Introducing the top 20 most requested products of 2010, as chosen by Truck Parts & Service readers.
The aftermarket channel continues to reap the benefits of improved products and product support literature. The more value you are able to provide to customers, the more they value their relationship with your business.
Many of these product and literature introductions were featured in the Marketplace department of Truck Parts & Service magazine throughout the year. Accompanying each item was a Reader Service Number that allowed readers to request additional information to be provided by the appropriate manufacturer. More than 10 years ago we introduced the first Top 20 collection and we continue this tradition, in alphabetical order by manufacturer, with the most popular product and literature items featured in Truck Parts & Service magazine during 2010. The results of our Top 20 products and literature are based purely on the number of reader inquiries each item received during 2010. Inquiries generated from advertising messages were not included in our count.
Donaldson Debuts Air Cleaner Assembly
Donaldson’s PowerCore PSD08 Air Cleaner Side Access expands the PSD family of air cleaners that includes side-access and end-access models in a range of sizes. The PSD08 offers two-stage filtration in a single compact unit using the company’s proprietary PowerCore Filtration Technology, according to Donaldson.
The non-metal air cleaner (except for cover clamps) is suited for medium- and heavy-duty equipment operating in medium- to heavy-dust environments with engine airflow ranges up to 245 cfm and a sustained temperature tolerance of -400 F to 1800 F. The obround housing shape allows for a narrow or wide mounting orientation.
Donaldson Company
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Eaton Corp. has published two new color brochures that outline the features and benefits of its new lineup of UltraShift Plus heavy-duty automated transmissions. Free printed copies or downloadable versions of the 22-page publications are available at Roadranger.com.
The new UltraShift Plus Brochure for Linehaul Applications (TRSL2505) — designed for over-the-road fleets, owner-operators and truck dealers — provides an overview of the UltraShift Plus Linehaul Active Shifting (LAS), Multipurpose High Performance (MHP) and Multipurpose Extreme Performance (MXP) automated transmissions. Information is provided on drivetrain integration, gear selection logic and low-speed maneuverability. Fuel economy, safety and lifecycle costs also are presented in the new brochure.
The new UltraShift Plus Brochure for Vocational Applications (TRSL2506) — designed for construction, concrete, heavy-haul and other vocational markets — provides an overview on the UltraShift Plus Vocational Construction Series (VCS), Vocational Multipurpose Series (VMS) and Vocational Extreme Performance (VXP) automated transmissions. While again covering drivetrain integration, gear selection logic and low-speed maneuverability features, the brochure also includes information on the cost and performance advantages of an automated transmission versus a torque converter automatic transmission.
Eaton said the new family of fully automated UltraShift Plus transmissions feature new automated clutch technology and intelligent shift selection software that employs grade sensing, weight computation and driver throttle commands to make intelligent shift decisions for efficient, safe and profitable vehicle performance.
Eaton Corp.
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Fontaine Intros Fifth Wheel With Infinite Adjustment
Fontaine Fifth Wheel introduced its new Fontaine Ultra NS which the company said is the first fifth wheel to offer infinite, automatic slack adjustment in order to provide a more comfortable ride and reduce component wear. The Fontaine Ultra NS is part of the company’s new Ultra family of fifth wheels.
Fontaine said the new product features the next generation of Fon-taine’s patented No-Slack lock design. Slack, which is open space around the kingpin when the fifth wheel lock is engaged, causes many problems, including a jarring ride for the driver and increased inputs into the vehicle frame that can cause premature wear to truck components.
According to the announcement, Fontaine engineers replaced the jaw and wedge utilized by previous No-Slack locks with a cam and moveable jaw system.The cam “swings” the jaw into position behind the kingpin, where it is kept in place by constant spring pressure. That pressure, combined with various design elements, provides infinite slack adjustment for zero slack at all times.
“The lock on the Ultra NS fifth wheel also provides additional contact to the kingpin, helping to increase kingpin longevity,” said Terry Mennon, vice president of sales and marketing for Fontaine. “The Ultra NS has an automatic secondary lock and a positive lock indicator that provides a quick visual signal to the driver that the lock is properly closed. Like all Fontaine Fifth wheels, the Ultra NS is equipped with a safety trigger that prevents high hitching.”
Fontaine Fifth Wheel
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Horton Inc. introduced Arctis two-speed fan drives for cooling medium-duty trucks, buses, severe-service vehicles, rear-engine cement mixers and other on- and off-highway equipment with little to no ram air. The new line provides the highest torque available from Horton, 2,700 inch-pounds, in its patented two-speed technology.
