Took me 6 hours on a tower crane in Phoenix because a bearing seized up

Everyone talks about checking the slew ring bearings before a big lift but I never gave them much thought. Last month on a job in Phoenix I spent half a day stuck because a bearing seized up on me and nobody had the right part. Took 6 hours to get the crane back running and I lost a whole shift. How often do you guys actually check those bearings before a heavy lift?

3 comments

3 Comments

shah.ben1mo ago

Man I used to be just like you honestly. I figured bearings were pretty tough and could take a beating. But crawling around on that deck in Phoenix with the sun baking down, waiting for a part that wasn't there really changed my mind. Now I give them a quick spin and listen for any grinding noise before I even hook up the load. It's not paranoia after you've been stuck for half a shift.

nathan1932mo ago

Man that's rough, six hours stuck in Phoenix heat no less! I definitely give those bearings a quick look now after hearing stories like this.

lane.angela2mo ago

You said "six hours stuck in Phoenix heat" and I'm just sitting here thinking... is it really that serious? I mean, I get that overheating sucks but people carry on like their engine is gonna explode the second the temp gauge creeps past halfway. I've driven through Arizona in July with a radiator that had more leaks than a sinking ship and made it just fine. Those bearings might be a little grumpy but modern ones can handle way more than we give them credit for. Half the time it's just paranoia from hearing one bad story online, you know? Unless you're running some beat up junker from the 90s I wouldn't lose sleep over it.