In the towing equipment industry, many crane dealers use B50 calculations to estimate expected life before an engine requires overhaul, replacement, or other rotating equipment. In the world of car haulers and wrecker trucks, it is generally described in terms of “operating miles” in the trucking community.

B50 is the calculated estimate of when 50% of engines of a given type will require major repair (repairs that require dropping the oil pan or removing cylinder heads; it does not refer to rotating components connected to the engine ) and is often referred to. to as “half-life to review”. These values ​​are indicators of the robustness of a design. They are good comparison figures when evaluating the purchase of several different power units.

It is extremely important to use these numbers as guidelines based on the generalizability of the machine in question. Many factors can alter the accuracy of these numbers. As calculated figures, you must be careful not to demand too much of these figures; they are estimates generated using a set of assumptions about operating conditions. As such, B50 values ​​should be viewed as indicators rather than guarantees or actual test results.

Estimates of B50 are usually rounded figures, such as 400,000 and 500,000 miles, which makes sense when you consider that these estimates are made up of half a dozen assumptions.

These vehicles generally travel 30,000 to 35,000 miles per year. The 400,000-mile B50 rating, therefore, suggests that 50% of the specified units would run at least 11-13 years before requiring major engine work. The B50 rating is 100,000 miles higher, suggesting a 10-14 year service life for the overhaul.

Although many new tow truck companies are not sure how to read to buy older vehicles. The B50 life is a great place to start, as well as bringing in a trusted towing equipment mechanic to pick up your first used crane. A regular mechanic could check everything under the hood, but a crane mechanic will be able to see what needs to be addressed besides the cab and chassis. This can include hoses; wear pads, Jerr-Dan cylinders, headboards or cabinets.

So what are the advantages of making sure you use the correct B-life when comparing apples to oranges? Four years of customer and production experience with existing continuous engine and fuel system design, 24% more displacement for better response and low-speed performance. The HEUI fuel system is the most modern advanced electronic control system in the field of diesel engines; which has an electronic engine control system designed to work with new cranes

Hopefully, this information will allow the purchase of towing equipment to be a pleasant experience that produces the anticipated results that are needed to be a successful operator. It is important to exercise due diligence when it comes to researching an investment in an industry like this to avoid potential shortcomings.