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The Gear Box
by Rolf Lockwood
Pete SeatPeterbilt's UltraRide seat has been redesigned, offering a more comfortably shaped seat cushion and backrest, a ratcheting armrest adjustment and updated seat fabrics and textures, including a fabric-and-leather embroidered logo. Additionally, the new seat includes a new base design for improved stability and redesigned air adjustment valves for easier adjustment and use. The seat also reclines a full 23 degrees when installed in Peterbilt's Model 387 and UltraCab sleeper configurations. It's available now and is optional in all Peterbilt models except the Models 362, 320 and 270. See your Peterbilt dealer for more info or visit www.peterbilt.com. Chrome Package for Peterbilt's 387
See your Peterbilt dealer for more info or visit www.peterbilt.com. Kenworth Headlamp
Haldex Guide to Wheel FastenersHaldex Brake Systems offers a new illustrated guide to wheel-attaching hardware. Easy to read and understand, it can be wall-mounted and includes full-size pictures and information for nearly 400 of the most popular fasteners. Including, for disc wheels: round-head serrated studs; clipped-head serrated studs; wedge-head studs; and double-end studs. Spoke-wheel fasteners covered include rim studs, bolts, and nuts. Also included is a dimension conversion chart and recommended mounting torques for disc wheels and demountable rims. Catalog L20325, with over 900 wheel-attaching part numbers, can be used to supplement this guide. Requests for the wall chart (L60046) and part number catalog (L20325) can be made through the Haldex websites at www.haldexbrakes.com or www.hbsna.com. Air FiltersDonaldson's new EON air filters, to be found on Freightliner and Navistar medium-and heavy-duty trucks, are also available in the aftermarket. Their high-performance filter media protects against a wide variety of contaminants, including dust, dirt, carbon, soot and oil mist. The company's 'FineFiber' technology is a proprietary method of forming a thin layer of sub-micron synthetic fibers and depositing them onto a second, supporting layer of filter media. This composite structure provides unique filtration benefits. Combined with Donaldson's RadialSeal technology, which uses pressure-loaded urethane to hold the filter firmly in the air-cleaner housing and maintain an ultra-tight seal, the EON element is said to increase filter efficiency significantly. For more information see www.donaldson.com. Spectra to Add Brake MonitoringToronto's Spectra Inc. is designing new features for its Brake Inspector brake diagnostic system, including pad wear and temperature monitoring functions, using a modified in-cab diagnostic module and wheel-end sensor interface. Brake-pad wear and temperature monitoring will provide drivers and maintenance staff with real-time data on the braking ability and service needs of truck, trailer or bus air-brake systems. The proposed system will identify progressive stages of pad wear and pad temperature. Prototypes will be field-tested in conjunction with a leading supplier of friction brake material and several large, national fleets, the company says, adding that the system will be particularly useful to severe-service applications with a lot of stop-and-go driving. Among other things, it will warn drivers of impending brake fade and allow maintenance departments to maximize lining life. Call 1-800-308-5255 or visit www.spectra-ssa.com. Trailer ControlThe Commander Model 200 from Wheel Monitor Inc. in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., is an inexpensive answer to the need for a trailer-ABS fault light on the dashboard - and much more - using the industry-standard 'PLC4TRUCKS' SAE J-2497 data-transmission protocol. Communication between tractor and trailer is done through the standard J-560 connector cord using the center-pin wire. The system also gives the driver in-dash control of the self-steer trailer axle lock, lift-axle function control and status or dump axle valve, trailer reverse lights and alarm, and suspension slider and control. The benefits are many compared to using multiple non-standard connectors, including lower cost, easier installation with fewer connections to existing wiring, and minimal maintenance expenses by avoiding extra cabling and connectors. It comes with a 3-year warranty for the retrofit market. Call 905-641-0024, e-mail to wmonitor@vaxxine.com, or visit the company's Website at www.wheelmonitor.com. Bypass Oil Filter
Power Inverter
Train Horn KitHadley's new train horn kit comes with virtually all the necessary installation components except mounting hardware. Included are a solenoid, toggle switch, fuse holder, wiring, fittings, and tubing. The horn's three chrome-plated trumpets offer "significantly higher" volume levels than found on ordinary truck air horns. If an air supply is needed, the company can supply both compressor and air tank as options. Call 616-530-1717 or see www.hadley-products.com.
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The new Custom Chrome Appearance Package for Peterbilt's Model 387 includes a stainless-steel aluminum-clad bumper and chromed mirror housings. It will be available this summer as a factory-installed option. The new bumper is lightweight and highly durable, says Pete. Its mirror-finish stainless steel surface is 10 times thicker than chrome plating for improved corrosion resistance, and the aluminum substructure reduces weight by about 50 lb compared to chromed steel bumpers. It's backed with a 5-year/unlimited-mileage warranty.
Truck-Lite's new 7-inch round, complex-reflector headlamp is now standard on the Kenworth T2000. The lamp's optical system reduces driver fatigue by putting more - and better distributed - light on the road compared to a sealed-beam system. It's also said to lower lighting costs. It uses the "robust" 9007 replaceable halogen bulb readily available at automotive and heavy-duty parts outlets. They're rated up to 1200 hours on low beam and 250 hours on high beam. Bulb replacement is easy and radically quicker than replacing a whole unit, offering cost-saving advantages. The new lamp has a tough polycarbonate lens. For more information visit 
ArvinMeritor's aftermarket operation has formed two distribution alliances, one with GRA-MAG Truck Interior Systems and the other with ANCRA International. GRA-MAG's line of air-suspension truck seats will be offered as replacement parts to Meritor-brand warehouse distributors, as well as to truck makers. And ANCRA International's line of heavy-duty cargo restraints will also go to ArvinMeritor warehouse distributor customers, as part of the Euclid line. The products include winch and ratchet strap assemblies, cargo bars, decking beams, and additional restraints for both flatbeds and van trailers.
New from PuraDyn Filter Technologies is the next generation of its 14-year-old by-pass oil-filtration system that allows any internal-combustion engine to run "hundreds of thousands of miles" without a traditional oil change. Field testing shows an average of 160,000 miles between oil changes, the company says. It extends drains that far by continually removing contaminants and replacing vital additives through a patented time-release additive package. The system uses a packed-cotton filter material in elements that can be changed in seconds, and they can also be used in earlier PuraDyn products. Improvements in the latest version include increased oil distribution within the filter. It does not replace the engine's primary conventional filter, and in fact that filter - but not the oil - must be changed at normal intervals. Savings in oil used are claimed to be as much as 90%, with reduced disposal costs to boot. There are 6 models to fit engines of various oil capacities. Call 561-547-9499 or see 
New from Phillips Industries is the 'Qp3' shore power system, which delivers 120-volt AC electrical capability to your truck and takes about four hours to install. It consists of a power receptacle mounted to the outside of the sleeper and wired to a junction box inside, which in turns powers household-style outlets in the sleeper. The system also has provision for a phone/data/fax port and a TV antenna. Freightliner offers the system in its new Coronado, but it's also available in the aftermarket for retrofit. For more information call 562-781-2121 or visit 
