A wheel and tyre-related issue has prompted the Ford Motor Company to recall up to almost 130,000 vehicles in the US. The manufacturer has informed government safety body the NHTSA that it is recalling certain 2010 and 2011 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan models, specifically vehicles equipped with 17-inch steel wheels that were built between 1 and 30 April 2009 and from 1 December 2009 through to 13 November 2010.
HMK, purportedly Europe´s oldest transportation company, relies on Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels. H.M. Kristiansens Automobilbyra AS, more commonly known as HMK, is said to be Europe´s oldest transportation company and is also the largest privately owned coach company in Norway. The firm has been operating from Oslo since 1873.
Venneker based in Nordkirchen, Germany has opted to switch all its new trailers to Alcoa wheels. Venneker has over 35 years of experience in cattle trade and transport. The firm operates 48 trucks and more than 40 ultra-modern trailers and semitrailers to transport the animals, observing the latest EU regulations.
Toyo Tire U.S.A. has announced it will continue as the official tyre of NASA. For those scratching their heads at this point, the NASA Toyo is connected to is the National Auto Sport Association rather than the space agency; continuing a relationship that began in 2002 when the Proxes Ra1 was first chosen as the spec tyre for select racing classes, Toyo has renewed its agreement with NASA through 2015. In addition, Toyo Tires returns as the title sponsor of the NASA Championships.
Pirelli’s Diablo Superbike range has been expanded with two new sizes. The additions to the line up are a 100/70 R17 front wheel fitment and 125/70 R17 for the real wheel; these sizes are intended for mounting on 2.5” and 3.5” rims respectively and for use on 125cc and 250cc sport bikes.
Projex Design UK Ltd recently launched the latest addition to its Italian-made commercial van alloy range. The Storm wheel is now available for the Toyota Hi-Ace
and Hyundai I-Load. The company has been producing this wheel for more than 18 months and it now reportedly caters for every model of commercial van in Europe.
Alcoa Wheel Products Europe is introducing a new 22.5 x 11.75 wheel with 120 mm offset and a 5000 kilogram load index for truck front steer axles and trailer axles. According to the company, the new wheel weighs only 23.6 kilos and is available with Ø 26mm mounting holes in four finishes: brushed, mirror polished, Dura-Bright and Dura-Flange. Alco reports that its wheels’ rim flanges are engineered to a unified rim flange design, allowing to accommodate both adhesive and clip-on balancing weights.
Wheel company Ronal reports that n October 2011 it signed a Memorandum of Understanding that integrates Taiwanese company FullChamp technologies Co. Ltd into the Ronal Group. FullChamp, which was founded in 2002, was already a Ronal production partner; the firm manufactures Ronal’s ‘Speedline Truck’ line of commercial vehicle wheels, a range developed by the Swiss company’s Italy-based subsidiary Speedline Truck S.r.l.
Bridgestone and McConechy’s tyre dealerships are running “Re-inventing the Wheel” drawing competition in schools across Scotland. Pupils from schools in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Kirkcaldy are drawing their ideas of how they could reuse tyres from their family cars after they are no longer road safe. Each of the four schools: Sighthill Primary, Giffnock Primary, Merkinch Primary and Torbain Primary are paired with a local McConechy’s dealership.
Luxury car manufacturer Aston Martin will use the Hunter HawkEye four wheel imaging aligner and GSP9700 Road Force Balancer to be used in its dealerships around the world. Paul Beaurain, managing director of Pro-Align, which exclusively distributes Hunter products in the UK said: “It’s a real feather in our cap for Hunter to have the endorsement of such a prestigious sports car manufacturer as Aston Martin.” Pro-Align worked with Aston Martin to gain its approval for the deal.
Trelleborg Wheel Systems’ manufacturing facility in Tivoli, near Rome, Italy, was the venue for Massey Ferguson’s international presentation of its completely new MF 7600 Series tractor range. The event, held on 15 and 16 September 2011, was attended by key management from Massey Ferguson and Trelleborg as well as specialized media from 16 European countries.
AlloyGator, a patented alloy wheel protection system, has been launched with the aim of providing car owners with unrivalled protection against scuffs, scratches and other wheel damage. AlloyGator is an affordable solution in keeping alloy wheels looking better for longer for consumers and an opportunity to up-sell for tyre dealers.
PSV exhibition Coach and Bus Live provides Blitz Rotary with a platform to launch its new HydroLift S2 mobile column lifts. Mobile column lifts offer increased flexibility in a workshop environment both for large and small service bays and workshops.
Swedish manufacturer Trelleborg will present its new C-Series range of tyres, designed specifically for the construction sector, at next month’s International Construction & Utility Equipment Expo in the US. This new line-up includes off-the-road tyres and rubber tracks.
Perodua and wheel and design house Wolfrace have teamed up to create the new Myvi Wolfrace Design Concept. The car combines classic Myvi specification with the striking styling of Wolfrace to produce a car that aims to be both affordable and fashionable.
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