Safety warning after police probe

Waka Kotahi has provided information about risks associated with the repair or refurbishment of trunnion pin-type rear-suspension systems.

An industry alert is a new category of alert from the transport agency aimed at the repair, service and inspection industry. 

This particular one is aimed at heavy-vehicle service providers and operators to ensure all repairers are aware of the problem. Inspecting organisations have also been notified and have been asked to ensure inspectors are vigilant when checking these types of systems.

An incident when the trunnion pin was ejected from a heavy-vehicle suspension causing fatal injuries was investigated by NZ Police’s commercial vehicle safety team (CVST). 

Its report in 2019 found the incident was mainly caused by the trunnion pin breaking. In addition, the overhaul techniques and replacement parts used during what was a recent refurbishment of the truck’s rear-suspension assembly were of concern.

The alert is not a recall but an advisory notice to ensure service providers and heavy-vehicle operators understand the risks of reconditioning this type of system, pictured.

In addition, they should only use original-equipment trunnion pins and trunnion housings bought from reputable suppliers of this type of system, and ensure these suspension units are repaired according to the manufacturer’s instructions by suitably qualified people. Click here to download the full alert.