In most conditions, the two-speed fan drive is powered by eddy current, turning the fan at a lower speed, reducing operating noise and increasing available horsepower for auxiliary systems. When the vehicle needs more cooling, the fan drive springs actuate to run the fan at full input speed. Because the eddy current mode provides sufficient cooling in most operating conditions, full-speed fan operation is reduced by 85 percent. This is said to improve fuel economy, reduce operating noise and increase available horsepower. Fewer fan engagement cycles also improve fan drive, belt and tensioner reliability while minimizing radiator abrasions from dust and debris.
Arctis two-speed fan drives also feature superior bearing technology, a high-torque clutch pack to drive larger fans at higher ratios and a larger air chamber for full disengagement, the company said. The fan drives are said to be easy to install and maintain.
Horton Inc.
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Ingersoll Rand has launched the new 2015MAX and 2025MAX Hammerhead low-profile Impactools designed for optimal performance, even in extremely confined spaces. With a head-height less than 2 inches, 180 ft.-lb. of maximum torque and 7,100 rpm of speed, the Hammerhead offers the power of an impact and all the capabilities of a ratchet, the company said.
The Hammerhead also features a forward/reverse collar designed to provide unrestricted access to change the direction of the tool in tight spaces. Knuckle-saver reactionless torque helps eliminate kickback and further protects technicians’ hands while working in confined spaces.
The 2015MAX and 2025MAX also feature a two-position power regulator and feather-touch trigger to help provide maximum control in even the most demanding applications. The 2015 MAX is available in 3⁄8-inch drive, while the 2025 MAX is available in ½-inch drive.
Ingersoll Rand
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IntelliStick Enhances Software
IntelliStick Inc. announced the release of version 3.0 of its software which the company said is more robust, user friendly and has faster downloads. The software is used in conjunction with the company’s real-time oil condition monitoring system.
Designed for use with single IntelliStick systems installed in trucks, the software features three main screens for optimal monitoring, including a main screen that indicates oil condition as a simple graphical gauge and reports the status of the connection with the IntelliStick unit. The graphs screen shows historical oil condition measurement in graphical form, including an oil condition curve plotting time and miles.
Users also have the option of breaking down the data by oil change to allow a direct comparison between brands of oil and other changes. The logs screen allows users to enter mileage when oil changes have oc-curred and to show that data on the graphs. Users can track oil changes and topping off, along with fuel purchases, and also calculate gas mile-age. A Fleet IntelliStick Monitor System is available for truck fleets with multiple IntelliStick units.
IntelliStick Inc.
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Innovative Products of America has designed a line of portable battery-powered trailer testers for testing lights and electric brakes on a wide range of trailers. The Mini-Mutt No. 9003 is an analog tester for 4-, 5-, 6- and 7-pin light-duty trailers featuring short-circuit protection and amperage readout.
The Smart-Mutt series No. 9004 and No. 9007 both offer advanced diagnostic testing capabilities that allow a technician to diagnose short circuits, open and crossed circuits, poor grounds and test electric brakes — all by remote control. All models include rechargeable batteries and a charger.
Innovative Products of America
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IPA Touts Mobile Transfer Fuel Unit
Innovative Products of America’s Mobile Transfer Fuel Unit is designed to transfer fuel up to nine hours and pump fuel from tanks, drums or stor-age containers at a rate of 20 gallons per minute.
The unit is useful for emptying tanks at road-side accidents, emptying tanks that need repair, transferring fuel from one container to another, or scrap yard dealers who remove fuel from tanks before disposing the vehicles.
Welded on a steel frame and powered by two Group 31 batteries, the Mobile Fuel Transfer Unit has a resettable flow meter with a lifetime tally, two six-foot hoses (extension hoses optional) and a fuel dispensing nozzle. An in-line filter and water separator help eliminate condensation problems.
Innovative Products of America
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Meritor WABCO Air Disc Brakes Available for Trailer Suspensions
Meritor WABCO Vehicle Control Systems announced the availability of its proprietary single-piston PAN 22 Series air disc brake on three Meritor trailer suspensions — the new Meritor Trailing Arm air suspension 23,000-lb. unit and RideSentry air-ride trailer suspension MPA 20 and 38/40,000-lb. models.The brake can be specified immediately.
The lightweight disc brakes package includes the new Meritor integrated weld on the axle’s torque plate, an aluminum hub, flat-style rotor and axle ratings up to 23,000 lbs. An optimized pad size increases lining life to maximize vehicle uptime, while an integral molded friction pad impedes rust jacking.
“We continue to expand the availability of PAN 22,” said Mark Melletat, director of Trailer Systems and field operations for Meritor WABCO. “Our reliable internal-sealed automatic adjuster lessens brake out-of-adjustments, along with minimal fade. This provides uniform stopping performance, which is especially important with the demands of today’s highly congested roadways.” The PAN 22 series, a cost-effective and lightweight solution optimized for on-highway line haul axle ratings up to and including 23,000 pounds and ideal with 22.5-inch wheels, Melletat said.
