Pam PM

Fluids and filters would be the least of my concern. Yeah they probably did some crazy 40 or 50,000 mile oil change intervals. Which is probably fine for fluids. My problem is the lack of greasing.

 

Just remember who PAM is a part of. They won't do anything early or if it's not needed. Back in the day, their day cabs had no radio or AC. Likely ran the oil until it was just about empty to avoid having to deal with too much used oil. If you're lucky they changed the filter before topping up the oil again.

 

Stay away. Wonder how many drivers been in it. Possibly 1 or 2, but likely 7 or 8.

 

Folks don't seem to get that. Regular greasing and kingpins, slack adjusters and u-joints will last dang near forever.

 

Or 40.

Trucks get towed in most cases. New driver picks up almost every time.

 

Have you ever seen a PAM truck on the road? Don’t fall for the detailed look of it on the lot.

 

The following information is over 10 years old. I used to work in the shop for one of the companies they owned.

When I was there they still operated several other companies that they have since folded into PAM. At that time PAM and two others ran Delvac1300 and would change the oil and filters every 45k. The other companies ran Delvac1 synthetic and would change the filters every 48k oil every 145k. They didn’t run coolant filters just dump a pint of additive in at oil or filter change. As far as greasing went the only things greasable was the king pins, drag link and tie rod ends the rest of the truck was lube for life. The s cams and slack adjusters had plugs where the zerk should be. Greasing and inspection was done every 15k or 30 days which ever came first. Back then they ran the trucks 500k we had a few s cams seize just before trade nothing grease didn’t fix and I only remember one driveline failure (that wasn’t caused by the driver) and that was the slip yoke. If memory serves me Meritor recommend at 350k to install grease zerks in the s cams and slacks then grease with their special grease every 350k.

What they do now I have no clue but that’s what they did in the first decade of this century.

What mileage are they getting rid of them at now?