DfT to investigate hubs following MWS research
Following research by Motor Wheel Service last month that showed commercial wheels sustaining undetected damage when fitted to non-standard hubs, the Department for Transport has stated that it will undertake independent testing to verify the company’s findings. The initial investigation, carried out on an LBF machine by one of the world’s leading CV wheel experts, Dr Sundararajan of Wheels India, found that non-circumferential hubs, which give only partial contact between axle and wheel, are causing untested load stresses which cause cracks and half life expectancy. MWS, the worldwide distributor of Wheels India’s xlite truck wheels, has campaigned extensively over the past few years for increased safety checks, maintaining that there is also a problem with used take-off wheels entering the market without mandatory safety checks.