ACCURIDE Corp, Evansville, Indiana, has introduced its new Accu-Lite steel wheels that weigh eight pounds less than the company's previous industry-standard steel wheels. The two hand hole Accu-Lite weighs 70 lb, while the five hand hole design weighs 68 lb.
“We are committed to designing premium products to serve as solutions for our customers,” Larry Taylor, Accuride's senior vice-president of sales and marketing, said during a press conference at the Mid-America Trucking Show. “As new emission standards are resulting in weight being added to vehicles, we knew our customers needed an easy solution for counterbalancing the added weight. We designed Accu-Lite wheels as a weight reduction solution for our customers so that they could maximize payload and fuel savings without reducing load ratings.
“Accu-Lite's eight pounds of weight reduction per wheel translates to a savings of at least 144 pounds for tractor/trailer combinations,” said Taylor. “When you compare the weight savings of Accu-Lite to the competition, the competition doesn't offer comparative savings. Accu-Lite is 11 pounds lighter than domestic competitors and anywhere from 14 to 23 pounds lighter than overseas competitors.”
Accuride engineers researched, designed, and developed Accu-Lite using high-strength, low-alloy (HSLA) steel coupled with state-of-the-art welding and metal forming technology to yield a wheel that is optimum in strength but light in weight. The wheel performance was validated with lab testing in accordance with SAE International and Accuride Corporation standards.
Accu-Lite wheels are available through Accuride's authorized distribution points, including Accuride's warehouse distributors and OEM (original equipment manufacturer), truck and trailer dealers, as well as available on OEM new medium/heavy trucks and trailers.