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PRODUCT WATCH
TOUGH RETREAD, NEW AIR DISCS
May 2, 2012
With the big shows done and summer coming on -- honest -- there hasn't been a ton of activity on the product front, but that's not to say there's nothing to report on.
Michelin has come up with yet another new retread, this one the XZY3 for all positions in on/off-road applications.
Rand McNally has unveiled Connect, a new software platform that allows "seamless" integration between its FleetWatcher web portal and third-party applications, including most major fleet-management systems like TMW’s TruckMate.
At the recent Mid-America Trucking Show WABCO showcased, among other things, its lightweight air disc brake for trailers. Its 'Pan' trailer brakes are available in 16- to 25-in. rim sizes, for trailer-axle applications up to 23,500 lb. The company's presence at the show confused some people. Doesn't the MeritorWABCO joint venture exist any more? Yes it does, and it hasn't changed, but the German outfit has products -- some of them sold to North American OEMs for quite some time -- that aren't part of the long-established JV. And for the first time WABCO decided to shine a public light on them.
Now here's an interesting one, from AME International. The company says its Nut Buddy tool allows wheel nuts that have been over-tightened by an impact wrench to be removed by hand, even the most stubborn ones. It goes further, saying that a child could easily remove fasteners on an 18-wheeler. This one we'd like to try.
And finally, though it's intended more for cars than trucks, PlastiKote’s newly reformulated wheel paint is said to provide a tough, long-lasting finish that resists scratches and will not tarnish, weather or rust.
One more note...
A couple of weeks back we urged you to check out our video road test of a Volvo VN780 and its I-shift transmission by former owner-operator and our regular contributor Jim Park, on todaystrucking.com. Well, we've just posted Part 2, in which Jim has a good look from the driver's seat at Volvo's XE13 powertrain package. He and a few video cameras gave the truck a workout around Greensboro, N.C. This two-parter is the first in what will be a series. As we said two weeks ago, road tests have never been done this well before.
The products discussed here in the Product Watch e-newsletter have not been tested by Today's Trucking staff in most cases, and they do not carry our endorsement. We're simply reporting.
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(May 02, 2012) --
Michelin's XZY3 all-position Pre-Mold retread now available
(May 02, 2012) --
Rand McNally releases Connect software for integration partners
(May 02, 2012) --
WABCO shows off air disc brakes for commercial trailers
(May 02, 2012) --
With AME's Nut Buddy, remove wheel nuts by hand
