Hendrickson International says the Truck Blue Book places an additional $400 value on trucks equipped with the company’s AirTek suspension, as opposed to mechanical suspensions.
Michelin Retread Technologies has added Edmonton-based Canadian Treads as its fifth MRT franchise in Canada.
Eaton Corp. has entered into a long-term agreement with Autocruise S.A., a subsidiary of TRW Automotive Holdings Corp., which will supply long-range radar sensors for Eaton’s VORAD Collision Warning Systems.
Heil Environmental has published Automated Refuse Collection: A White Paper to help communities and refuse haulers assess the benefits of automated refuse-collection equipment. For a free copy, contact a Heil distributor or rep. To find one, visit this site or call 800-214-4345.
Airglide’s AG-60/ MB-33 air deflector is available as an aftermarket option from participating Mack dealers in the United States.
Petro Stopping Centers presented $86,250 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through the 13th annual Halloween Promotion held last October.
Meritor WABCO Vehicle Control Systems has sold more than 1.5 million Easy-Stop trailer antilock braking systems during the past 10 years.
Bandag will launch a new product line, called Continuum, to offer precured retreading materials for off-road applications.
The new Kenworth White Paper on Powertrain Spec’ing is available in pdf format at this site.
Great Dane Trailers will spend $5 million to re-tool refrigerated and dry-freight trailer production lines at its Brazil, Ind., manufacturing facility.
With its updated appearance – including a composite bumper and flush-mounted headlamps, cornering lamps and turn signals – Isuzu’s ’06, Class 3-5 N-Series trucks get a 5.2-liter, 4HK1-TC turbocharged, intercooled diesel. The powerplant features electronic high-pressure, common-rail fuel injection; produces 190 hp and 387 lb-ft of torque; and covers GVW ranges from 12,000 to 19,500 pounds.
The engine can be mated to a 6-speed manual, synchronized transmission; or an Aisin 450-43LE heavy-duty, 4-speed automatic with overdrive and lockup converter in second and fourth gears.
For those who prefer a gasoline engine, NPR models are available with GM’s Vortec 6000 6.0L engine, which is good for 300 hp and 358 lb-ft of torque. It’s mated to a Hydra-Matic 4L80-E, 4-speed automatic with overdrive and lockup converter.
N-Series enhancements for 2006 include a freshened interior; the addition of a tachometer to aid PTO operation; new ISO instrument and control symbols; a new, rear, steel engine cover to improve back-of-cab appearance and help retain heat during cold weather operation; and a Donaldson polypropylene air cleaner housing for the diesel standard cab for easier serviceability and corrosion resistance.
The ’06 N-Series will be available this month.
Meanwhile, the company’s F-Series, Class 6, 7 and 8, low-cab-forward trucks continue for ’05, with the 6HK1-TC in-line, 6-cylinder diesel engine, with ratings from 200 to 300 hp and 520-860 lb-ft of torque. The engine feeds power to a 5- or 6-speed Allison automatic transmission or a 6-, 9- or 10-speed Eaton Fuller manual.
With versatility as the goal, says Isuzu, wheelbases range from 128 to 260 inches, and the trucks can accommodate body lengths from 10 to 34 feet.
Finally, for ’05, Isuzu – celebrating its 20th anniversary in the United States – has added GM-based H-Series, Class 6-8 conventional trucks, available with single and tandem axles, and in standard and crew cabs.
H-Series vehicles also are powered by the 6HK1-TC diesel – with the same ratings found in the F-Series – and are available with a variety of Allison automatic and Eaton manual transmissions.
ABS troubleshootin’ duo from Bendix
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems has come up with an upgraded diagnostic software program and a remote diagnostic unit (RDU) for its latest generation EC-60 ECU, used in ABS-6 standard and premium versions, and other Bendix (and, previously, Eaton) ECUs currently in service.
The software – designed jointly with parent organization Knorr-Bremse – is Microsoft Internet Explorer-based and, says the company, reduces steps in the troubleshooting process.
The ACOM 3.0 program has a trouble-code window that spells out the status of the system, describes the code, tells where it’s located on the wiring harness, suggests which pins to check and includes brief instructions for addressing the problem. It also includes a link to the online Bendix repair manual.
The pocket-sized RDU – which plugs into the 9-pin diagnostic connector on the dash – provides immediate system status, including the component affected and location of the fault. Reducing reliance on blink codes, the RDU is a fast, portable alternative to older LED models. A magnetic switch enables the system to be reset after faults have been corrected.
Create a virtual van before building it
Knaack Manufacturing Co. introduces its Weather Guard Vehicle Solutions software that allows upfitters and end users to interactively design work-van interiors onscreen.
Users can custom-fit vans with shelving, cabinets, racks and accessories in 3-D, based on their intended trade, and can “walk” through by zooming in and out, rotating the vehicle and changing perspectives. Moreover, the software won’t allow the user to configure the design with products that are inappropriate for a particular vehicle model, thus eliminating costly errors.
Revisions are easy, says Knaack, and once the design is finalized, the design drawing and list of needed materials can be printed out. The user also has the option of uploading the design to an upfitter for a quote.
For a demonstration, visit this site.
Electrical system analyzer can save time
Delco Remy’s Intelli-Check2 Systems Analyzer is a handheld, digital testing unit that provides performance data for heavy-duty alternators and batteries. It also can measure voltage drop on multiple circuits, says the company, and can save and retrieve data from up to 200 system tests, allowing technicians to quickly diagnose just about any starting or charging issue.
See your Delco Remy distributor for more information.
Equipment Puzzler
In December, we asked: How can you use a volt-ohmmeter to bench-test a simple, double-pole, single-throw (DPST) toggle switch? The correct answer was e-mailed to [email protected] by Steve Schultz, Schneider National, Charlotte, N.C.
He advises using the ohm or resistance setting of the volt-ohmmeter, and putting one lead on each of the switch’s poles. With the switch in the on position, there should be no resistance, and with the switch in the off position, there should be infinite resistance. If that’s the case, the switch is good; if not, it’s trash.
Steve gets a chrome CCJ pen and Air Brake Book. You can do likewise if you’re first to e-mail the right answer to this month’s Puzzler, or if you send in a Puzzler of your own and we use it.
This month’s Puzzler:
Some manufacturers use fan shrouds that are mounted to the engine, rather than the radiator surround. Why do they do that?
