German company Schmitz Cargobull has introduced the Light Wheel End (LWE), an innovative steel rim screwed on the wheel hub.
“The LWE uses a robust steel wheel and still offers a weight lower than most common wheel hubs – even those with aluminium wheels,” explains Jan Harder, who developed the new hub-wheel system. “As a result, we created a light and robust wheel end that enables our customers to transport increased payloads without limiting practicality. And due to the lower mass, suspension and buffering will react more precisely, thus improving driving features.
The light wheel end and the Schmitz Cargobull standard wheel end interfaces are the wheel bearing. “We connected brake disc and wheel right to the wheel bearing housing using 12 wheel bolts on a joint pitch circle, rendering traditional wheel flange and cogset with ten wheel bolts and nuts unnecessary.”
Using the well proven in house wheel bearings, the LWE can offer a service life “at our usual high level, intended to last for one million kilometres.
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