Fuel economy:Component weight savings

Fuel economy:Component weight savings

While increasing payload carrying capacity by specifying lightweight components and options is a standard practice for some fleets, a number of operations report that lower weight specs can lead to fuel savings as well.

While increasing payload carrying capacity by specifying lightweight components and options is a standard practice for some fleets, a number of operations report that lower weight specs can lead to fuel savings as well. Today’s fuel costs, of course, make that alternative even more attractive to consider, and become a key factor in the cost of ownership equation when spec’ing lightweight components.

Whether fuel savings are a bonus derived from lightweight specs or a primary reason for specifying lower weight alternatives, a range of options that promise fuel savings are available for long-haul vehicles. Details follow on some of those items.

WIDE-BASE SINGLE TIRES & WHEELS

Bridgestone Greatec wide-base radials are available in a 445/50R22.5 size, equivalent in overall diameter to regular low-profile radials for 22.5-in. wheels. Depending on the types of tires and wheels converted, according to the manufacturer, Greatec radials could reduce overall vehicle weight by 600 to 1,200 lbs. or more. On trailers, retrofitting may be possible using two-in. offset wheels, if axles and axle end components are of the proper type and in proper condition.

In addition to directly converting vehicle weight into payload, Bridgestone notes that Greatec radials could also provide fuel economy advantages, saving approximately two to five percent on vehicle fuel consumption by comparison to conventional, non-fuel-efficient dual tire assemblies. Actual fuel savings will vary, depending on vehicle configuration, how many axles are converted, what tires were used previously and other factors.

Greatec radials for drive axles have a 26/32-in. tread depth and a pattern that resembles that of Bridgestone M726 and M726 EL drive radials. Greatec trailer axle radials have a 14/32-in. tread depth and a pattern similar to the Bridgestone R195F trailer radial. The maximum load capacity of each Greatec radial is 10,200 lbs. at 120 PSI.

Michelin X One wide single tires are offered in wide variety of tread designs and applications as an alternative to traditional dual tires. As many as five drive and trailer versions are offered in two sizes including 445/50R22.5 and 455/55R22.5. The X One tire carries the same load as two conventional dual tires and can carry a high load at an air pressure of 100 PSI.

The X One wide singles, the company says, reduce weight and lower rolling resistance by reducing the number of flexing sidewalls for improved fuel economy. Replacing two conventional dual tires with a single X One, according to Michelin, has proven to save at least four percent in fuel costs and to decrease overall weight by at least 740 lbs.

The key to the X One tire, the company says, is the Infini-Coil Technology from Michelin Durable Technologies, in which more than a quarter-of-a-mile of cable is wrapped completely around the tire from one shoulder to the other. The unique construction of the tire necessitated Michelin constructing new tire building machines and processes for the X One.

Alcoa aluminum 14-in. wide base wheels in place of dual steel wheels, according to the company, can save 318 lbs. per axle or up to 1,272 lbs. on a 6×4 tractor and tandem-axle trailer combination. The wheels weigh 71 lbs. each and are load rated up to 12,800 lbs. Additionally, Alcoa notes that wide-base wheel and tire assemblies with half as many flexing sidewalls as a set of duals lead to greater fuel efficiency, with some fleets experiencing savings of three to seven percent.

Alcoa aluminum wide-base wheels are available with the manufacturer’s Dura-Bright finish, a surface treatment that cleans with soap and water and is now 53 percent more reflective than the first-generation design. Alcoa Dura-Bright, the company adds, is not a coating and therefore won’t chip, crack, peel or corrode.

SUSPENSIONS

rvinMeritor SimilAir Composite Trailer Springs for linehaul and general service applications, the manufacturer says, deliver the smooth ride expected from an air suspension without the added weight. The composite spring assembly’s weight savings over conventional springs, the company notes, is as much as 240 lbs. less than the lightest air suspensions, and over 100 lbs. less than popular mechanical suspensions.

