What exactly does B50 Life mean?

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

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

It is of utmost importance to use these numbers only as guidelines based on the generalizability of the machine in question. Many factors can alter the accuracy of these numbers. As calculated figures, you should be careful not to ask 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.

B50 estimates are usually rounded numbers like 400,000 and 500,000 miles, which makes sense when you consider that these estimates are made up of half a dozen guesses.

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

Although many tow truck companies are not sure how to interpret the purchase of older vehicles. The B50 life is a great place to start, as well as bringing a trusted towing equipment mechanic to pick up your first used tow truck. A normal mechanic might check everything under the hood, but a tow truck mechanic will be able to see what needs to be addressed apart from the cab and chassis. This can include hoses; wear pads, Jerr-Dan cylinders, headers 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 ongoing existing engine and fuel system design, 24% more displacement for better low-speed response and performance. HEUI fuel system is the latest advanced electronic control system in the field of diesel engines; that has an electronic engine control system designed to work with newer cranes

Hopefully this information will make purchasing towing equipment a pleasurable experience that will produce the anticipated results needed to be a successful operator. It’s important to do your due diligence when it comes to researching an investment in an industry like this to avoid potential shortfalls.