Alcoa’s lighter LvL One hits the highway

Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products announced during a press conference at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., that it has developed a patent-pending proprietary process that has led to the development of a significantly lighter forged aluminum wheel for heavy-duty trucking applications.

According to Tim Myers, vice president and general manager, the LvL One is now the truck industry’s lightest aluminum wheel, with a superior finish on both sides of the wheel. The LvL One is two pounds lighter than competitive aluminum wheels, he said.

“That doesn’t sound like a lot, until you consider that is a 36-pound weight reduction on an 18-wheel rig running on competitive aluminum wheels and nearly 650 pounds less than a rig running on standard steel wheels,” Myers said. “These pounds can add up to millions for a fleet and translate into more payload, fuel savings, less stress on engines and drivetrains, and lower emissions, too.”

LvL One wheels weigh 45 1/2 pounds but are load-rated at 7,400 pounds, Myers said. They feature a two-sided finish that reduces the need to order single-side inner-diameter and out-diameter wheels. “Any LVL One wheel can be mounted on any position on a tractor or trailer with no problem,” Myers said. “There is no need to inventory two wheels — the LVL One fits all.”