COMPOSITE TRAILER SPRING: SMOOTHER RIDE

The new SimilAir composite trailer spring for linehaul and general service applications has been introduced by ArvinMeritor’s
Commercial Vehicle Systems (CVS) business. It’s a mechanical spring that delivers ride quality close to that of an air suspension, the maker says, with much lower initial and life cycle costs.

The composite spring assembly is more durable and provides significant weight and cost savings, ArvinMeritor says. Suspensions equipped with this new composite spring are said to weigh as much as 240 lb less than the lightest air suspensions, and over 100 lb less than popular mechanical suspensions. It also offers less maintenance than air suspensions, and is more resistant to corrosion than steel springs.

ArvinMeritor says a suspension using SimilAir composite springs offers these advantages: no air springs, shock absorbers or leveling valves (vs. air); drive-home capability that greatly reduces potential for roadside maintenance; mechanical suspension performance at the dock (i.e. no dock walk); plus reduced vibration and noise compared to steel springs.

Meritor SimilAir is a joint effort between ArvinMeritor and Liteflex, LLC. The two companies recently announced a long-term agreement
granting ArvinMeritor exclusive distributorship of Liteflex truck, trailer and specialty vehicle composite mechanical springs for North
America and several other key global markets. Liteflex, located in Ohio, has supplied composite technology to General Motors for some 25 years.


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