Stronger Brakes on Class 8 Rigs Require Distributors to Learn About and Stock New Parts
By Tom Berg, Senior Editor
Emerging from truck factories in the U.S. since Aug. 1 are road tractors that can stop in substantially shorter distances than those built earlier. It's due to a change in government stopping distance requirements that were in the works for several years.

The revisions to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 121, the air-brake regulation, require most highway tractors to stop in about 30% less distance during panic-type braking. Truck builders have therefore been installing bigger drum brakes, and sometimes air disc brakes. As the new types of brake parts wear out, customers will need like parts as replacements, and distributors have to be ready to sell them.

This will come gradually, say suppliers we talked with, but there will be a learning curve for distributors as well as an opportunity to rise above competitors who are slow to adapt. A few types of brake parts might eventually go out of use, raising issues over core values.....

Aftermarket Products
Allison TC10 to aim at road tractor market

Allison's TC10 transmission combines a torque converter with a sophisticated 10-speed mechanical gearbox to achieve easy starts and smooth, fast shifting. To be available in about a year, the TC10 will provide performance and fuel economy superior to that of competitors' products, company representatives said.

More properly called TC10 TS (for tractor series), it will be aimed primarily at short-haul and regional tractors that run on-highway but see a lot of gear shifting, as well as some vocational tractors that don't go off road.

As a transmission for Class 8 tractors, the TC10....

Wheel-End Problems: Beyond the Obvious
By Jim Park, Contributing Editor
Wheel-ends function as a system: the spindle, hub, and rim (or wheel), as well as the bearings and the fasteners, all work in concert to keep the wheels in place and the tires running straight and true. If one part of the system is out of whack, the results will be seen and felt elsewhere in the system - usually at the tires themselves. But the problem usually has nothing to do with the tire.

From irregular wear caused by negative camber on a trailer axle to non-concentric tire mounting, how chassis and wheel-ends are maintained, and how wheels and tires are installed, will have a greater impact on tire wear than any defect that might be present in the tire. Sure, there are poor quality tires that don't wear well, and there are tires used in applications they were not designed for, but bum tires are probably not to blame for irregular wear problems.....

Aftermarket Products
Eaton Launches EverTough

Eaton launched a new brand of drivetrain components, called EverTough, engineered specifically for the aftermarket with a new line of heavy-duty clutches.

It designed the clutch with an aftermarket-specific facing, a release system with standard dual zerk fittings, and dampeners to meet the torsional vibration needs of the aftermarket. In addition, lube intervals are set at 25,000 miles to reduce maintenance cost.

With torque ratings available up to 2,050 pounds-feet, EverTough clutches are available in both 14- and 15.5-inch heavy-duty designs for all makes of diesel-powered commercial trucks.....

The Risks of Hydrocarbon Refrigerant Blends
When the temperatures warm up, it's a good time to bone up on the dangers associated with hydrocarbon refrigerants being sold as cheap substitutes for R-134a and R-12.

Marketed under names like HC-12a, OZ-12, DURACOOL 12a, and EC-12a, these hydrocarbon blends may contain high quantities of propane, isobutane, and other highly flammable gases.

"These products are sold online and at flea markets as direct replacements for SNAP-approved refrigerants," says Gary Hansen, vice president of Red Dot Corp. Based in Seattle, Red Dot designs and manufactures heating and air-conditioning systems, components, and replacement parts for heavy trucks and other commercial vehicles.

SNAP (Significant New Alternatives Policy) is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program that evaluates a refrigerant's ozone-depleting potential, global warming potential, flammability, and toxicity. The EPA has banned hydrocarbons as a replacement for R-12 in motor vehicles. Many states have made them illegal.....

Dealer vs. Distributor
By Deborah Lockridge, Editor in Chief
In a standing-room only session at Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week in Las Vegas in January, a panel discussion duked it out between the views of the dealer and the independent aftermarket distributor.

Representing the dealer side was Michele Calbi, vice president, parts, Navistar Defense. Calbi previously was vice president at Swift Transportation and before that a general manager at Freightliner, so she was able to give a good accounting of the OE's perspective on the issues, as well as how a big fleet views the situation.

In the distributor's corner was Marc Karon, president of Total Truck Parts in Florida. Moderating the session was another distributor, David Scheer, president of Inland Truck Parts, a large multi-location distributor, service provider and remanufacturer in the Plains states.

What follows is an edited and in some cases paraphrased account of the panels' comments.....

Beyond R-134a: What's Next for Mobile A/C Refrigerants?
By Deborah Lockridge, Editor in Chief
In February, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued final approval of HFO-1234yf as a refrigerant for air conditioners in new cars and light trucks. It eventually will likely replace R-134a, commonly used today as the A/C refrigerant in cars, trucks, and other vehicles. Some expect it will be seen in medium- and heavy-duty commercial trucks within the next decade.

A product of Honeywell and Dupont, HFO-1234yf is a more environmentally friendly alternative to R-134a. HFO-1234yf was developed in part to help auto makers comply with a European Union ban on mobile refrigerants with a global warming potential greater than 150 in new car and light-truck platforms starting this model year.....

Trailer Corrosion
By Tom Berg, Senior Editor
What deteriorates on trailers? Almost everything that's not specially built or treated to resist the ravages of road salts, flying grime and everyday weather elements. The older the trailer, the more likely it's got some rust damage, seen or hidden. There are hundreds, even thousands, of parts on a trailer, each made of various materials that are adversely affected in different ways.

In the last decade this subject has gotten increased scrutiny from members of the Technology and Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Associations. TMC has a standing Corrosion Control Action Committee that discusses the problem as it affects all types of vehicles. More recently, some members banded together in a Trailer Corrosion Control Task Force, and they are writing a formal recommended practice to help truck operators better arm their vehicles against this expensive assault.

The effort is being done with the understanding that fleet managers want long life from trailers - 20 years for vans in less-than-truckload service, 15 years in truckload operations, eight for refrigerated vans and eight to 10 for flatbeds, said Al Anderson, the task force's chairman and director of special accounts for Jost International. He showed a preliminary RP during TMC's Fall Meeting in Raleigh, N.C. ....