The PAN 22 also features a design that results in fewer parts to service while maximizing braking torque performance. Melletat said the brake is suited for customers who want the outstanding stopping performance, directional stability and superior fade resistance of an air disc brake, but “at a life-cycle cost that adds value to trailers.”
Meritor WABCO
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Panasonic Solutions Co. introduced the Panasonic Toughbook 31 which it said is engineered to be the most powerful fully rugged notebook computer on the market and has an Intel Core i5 or i3 processor, 1,100 nit touchscreen display and rugged certifications beyond MIL-STD-810G and IP65.
The new device enables superior data access and productivity for any mobile professional facing extreme environments, the company said, in industries such as transportation, telecommunications, construction, mining, utilities and energy.
“The Toughbook 31 combines the best of three worlds – mobility, performance and ruggedness,” said Erik Reid, mobile client marketing director, Intel Corp.
The Toughbook 31 includes a 13.1-inch XGA LCD touch-screen and is available with Panasonic Circu-Lumin technology, allowing for full-circle viewability from the brightest sunlight
to pitch darkness. The notebook features the brightest standard screen available, at 1,100 nits, but can drop as low as 2 nits for concealed nighttime use.
Panasonic said the Toughbook 31 offers up to 11 hours of battery life; significantly reduced charging time; a 47 percent faster processor; Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth v2.1 +EDR; and an optional built-in webcam.
Panasonic said the Toughbook 31 maintains a platform footprint virtually identical to past flagship products, allow-ing customers to upgrade Toughbook computers without replacing vehicle docks and significantly lowering the total cost of ownership.
Panasonic Solutions Co.
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Panasonic Toughbooks Introduces H1 Field Computer
Panasonic Computer Solutions Co. introduced the Panasonic Toughbook H1 Field, a rugged handheld tablet computer.
The company said the new device is designed for highly mobile professionals such as field sales personnel and service technicians.
“The H1 Field is not just a new product. For the first time, it represents a missing link be-tween laptops, mobile computers and handheld technology,” said Kyp Walls, director of product management, Panasonic Computer Solutions.
According to the company, the Toughbook H1 Field offers the durability expected of Toughbook mobile computers, such as a six-foot drop rating, with optional SmartCard, RFID and barcode readers, camera, GPS and Qualcomm’s new Gobi2000 mobile broadband technology which simplifies complex multi-carrier wireless deployments for IT departments.
By leveraging Panasonic’s advanced battery technology and a 1.86 GHz Intel Atom processor, the Toughbook H1 Field offers six hours of battery life, complemented by twin swappable batteries that allow for limitless use.
The 3.4-pound Toughbook H1 Field includes a 10.4 inch dual-touch display that offers both tablet and touch-screen functionality. The display also includes a circular polarizer, plus anti-glare and anti-reflective screen treatments, making it viewable in direct sunlight. It also has 2 GB of RAM and a 64 GB reinforced flex-connect solid-state drive.
The handheld tablet also can be equipped with next generation GPS technology allowing for location-based services with improved accuracy, faster satellite acquisition time and lower power consumption, the company said.
The Panasonic Toughbook H1 Field will be available this month at an estimated retail price of $3,379 from authorized Panasonic resellers and distributors.
Panasonic Computer Solutions
www.panasonic.com
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Phillips Industries announced it added a full line of compact, lightweight, high-performance Push-to-Connect Composite Air Fittings to its line of air and electrical connection products.
The fittings, which the company said are engineered for proper sealing even when the tubing cut is not straight, are available in union, tee and elbow configurations and sized to fit common tubing and pipe dimensions.The one-piece fittings are suited for emergency situations and require no special tools.
Phillips Industries
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PlastiKote announced the availability of its new product catalog that features the company’s complete line of PlastiKote automotive aerosol paints and coatings, as well as sections highlighting non-automotive specific products from the Valspar and Quikrete lines.
“When we launched the new PlastiKote earlier this year, one of our goals was to provide our customers with an informative and easy-to-use catalog,” said Lance S. Bunch, category manager of automotive aftermarkets and industrial distribution MRO for Valspar. “We have achieved that with our new catalog. The new PlastiKote catalog gives our customers a great resource that they can use to find out detailed information about our various products.”
The new catalog features:
* A color-coded table of contents and pages by product group for easy readability;
* In-depth product descriptions;
* Color swatches showing various color options for each product;
* A section on Valspar brands including Anti-Rust and Tractor & Implement products; and
* A section on Quikrete floor coating products.
PlastiKote
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RNR Plastics, Inc. introduced its Critical Documents Pouch, a clear PVC document protector designed for use in the service shop. The new holder features a bright red strip that overlaps the opening on top to keep the contents visible and protected from oil spills, stains and water. RNR Plastics said the pouch is constructed of durable, 12-gauge thick PVC and can be custom printed with company logos and titles, different colors, special openings and sizes from 4-sq.-in. up to 24-sq.-in. They can include eyelets for hanging, magnetic strips, two-sided tape and full adhesive backings.
