LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A new look Meritor was at the Mid-America Trucking Show this week, showcasing improvements to its Q Plus brake and 14X suspension.

The company has dropped Arvin from its name, having divested its light-duty business. Now known as simply Meritor, the company will focus entirely on the commercial vehicle market.

“Changing the company’s name back to Meritor gives us the opportunity to leverage the strength of the brand and build on it as we go forward,” said Chip McClure, chairman, CEO and president.

At the show, Meritor announced it has improved its Q Plus drum brake to offer fleets a cost-effective and solution to meeting impending new stopping distance requirements. The new requirements under FMVSS-121 will be rolled out beginning in August.

“Meritor’s Q Plus Brakes deliver improved stopping performance with the same high quality, durable braking system and trusted parts availability our customers have come to expect from Meritor,” said Joe Plomin, vice-president, trucks, Meritor. “Most importantly, this is a significant improvement in the safety of our customer’s trucks. The new Q Plus brake designed for the reduced stopping regulation stops within feet of any air disc brake to deliver excellent safety at a much lower acquisition cost.”

Meritor also introduced a new lightweight aluminum carrier option for its popular 14X tandem axle. The new aluminum carrier, which will be available for production in 2012, trims an additional 100 lbs from the system, Meritor announced.

“Pairing our innovative new 14X tandem axle with an aluminum carrier is yet another way Meritor is maximizing our customers’ revenue-producing payload,” said Joe Elbehairy, vice-president, engineering, Meritor. “Combine this with options like the 2.47 ratio and DualTrac and you have an incredibly light-weight, fuel-efficient solution.”

Meritor said industry response to its 14X suspension has been incredible, with more than 30,000 orders received since its introduction last year.