rating. This repeated stress creates microscopic fatigue cracks on the bearing raceways, which propagate and lead to material spalling. The immense impact forces also compromised the strength of the bearing cage, often causing deformation or fracture.
High Temperatures & Difficult Maintenance
Continuous braking on long downhill slopes generates significant heat in the wheel end system, causing bearing temperatures to spike. The high temperatures would thin the grease, drastically reducing its lubricating properties. Furthermore, the scheduled re-greasing of wheel end bearings was a cumbersome, time-consuming, and labor-intensive task that was difficult to perform on a strict schedule.

The TFL Solution

The TFL engineering team provided a customized upgrade based on a Tapered Roller Bearing design. This solution focused on practical, reliable improvements rather than unproven technologies:

Material: We used high-purity, high-carbon chromium bearing steel and an optimized heat treatment process. This resulted in higher surface hardness and superior core toughness, increasing fatigue resistance by 30%
Geometry: The bearing raceways feature an optimized logarithmic profile, which effectively mitigates edge stress concentration under heavy impact loads. We also upgraded to a heavy-duty stamped steel cage for significantly improved resistance to shock and deformation.
Process: A phosphate coating was applied to the bearing rings and rollers. This coating provides excellent rust prevention and also acts as a solid lubricant for anti-galling protection during brief periods of insufficient lubrication.
Design: We machined a lubrication groove and several holes on the outer ring. This feature integrates with the client's centralized lubrication system, allowing new grease to be applied more easily and uniformly throughout the bearing, dramatically simplifying the maintenance process.

Product Features

Application effects

After adopting the TFL bearing solution, the customer's haul trucks have been significantly improved with remarkable results:

Before: The old-timers on the maintenance team dreaded wheel end repairs. Bearings failed every 5 months on average. Each replacement was a grueling, two-day job that involved a lot of grease and grime, constantly disrupting production schedules and frustrating the crew.
Now: Since switching to TFL's enhanced bearings, it's a completely different story. The advanced sealing blocks over 95% of mud and dust ingress; bearings removed during planned maintenance are still clean inside. The optimized design handles the pounding from rough haul roads without a problem, eliminating premature spalling failures. The most significant benefit is that average bearing service life has been extended from 5 months to a reliable 18+ months. Wheel end maintenance is now a scheduled, planned activity, cutting the maintenance team's emergency workload by more than half and boosting morale.

Cost-Savings Breakdown

By providing customers with customized bearing solutions, TFL Bearing successfully helped them solve problems in truck operation, achieved a comprehensive improvement in equipment performance, and created significant value for them.

SPARE PARTS SAVINGS	$125,000
REDUCED DOWNTIME COSTS	$28,000
LOWER MAINTENANCE & CONSUMABLE COSTS	$5,000
ANNUALIZED COST SAVINGS	$158,000

About TFL BEARINGS

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Competitive prices. Quality bearings meet int'l stds; interchangeable. Reliable, economical alternative. Lower costs, keep performance & value.

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