What's down under?

Construction operations in heavy brush and rocky terrain can do a lot of damage to the excavator's undercarriage.

That means you have to get down on your hands and knees before the day's run and take a look at what's down under.

Parking Brake Cable

The parking brake cable mounts right behind the excavator's rear axle.

Bouncing around in the rough stuff can rip or tear off the cable's rubber boot. The boot protects the cable's threaded adjustment rod from mud, dirt, flying stones and corrosion.

Grab the boot and look for any tears. A torn or damaged boot means it needs to be replaced by your mechanic. He'll order a new boot on a DD Form 1348-6 with CAGE 64678 and PN 000 427 02 96 using RIC S9C.

Brake Pad Sensor Wire

The brake indicator light on the excavator's dashboard lets you know when:

* brake fluid in the reservoir is low.

* the parking brake is ON.

* the vehicle's front brake pads are worn.

Problem is, the pads can be worn down dangerously close to the brake disks And you won't even know it.

That's because the brake pad sensor wire may get damaged or tom off where it mounts into the brake pad. A busted wire means there's a disconnect between the sensor and the indicator light. Now the indicator can't tell the brake pads are worn. You're in the dark if the brake pads are worn out--and that's no good!

So eyeball the brake pad sensor wiring where it mounts into the brake pad. If the line looks damaged, tom or dangling, report it.