Tires & Wheels

Double Coin has expanded its commercial truck tire line. New to Double Coin are the FR605, FD405 and FT105 fuel-efficient tires in steer, drive and trailer positions respectively. The company also unveiled a new RR202 tire for mixed service applications, which it describes as an ultra-premium five rib highway service tire. Double Coin also introduced its RR680 and low-profile RT600 to round out its regional all-position steer tire line-up. And for off-the-road applications it has come out with the 3700R57 tire for mining and other severe-service applications. Double Coin also introduced a North America-wide Government Fleet Net Pricing program, which offers special pricing for federal, state and local government entities and municipalities. For details, talk to a Double Coin dealer.

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Promising the appearance of upgraded aluminum wheels at standard aluminum wheel prices, Accuride Corp. has made an enhanced finish standard. The new finishing process produces a semi-polished appearance on unpolished wheels, according to the company. It’s now standard across the company’s entire line of aluminum wheels, except for small diameter trailer wheels.

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Alcoa has announced its LvL ONE line of lightweight aluminum wheels is now able to accommodate load range H tires. The 24.5-inch LvL ONE is being dubbed the strongest wheel in the 24.5″x8.23″ standard wheel category, with a load rating of 7,580 lbs, some 450 lbs more than steel alternatives, while weighing about 30 lbs less, according to the company. Alcoa says the new rating allows fleets and owner/operators to trim 540 lbs from the weight of an 18-wheeler. It’s intended for vocational trucks and over-the-road trailers. Meanwhile, Alcoa has added an online tool called CalcuLighter to its Web site at www.alcoawheels.com,which allows fleets and owner/operators to measure a payback when converting from steel to aluminum wheels.

Trailers

Haultec Trailers was at the Fergus Truck Show to showcase its new Chalmers 1300 series air-ride suspension kit, which has been approved by the MTO to comply with 2011 SPIF requirements for older trailers. The suspension kit was displayed on a 1995 trailer at the show. The company says owners of older trailers now can avoid mandatory weight reductions by retrofitting their existing trailers to comply with SPIF requirements. The conversion can be done at a fraction of the cost of purchasing a new trailer and about half the cost of replacing the frame, Haultec reports. Chalmers says it will be ready for full production by the fourth quarter and Haultec will handle the retrofitting. The Chalmers 1300 series is a walking beam, rubber spring, two air bag suspension. For more info, call Craig Cadenhead or John Martin at Haultec at 905-673-3200 or Steve Clarke or Livio Luchini at Chalmers at 905-362-6400.

• Great Dane showcased its newest trailer -the Classic Truckload reefer -recently at the Great American Trucking Show. The company says the CTL reefer is designed to meet the needs of today’s truckload carriers offering protection against everyday abuse combined with low-maintenance features for greater peace of mind. The trailer features Great Dane’s ThermoGuard interior lining which it says extends the useful life of the trailer while reducing the run-time required by the refrigeration unit as well as CorroGuard, a spray-in-place thermoplastic elastomer that protects against deterioration and corrosion.

Accessories

Gilbarco Veeder-Root has announced it has shipped its first Encore diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) dispensers in North America. DEF will be required by 2010 engines using selective catalytic reduction (SCR) exhaust aftertreatment systems. Pilot Travel Centers has installed the dispensers at 100 locations. Gilbarco says its DEF dispensers are designed to prevent the fluid from freezing and have stainless steel hydraulics to avoid corrosion.

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Kenworth has updated its Web site to include a section for its new T470 medium-duty truck. The T470, aimed at vocational and municipal markets, entered production recently. It’s well-suited for snowplow, dump, mixer, winch, refuse and other heavy front axle vocational and municipal applications, according to Kenworth. Visitors to Kenworth’s Web site ( www.kenworth.com)can now view and download the T470’s online brochure as well as browse available spec’s.

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Rislone says its Liquid Copper Block Seal Intake and Radiator Stop Leak seal radiator and gasket leaks without requiring a full system flush. Customers simply pour it into the radiator, idle the engine for five minutes, let it cool down, top it off with coolant and then go on their way, according to the company. Flushing the entire system can take six to 10 hours and requires a complete coolant refill as well, the company points out. Liquid Copper uses an advanced antifreeze-compatible sodium silicate liquid glass formula so no draining of the cooling system is required. It works with all types and brands of antifreeze, including conventional green or blue (silicate-based) and extended life red/orange or yellow (OAT/HOAT) coolant, according to the company. It stops leaks by forming a seal using organic and synthetic fibers, copper and an ionic-modified mineral. For more info, visit www.rislone.ca.

Components

Thermo King is now offering closed loop cooling as an option on its TriPac hybrid APU. Benefits include: reduced installation complexity; emergency tractor alternator back-up; and the ability to run the APU independently of the tractor’s cooling system. Thermo King said it made closed loop cooling available in response to customer demand. It’s well-suited for drivers who operate in warm climates or simply prefer their APU system not to tap into the tractor’s coolant. The closed loop cooling option is available on any new TriPac and also as an aftermarket option through Thermo King dealers.

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Detroit Diesel has introduced a new two-year, 150,000-mile warranty on its PowerPacks replacement fuel injectors. The company says fuel injectors tend to wear out at the same rate, so replacing the entire pack at one time rather than individually can reduce downtime and save money. The remanufactured PowerPack replacement fuel injectors qualify for the warranty when installed by authorized service outlets, the company says. The qualifying replacement fuel injectors are compatible with Detroit Diesel Series 60 and MBE 4000 engines. For more info, visit www.detroitdieselstepup.com.

Trucks

Freightliner has made its first foray into the natural gas-powered truck market with a new Business Class M2 112 NG. The truck’s best suited for port operations, natural gas utilities and municipalities, the truck maker announced. It’s powered by the Cummins Westport ISL G liquefied natural gas engine. Freightliner estimates the truck can reduce yearly fuel costs by about US$6,000. The 8.9-litre ISL G engine is available with up to 320 hp and is already EPA2010-compliant with no need for exhaust aftertreatment. Later this year, Freightliner said it will come out with a compressed natural gas (CNG) version of the same truck, followed by a CNG-powered single axle tractor, 4×2 and 6×2 truck and vocational configurations.

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Mack Trucks has introduced a natural gas-powered version of its TerraPro Low Entry model truck targeted towards refuse applications. The engine is supplied by Cummins Westport and a cabover version of the truck will be introduced later, Mack announced at the WasteExpo trade show. The 9-litre Cummins Westport ISL G engine is rated at 320 hp and can use either compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG). It is equipped with a three-way catalytic converter to comply wit
h EPA2010 emissions standards, Mack says.

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Navistar is now offering Qualcomm’s Mobile Computing Platform 100 Series in its International Trucks. Customers will now be able to combine the dealer support available through International with the customer support network offered by Qualcomm, the companies announced. The system can also be financed as part of the International truck purchase. The MCP100 features a colour touch screen and remote control with in-cab, text-to-speech capability, allowing drivers to listen to and replay messages without pulling over to read text messages. Other available services include: fuel tax reporting; speed and idle-time reports; automated arrival and departure reports, etc.