Alignment rack
Hunter Engineering Co. has unveiled its new RKHD power rack for heavy-duty alignments, the company said.
The standard RKHD configuration is 24 inches high and includes a turnplate section, four runway sections and a pop-up ramp per side. The standard length is 380 inches, but additional runway sections can be added for unlimited wheelbase capacity, Hunter said.
The design has a 20,000-pound per-axle capacity. The legs of the unit bolt directly into the floor and can be adjusted for level accuracy.
Runway sections are 33 inches wide, and inside rub-rails help prevent smaller vehicles from driving off the sides of the runways. Pop-up ramps add wheelbase capacity while making maximum use of bay space, Hunter said. Back wheel stops automatically engage when the ramps are raised to the up position.
Contact: Hunter Engineering Co. Phone: (314) 731-3020, Ext. 375. Internet: www.hunter.com.
Pitman arm puller
Ken-Tool Co. has launched its new two piece Pitman Arm Puller Set.
The combination set comes in two sizes and provides a smooth, steady pull, the company said. The tools are drop-forged and heat-treated to provide strength and durability. The heavy-duty puller is designed for cars and light trucks while the compact puller fits smaller cars and import vehicles, the company said.
Contact: Ken-Tool Co. Phone: (330) 252-1942. Internet: www.kentool.com.
Battery
East Penn Manufacturing Co. Inc. has introduced a BCI Group 36R battery designed for 1996-2004 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable vehicles.
The Deka 636RMF is designed with calcium-calcium, maintenance-free construction to provide more power while reducing water loss and extending life, the company said. The design also includes deep-pocket envelope separators, which reduce internal short circuits to improve reliability and extend service life, the company said. Ultra-pure electrolyte and an added electrolyte reservoir retard plate dry-out, East Penn said.
The Deka 636RMF is rated 650 CCA at 0 degrees Fahrenheit and has 130-minute reserve capacity.
Contact: East Penn Manufacturing. Phone: (610) 682-6361. Internet: www.dekabatteries.com.
Brake catalog
Brake Parts Inc. has introduced its new BPC23 domestic and import brake parts catalog.
The catalog includes updated product coverage for popular 2003 vehicles, including the Chevrolet Silverado and Ford F-series trucks, the company said. It also offers expanded import and loaded-caliper coverage.
Brake Parts said more than 600 new part numbers have been added, including those for many new platforms such as the Land Rover Freelander, the Nissan Murano, Saturn Ion, Nissan 350Z, Lincoln Aviator and Infiniti FX45.
Contact: Brake Parts Inc. Internet: www.raybestos.com.
Disc brake pads
Brake Parts Inc. has introduced disc pads for the 2003 Saturn Ion and the 2002-2003 Land Rover Freelander. The Raybestos-brand pads are available in PG Plus professional grade. They include PGD956M for front brakes on the Ion, and PGD926M for front brakes on the Freelander.
Contact: Brake Parts Inc. Internet: www.raybestos.com.
Literature
Bridgestone/Firestone is offering a free brochure detailing how to select, use and care for tires used on recreational vehicles and travel trailers.
The brochure-titled ``Rx for Light Trucks, RVs, Mini-buses & Ambulances''-includes 14 color pages dealing with topics such as vehicle loading, tire care, repairs, inflation pressure maintenance, dual tire assemblies and tire rotation. It also includes a list of industry contacts for more information.
BFS said the brochure is largely a response to surveys that showed nearly 25 percent of RVs on the road have tires that are considered dangerously overloaded.
The information also can be applied to other types of vehicles, including light trucks, mini-buses and ambulances. The brochure-available through Bridgestone/ Firestone dealers-in-cludes instructions on how to weigh an RV or trailer.
Contact: Bridgestone/Firestone. Phone: (800) 543-7522. Internet: www.tiresafety.com.
Impact wrench
Snap-on Tools Co. has introduced an impact wrench designed to loosen bolts on large-wheeled vehicles.
The AT126 Blue-Point 3/4-inch square drive impact wrench offers 5,500 rpm of maximum free speed and a jumbo single hammer mechanism for loosening and tightening tasks, the company said.
The tool weighs 12.32 pounds and can deliver 1,000 blows per minute and achieve a maximum torque of 1,100-ft.-lbs.
The wrench also features a built-in grease lubricating system to keep parts working smoothly, Snap-on said. It also has a defused exhaust to blow air away from the job area.
Contact: Snap-on Tools Co. Phone: (877) 762-7662. Internet: www.snapon.com.
Oil dolly
Castrol Consumer North America has debuted Castrol Syntec Super 30, a mobile dispensing unit designed to carry 30-gallon drums of Castrol Syntec oil.