RNR Plastics, Inc.
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Snap-on Touts Electronic Torque Wrenches
Snap-on’s electronic torque wrenches are designed to help take the guesswork out of how much torque to use. The tools have an audible alarm that alerts the user to an over-torque condition, a gyro chip that measures 360 degrees of angular rotation, an enhanced strain gauge design that translates beam movement to torque value and durable construction for use in harsh environments.
Snap-on Tools
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Snap-on Touts Portable Heavy-duty Road Chests
Snap-on said its portable heavy-duty road chests (KRA6200 with ISO-frame, KRA6210 with side handles) provide more versatility and efficiency, making service calls less time-consuming and more productive.
The KRA6210’s handles are reinforced for easier lifting and to serve as an additional transport point, while the KRA6200’s ISO-frame can be removed and used with standard side handles for in-shop use on a roll cab; both handle systems can be combined in the same unit if needed. An exterior lid lock has a T-handle to allow the lid to be locked or opened without a key, while the lid’s top compartment has an internal drawer release for independent drawer operation, allowing the user access to drawers even if the lid cannot be opened.
A strong bottom panel with two sets of support channels helps absorb shock, sliding and lifting, while Snap-on’s Lock ‘n Roll technology helps keep drawers from jostling open; dividers in the bottom drawer provide organization and keep tools from sliding.
The exterior lid lock has a water-resistant flap, while an independent drawer cover panel uses an intuitive two-point latch system and operates separately from the lid, preventing moisture from entering and allowing drawer access when the lid is closed.
Snap-on Tools
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Snap-on introduced its new KELN-301AR Series (right side attachment) and KELN301AL Series (left side attachment) for its EPIQ tool storage units which are the largest and strongest lockers the company has ever made.
According to Snap-on, the features and benefits include:
* Capacity of more than 4,300 square inches and almost 33,000 cubic inches;
* Load capacity of 4,000 lbs;
* Snap-on’s standing seam and corner gusset design;
* Two ISO-ride 7 x 2 inch casters; and
* Six pull-out bins (expandable to 13 bins).
Snap-on said the EPIQ tool storage unit is a complete productivity system that brings together sophisticated PC-based diagnostics and cordless tools, with reliable security and rugged durability.
Snap-on Tools
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Solv-Tec announced its K-Seal HD is a quick, easy way to make permanent repairs to heavy-duty truck cooling systems. The company said the product’s unique ceramic-copper formula mixes with all types of coolant.
To use, Solv-Tec said, just shake the bottle and add the contents to the engine coolant in any gas or diesel engine. Once the product has entered the cooling system it takes just minutes to make a high quality ceramic repair after the engine reaches working temperature.
K-Seal will stop most leaks in the block, head, radiator, heater matrix, freeze plugs and the head gasket, according to the announcement.
One 16-oz. bottle treats cooling systems up to 50 qts. capacity. K-Seal will not block or damage the cooling system, the company said, and once K-Seal HD makes a repair, Solv-Tec offers a 100 percent money back guarantee that the repair is permanent.
Solv-Tec
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New OTC Adapter for Heavy-duty Differentials Available
OTC, an SPX Brand, released its new differential mounting adapter (P/N 553516) designed to assist in the removal and installation of differentials in heavy-duty trucks.
Compatible with OTC’s 5019A low lift transmission jack, 5078 high lift transmission jack and 1522A stinger transmis-sion jack, this adapter is said to mount easily using existing bolt patterns and fits most common differentials currently in use on Class 7 and 8 trucks including Eaton, Fuller, Rockwell, Meritor, Spicer, International and Mack.
“One of the great challenges in developing the 553516 was finding the optimal balance between size and stability, while also ensuring technicians could still use it effectively, given the small amount of clearance they deal with when working beneath a vehicle,” said Eric Adamson, product manager of Equipment and Heavy-Duty Tools.
“Our design provides a full half-ton of rated lifting capacity, while also enabling the technician to mount it to a wide range of transmission jacks,” Adamson said. “A differential is a heavy and awkward piece of equipment to remove or install, and has many moving components that need to be secured properly to ensure safe handling of the unit.” The OTC 553516 provides a platform for this application and gives the shop owner added confidence that their technicians can do this service safely and efficiently, he said.
When mated with the OTC 5019A 2,000-pound capacity transmission jack, which has a low lifting height of 8.25 inches, the 553516 is said to provide technicians with a highly stable platform that can reach into some of the most confined spaces beneath a vehicle. The 553516 features a convenient and secure mounting point for the yoke and can be adjusted to fit the widest possible range of differentials that a shop is likely to encounter, the company said.
SPX Corporation
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