In Gear - Today's Trucking

WHAT’S NEW AND NEWS FROM SUPPLIERS
USER-FRIENDLY
FILTER
FLEETGUARD’S OIL AND
FUEL FILTERS HAVE
POLYMER CASING
With a few innovative twists on a
familiar template, engineers at
FLEETGUARD have redesigned
their diesel engine lube and fuel filters.
The accent is on user-friendliness, and fewer
headaches for the guys in the shop.
For one thing, the filter casing’s not
metal. It’s a solid black polymer composite
and completely recyclable.That’s an
advantage because, with no metal parts, the
danger of engine damage due to metal
shards from the filter itself is gone. It’s also
50 percent lighter.You can drain it and send
it to a landfill or crush it and incinerate it. It
also won’t dent if you drop it. Furthermore,
it’s got a flat bottom. So it won’t tip over,
spilling fuel or oil all over the place, and it
won’t roll out of reach.
The interior chamber of the filter casing is
still rounded, but outside? Flat. Stackable.
For easy handling. And if you look at the
bottom of the casing, you’ll see a little halfinch
indentation, into which you can insert a
socket wrench for easy removal. And it’s
claimed to be a hardy item to boot.The
Fleetguard engineers say they drove over
the prototypes in their Dodge Rams to test
the filter’s physical durability.
Fleetguard, a division of Cummins, says
these new filters are ready now in a limited
line for mid-range engines up to 10 liters.
The lineup will be expanded to include
both lower and upper ends of the engine
spectrum, and the filters will be priced the
same as the metal ones they’re replacing.
They’re OK with low-sulphur and biodiesel
fuels, by the way. Call 800-223-4583 or visit
www.fleetguard.com.
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In Gear
Online Resources:
For more new product items, visit
LOCKWOOD’S PRODUCT WATCH
on the web at todaystrucking.com
MIXER STABILITY
MACK OFFERS BENDIX ANTI-ROLLOVER
SYSTEM ON MIXERS
Mack Trucks now offers a new first-ofits-kind
electronic stability system for
concrete customers. Called Road
Stability Advantage (RSA), it’s made by
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems.
Designed to reduce rollovers, the full
electronic stability system is now
available for mixer applications on the
Granite model. Mack is the first to offer
this technology to vocational customers,
though it’s been an option on the
company’s highway trucks since late
last year.
“Concrete customer demand for
stability protection is strong because
mixers, in general, are recognized to
have a high center of gravity and carry
dynamic loads,” says Steve Ginter, Mack
vocational products marketing manager.
Mack RSA uses the existing ABS
wheel-speed sensors, along with
steering, yaw, and lateral acceleration
inputs, to deactivate the throttle and
selectively apply the brakes in sharp
curves, sudden lane changes, or obstacle
avoidance maneuvers as necessary,
reducing the potential of a rollover.
According to Tom Kelly, Mack’s vice
president of marketing, the company is
“...committed to getting this technology
in the hands of mixer and dump
customers as soon as possible. We
targeted mixers initially per customer
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