The RideSentry air suspension system from ArvinMeritor, with an integrated slider, trailer axles and brakes, features a parallelogram design that integrates many components into a compact, lightweight system. The manufacturer also says that RideSentry offers extra weight savings from lightweight axles, brackets and upper control arms, and that its high-strength steel frame provides excellent durability at a lighter weight.

Hendrickson Truck Systems Group offers the HTB LT lightweight, non-torque reactive rear air-ride suspension in 20,000- and 40,000-lb. capacities. The lightweight drive axle suspensions weigh up to 250 lbs. less than typical 40,000-lb. capacity designs, the company says.

Hendrickson also offers two weight saving steer axle suspension systems. The SOFTEK 12,000-lb. capacity model incorporates a single-leaf spring that trims up to 92 lbs. compared to traditional two-leaf spring with I-beam axles, the company notes. AIRTEK, it adds, is an integrated front axle and air suspension system that reduces weight by up to 100 lbs. when compared to a standard front axle and suspension. AIRTEK comes in capacities of 12,000, 12,500, 13,200 and 14,600 lbs.

Another Hendrickson offering is the QUAANTUM FX5 suspension featuring lightweight HNP wheel ends utilizing Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI), Dura-Light material and the company’s Axle/Beam Technology (AXT), which teams a large-diameter axle (LDA) and tapered-beam technology to deliver weight savings.

The HNP wheel-end system, Hendrickson notes, provides a weight savings by using lighter-than-aluminum ADI material and a shorter spindle compared to an HP-style. In addition, LDA increases the diameter of a traditional five-in. axle by about three-quarters of an inch, which Hendrickson says trims from 14 and 27 lbs. per axle, while the tapered beam technology shaves up to 30 lbs. compared to previous models. The company also points out that the exclusive P90 spindle featured on QUAANTUM FX suspensions gives fleets the choice to use either wide-base or dual tires without a weight penalty.

SAF Holland offers the CB4000 air suspension slider, which it says is one of the lightest air sliders on the market for dry and refrigerated trailer applications. Its integral cast beam design, the company says, optimizes critical strength-to-weight ratios. In addition, an optional AIRelease has fewer components than most competitive models while the CB4000 system utilizes a 28 spline, 20-5/8-in. long cam shaft that reduces weight.

FIFTH WHEELS

Fontaine ATB, an air slide fifth wheel lower assembly, provides a 40-lb. weight reduction, the company says, by using a composite (carbon fiber) air cylinder to drive a mechanical linkage that engages and releases the slide locking wedges. Because this cylinder is composite instead of steel, it provides improved corrosion resistance and less weight. The composite cylinders weigh three lbs. less than steel counterparts.

Fontaine’s Stationary Angle Mount Fifth Wheels are recommended for applications where axle weight, bridge length and kingpin settings remain constant and when weight is a prime consideration. The A36 is available in models to fit 34- and 33.5-in. frame widths.

SAF-Holland offers the Holland Aluminum Fifth Wheel for standard duty applications. Rated for 55,000 lbs. maximum vertical load and 150,000 lbs. maximum drawbar pull, the fifth wheel is 100 lbs. lighter than competitive designs, according to the company. The Holland Aluminum Fifth Wheel was field tested with fleets utilizing tankers, bulk haulers, and flatbeds hauling a variety of loads, including beverages, steel, cement, fuel, liquid and bulk food products, and refuse.

HUBS DRUMS

ArvinMeritor SteelLite X30 brake drums are up to 200 lbs. lighter than standard full-cast drums, according to the manufacturer, by utilizing the X30/Meritor Lite hub and stamped spider. Other features of the drum include an exclusive one-piece steel shell that eliminates weld seams while reducing weight on a typical tandem axle tractor-trailer combination.

Spicer LMS Hubs for drive, steer and trailer axles save over 200 lbs. compared to a 6×4 tractor and trailer with competitive standard axle and brake systems. Available in aluminum and iron hubs on tractor, truck and trailer standard spindles, the several hub configurations available offer a wide range of spec’ing options for both on and on/off-highway applications. LMS hubs are available in a wide range of axle ratings up to 14,600 lbs. for steer axles, 46,000 lbs. for drive axle, and 22,000 lbs. for trailer axles.

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