4 Wheel Maintenance

Vehicle Maintenance for 4-Wheelers

   First of all I would like to thank you for your purchase of a Hardwick vehicle. Even though the vehicle is aluminum there is some maintenance which I will describe below. The only parts that are steel are the axles. All the fasteners are stainless steel. All parts are made here at Hardwick Hideout except for the wheel bearings which are easily purchased at any automotive store or here at the Hideout. 

     If anything goes wrong with any part of this vehicle that you think was something I overlooked I am always willing to work with the customer to correct it.

     1. Shaft Adjustment

          The shafts are fully extended when delivered. Put your horse to the vehicle as close to the singletree as possible without the horse hitting the splinter bar with his hocks while moving. Once the horse is in position adjust the shafts to the desirable length by removing the 2 bolts in the shaft receiver and the flat key. There is 6" of adjustment in 1 1/2" increments. Once the adjustment has been made, replace the key and bolts. If the vehicle has been painted and the vehicle used with the shafts in this position, the paint inside the receiver will get damaged. The shafts of course can be extended again, but the damaged paint will be exposed. As of this date I have not been able to remedy this. So, be careful about getting the shafts adjusted too short. I am always receptive to any ideas that might cure this problem.

     2. Bolt Tightness

          After the first 8hr. of  use it is a good idea to check all bolts and screws for tightness. Most of the fasteners are no problem about coming loose but it is a good safety idea to check anyway.

     3. Wheel Bearing Lubrication (once a year)

          The wheels are equipped with a grease fitting for a common grease gun. Use a good wheel bearing grease that comes in a tube for your gun. A grease that is advertised not to ‘separate’ is best. Before greasing, remove the hubcap by removing the 3 machine screws holding it in place. Pump the grease in the fitting until grease starts to come out by the bearing nut and then replace the hubcap. This way both the inside and outside bearing are lubricated without having to remove the wheel. DO NOT PUMP GREASE WITHOUT REMOVING THE HUBCAP or the inside seal will be pushed out of the hub.

      4. Bearings Adjustment for Wheels

          To check to see if the wheel bearings are loose, use a jack to raise the wheel off the ground, grab the rim of the wheel and shake it. If the bearings are loose you will feel a noticeable little thump between shaking the wheel back and forth. If the bearings are loose, remove the hubcap, and the cotter pin in the end of the spindle keeping the nut from moving. Tighten the nut until the little thump goes away when you shake the wheel. Usually turning the nut one notch will do it. Sometimes the little thump goes away before you turn the nut a full notch. If this happens, go ahead and tighten the nut to the next notch so that you can replace the cotter pin. A little tight is OK, loose is not so good. Replace the cotter pin and the hubcap. A good time to check your bearings is when you do your once a year greasing.

     5. Fifth-Wheel Lubrication (PJ169 and under)

          The fifth-wheel, like the wheels, also has a grease fitting for lubrication. Instead of having a hubcap with 3 screws, it has a grease cap like the wheel on a car or boat trailer. This cap must be removed by prying with a screwdriver before pumping the grease. After pumping the grease to the point of it coming out around the wheel nut, replace the cap by tapping it on with a hammer.

      6. Fifth-Wheel Adjustment (PJ169 and under)

          Remove the grease cap on the underside of the fifth wheel by prying it loose with a screwdriver. Remove the cotter pin in the spit nut. Tighten the nut as necessary and replace the cotter pin. Before replacing the grease cap, you might check to see if it needs any grease. Grease if necessary and replace the cap by tapping it back on with a hammer.

     7. Fifth-Wheel Lubrication (PJ170 and above)

          These fifth wheels require no lubrication as they incorporate a sealed bearing.

      8. Fifth-Wheel Adjustment (PJ170 and above)

          On the underside of the fifth wheel you will see the end of the connection bolt with a split nut and cotter pin. If the fifth wheel becomes loose you can remove the cotter pin and tighten the nut as much as necessary and replace the cotter pin.

     9. Brake Fluid and Bleeding

          Use only DOT3 or 4 brake fluid. Do not use DOT5. If the two are mixed it will clog the whole brake system. It really causes quite a mess, and of course, your brakes will no longer work. If for any reason air gets into the brake system, the system will need to be bled to get the air out. Hardwick Hideout systems uses clear plastic brake lines, so it is very easy to see any air bubbles along the brakes lines.

     1. Make sure there is fluid in the master cylinder reservoir. Bleed the master cylinder first. During the bleeding procedure the level of fluid in the reservoir will drop so make sure to keep fluid in the reservoir. DO NOT LET IT GO DRY.

     2. Starting with the wheel nearest the master cylinder,  wipe the bleed screw clean.

     3. Unscrew the bleed-nipple about ½ turn. Slowly depress the brake pedal till it stops, and while the pedal is depressed, close the bleed screw.  Observe the fluid passing through the plastic brake lines until all air bubbles have ceased to appear.

     4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 on the second wheel.

     5. There is a one person bleeding kit supplied. Use the instructions supplied with the kit to bleed the system. These bleeding kits are available at most auto supply stores.

     10. Axle Adjustment

          Normally you will never need to make any adjustments to the axles. Here is an example of a situation where you might prefer to adjust the axles. The driver weighs 120-130 lbs. The navigator is 6' 4" and weighs 220 lbs. This will probably make the vehicle look like you’re going skiing. The rear will be down and the front wheels barely touching the ground. In this situation I would adjust the rear axles. Each axle is mounted on 36 splines (10 degrees for each spline). Mark where one of the splines of the axle lines up with a spline on the axle arm. Make sure to make a good mark as this mark will tell you where you were and where you are going. Do not remove the wheel, it isn’t necessary. Remove the bolt holding the axle arm to the axle (take the bolt all the way out, the arm cannot be removed from the axle with the bolt in the hole) pull the arm and wheel assembly off the axle and rotate (toward the ground to make the rear of vehicle higher) one spline. One spline should be plenty to offset the difference in weight. Put the arm and wheel assembly back on, and replace the bolt and nut. Do this both rear wheels. This not only lifts the rear of the vehicle higher but because of the greater angle, the axle will become stiffer.

     11. Cleaning

          Normal soap and water will do to clean unpainted and painted vehicles. On unpainted vehicles if you really want to do a good job on the aluminum the use of a Brillo pad works wonders, but it does take a little extra effort. Do not use acid type chemical cleaners. They work really well with very little effort but unfortunately they work into bolt holes and get inside of the tubing used for the framework and just keep eating away at the aluminum.

     12. Service and Questions

          I do stand behind every vehicle I build and sometimes I make mistakes or just did not weld a piece as good as I should have. Things like these I will fix for you at no charge or if the vehicle is too far away you may get them fixed and send me the bill. Some things are also broken by owner accidents. I have to trust the customer’s honesty which is which. In 13 yr. and 100 vehicles I have never been let down by trusting driving customers.

          I am available from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM every day for calls regarding repairs, ideas, and just “shooting the breeze”.  Phone 352-625-3263 or e-mail rhardwick@cfl.rr.com.  I really hope you enjoy the vehicle you have bought from Hardwick Hideout and THANK YOU AGAIN.

Sincerely,

Russell D. Hardwick

President