The dolly unit is aimed at installers that carry Syntec in bulk. Built by Balcrank, the unit is 3-feet tall and 2-feet wide. Rubber wheels make the unit easy to maneuver in a fast-lube environment, the company claimed.
The unit also features a Balcrank pump and a 10-foot hose with a flow rate for SAE 30 of 1.4 gpm. No transfer pump is required. The unit does, however, have to be hooked up to air pressure.
The unit sells for $695 and carries a five-year warranty.
Contact: Castrol Consumer North America. Phone: (888) 277-8765. Internet: www.castrolusa.com.
Service crane
Stellar Industries Inc. is offering its Model 4420 telescopic service crane in either a 12-volt electric/hydraulic or full hydraulic configuration.
The crane is designed for various users needing a crane in the medium-lifting range.
It has a 16,000-ft.-lb. capacity and can lift a maximum of 4,000 pounds at four feet, Stellar said. The Model 4420 uses a planetary winch system with a hydraulic/mechanical brake system.
It has a 25-foot-per-minute single line winch speed and a maximum reach of 20 feet from the centerline of the crane.
The unit also features a hexagonal tube boom construction that the company said provides a stronger cross section than square tubing.
Contact: Stellar Industries. Phone: (641) 923-3741. Internet: www.stellar-industries.com.
Piston cleaner
BG Products Inc. has launched its BG Squid Combustion Chamber De-carbonizing System.
The tool removes the carbon build-up and sludge that accumulates around the upper ring-belt of an engine's pistons and the combustion chambers, BG said.
During the process of controlling emissions, crankcase exhaust gases are re-circulated in the combustion chamber, dumping carbon and oil that then bakes onto the surface of the chamber and piston areas, the company said.
Symptoms of this include a carbon knock and a lack of power or fuel efficiency.
The Squid sends cleaner to the upper ring-belt area of all the piston chambers at once, the company said.
The device also uses continuous agitation to the cleaning process during the four-hour soaking period by automatically bumping the engine's starter every 10 minutes.
A BG engine oil system service then is used to clean the lower ring-belt sludge deposits and remove all chemicals used in the process.
Contact: BG Products Inc. Phone: (800) 961-6228. Internet: www. bgprod.com.
Software
QBC Systems Inc. has launched TireServ Release 6.0 software with enhanced point-of-sale features, including out-the-door pricing and suggestive selling management.
The software's point-of-sale functions allow end users to perform quick vehicle tire look-ups. It also can display, for sales personnel, available inventory from most expensive to least expensive and allow management to highlight inventory sell-out items, special items and most profitable items, the company claimed.
The software and its point-of-sale features give sales clerks more insight into which tires the dealerships' management want to sell. The suggestive selling components help salespeople push the more profitable tires, according to QBC.
Contact: QBC Systems Inc. Phone: (716) 691-5201. Internet: www.tireserv.com or www.qbc.com.
Storage chest
Snap-on Tools Co. has unveiled a commemorative 100th anniversary Harley-Davidson Top Chest tool storage unit.
The limited-edition storage unit features a custom silver paint job with special drawer trim and a decorative Harley-Davidson panel on the drop front.
The model KRA4055PIF Top Chest offers 4,448 cubic inches of storage space. It is 26 inches long, 14.75 inches deep and 17.19 inches high. The chest also includes a full-length lid stiffener, full piano-hinged lid, twin lid supports and five drawers with ball bearing slides.
Contact: Snap-on Tools Co. Phone: (877) 762-7662. Internet: www.snapon.com.
Timing light
Matco Tools has unveiled its Matco Powder-Coated Aluminum Digital Timing Light.
The light-weight timing light features an all-aluminum die-cast body with an industrial-grade powder coating, the company said.
With rubber grips contoured to fit into a technician's hand, the unit also has a twist-lock steel connector and steel pins to provide fast, positive lock and eliminate early failure-a common situation with plastic ``quick disconnects,'' the company claimed.
The timing light includes an eight-foot pickup lead.
Contact: Matco Tools. Phone: (800) 331-2427. Internet: www.matcotools.com.
Wiper blades
Federal-Mogul Corp. has introduced wiper blades designed to bead water on a windshield to avoid streaked and smeared glass.
The Anco HydroClear wiper blades use a C-350 synthetic compound that beads the water on contact. Federal-Mogul said the wipers' scoop-shaped wiping element then lifts the water from the windshield surface for a nearly perfect wipe.
The company said conventional natural-rubber blades attract water on contact, rather than repelling or beading it, causing streaks and smears to occur as the blades then only push the water around the surface.
The synthetic compound does not contain wax, and the blade-designed to stay flexible in a variety of temperatures-will not tear or rot from ozone- or ultraviolet-induced wear, the company said.
Contact: Federal-Mogul Corp. Phone: (248) 354-7700. Internet: www.federal-mogul.com/anco.