Suspension system
Hendrickson (www.hendrickson-intl.com) has added a 54-inch-wide box to its Vantraax family of slider suspension systems to accommodate wide-based single tires designed to replace the conventional dual-tire arrangement. Replacing each dual-wheel combination with a single-tire configuration combined with the lightweight Vantraax system could save more than 350 pounds for each trailer, the company says. The wide box is available in a 40,000-pound capacity with an 83.5-inch axle track and all standard equipment and options, including Hendrickson’s Intraax air suspension system and K-2 slider technology designed for added durability. The wide Vantraax features Hendrickson’s rigid axle/beam connection combined with the company’s Tri-Functional Bushing for softer ride and more stability. The bracing is designed to deliver outstanding strength-to-weight ratio for longer life, and full-length pads provide durability and easy slider movement. System components include the first standard trailer Cam Tube System, designed to reduce S-cam maintenance; Quik-Align for faster, easier and more accurate axle alignment; and tighter axle tolerances to help stretch fuel mileage and tire life. Options include Hendrickson’s fully pneumatic Quik-Draw that eliminates manual slider pin pulling, Tiremaax automatic tire inflation system and a wide selection of wheel ends.
Heavy-duty brake tester
Hunter’s (www.hunter.com) B400T Heavy-Duty Brake Tester performs a complete brake performance test on multi-axle vehicles in 60 seconds or less. The B400T uses a PC-based system with Hunter’s exclusive WinSI software to measure brake forces and vehicle weight at each wheel on multi-axle vehicles, such as tractors and semi-trailers; tandem-axle tractors and buses; and two-axle vehicles, including passenger cars and light trucks.
Single-, tandem- and triple-axle vehicles can be tested with full loads. To perform the test, a technician simply drives the vehicle onto the tester plates and applies the brakes. The precision load cells within the plates automatically measure a variety of brake performance conditions, which then are digitally transferred to the computer, analyzed and displayed on the monitor in color-coded charts.
The B400T identifies many conditions that affect brake performance: axle-to-axle imbalance; left-to-right imbalance; static weight, dynamic weight and weight shift; rollover propensity; and parking or emergency brake.
Hi Count LED lighting
Grote Industries’ (www.grote.com) line of Hi Count LED lighting for heavy-duty vehicles, which includes popular sizes of clearance/marker and stop/tail/turn applications, features LED technology with as many as 12 times the diodes of standard lighting.
The lights are designed for quick “plug and go” retrofit by using standard incandescent wire termination. They are interchangeable with either traditional incandescent or newer LED technology. The new lights appeal to style-conscious truck owners, with the multiple LEDs arranged in a clean, concentric layout. Chrome accessories for both red and yellow applications are included for beehive, square-corner, round and turtleback designs. Theft-resistant mountain flanges also are available.
Grote Hi Count lights meet all applicable state and federal safety specifications.
