Continental Rolls Out Seven Tires
Continental has launched no fewer than seven new fuel-efficient and vocational truck tires to boost its position in the North American market.
Included are over-the-road steer, drive and trailer tires designated HSL, HDL and HTL respectively, with the nomenclature indicating they are heavy duty and long-haul. The steer/all-position HSL and drive HDT also carry Eco Plus names to underscore the fact that they are a highly efficient, fuel-saving design with no compromise in tread depth to gain the economy — hence the Plus.
For the vocational user, the rollout included a unique steer tire designated the HSU for urban use on heavily loaded steer axles. Particular applications for this tire include the front-loader refuse truck where high axle loads and a large amount of scrub are particularly hard on steer tires.
Construction trucks that spend up to 50% off highway are targeted with the HSC — a steer/all-position with deep 23/32-inch tread depth and a cut/chip resistant tread compound — and the HDC with 30/32-inch skid depth and an aggressive tread for all-weather traction. For severe off-highway operations, there is the new HDO drive tire with 32/32-inch tread depth and an even more aggressive, self-cleaning tread.
These tires are all additions to the Continental range of truck tires, creating a broad range of premium-brand tires covering all heavy-duty applications, says the company.
The Eco Plus tires are a fuel efficient combination of an optimized casing and new tread designs and compounds that are said to make them the most efficient long-haul tires available. These claims were put to the test at Continental's extensive proving ground at Uvalde, Texas, during the launch. Both fuel consumption and coast-down demonstrations showed the tires outperformed comparable brands.
Other features of the new on-highway tires include a unique angled shoulder-protection rib for both steer and trailer tires. Also featured on the steer tires are Visual Alignment Indicators to quickly identify front-end misalignment problems before the tire becomes severely worn.
These tires are all based on a new casing that has been designed using Continental's finite-element-analysis computer modeling.
Cole Hersee's Dual-Rate Alarm connects to any two remote switches — manual or automatic — and emits an intermittent tone at one of two different rates, audibly identifying the switch. Applications include headlights, door ajar, low fuel, high/low pressure and high/low temperature. It features solid-state construction, protected by a molded plastic shell and fits a standard seal beam connector or Packard connectors, or accepts individual blade connectors.
Kenworth now offers the Eaton Fuller Lightning 10-speed manual transmission for its T600, T800, W900, T2000 and C500 models. The transmission is rated at 1,550 and 1,650 lb/ft. of torque and it's lighter than the previous Super-10 transmission and has fewer parts. It features an aluminum clutch housing, electric splitter button control knob, and selectable Top-2 automated shifting between the top two gears. It's approved for GVW up to 80,000 lbs.
Truck-Lite has upgraded its Signal-Stat Turn Signal Switch line with a fully featured turn-signal switch. Already optional for a major OE truck and steering column manufacturers, Signal-Stat combines multiple functions, eliminating the need for other controls on the dashboard. The product touts glass-filled nylon housings for strength and durability and includes left and right turn signals for up to eight lamps per side and four-way hazard flashing for up to 16 lamps. More than 15 models and more than 100 part numbers are available.
The Model 39100 Ten-Ton air end lift from MidQuip has a minimum start height of 12 1/2 inches and a maximum lift height of 39 1/2 inches. This combines with a 13-inch forward reach and a 35 1/2-inch maximum saddle spread. A mechanical catch automatically engages in five different height positions.
