ArvinMeritor on Wednesday unveiled a new series of durable air-ride trailer suspensions for North American vocational operators. The Meritor Trailing-Arm Air (MTA) suspension series was introduced at the company's U.S. trailer products manufacturing facility in Frankfort, Ky., to industry journalists and key OEM customers.


The MTA series of top-mount and low-mount models completes the company's lineup of air suspension products. MTA products come in single- and tandem-axle versions for platform, tank, grain, dump, chassis, bulk, specialty, lowboy and livestock trailers and specialty vans.

Final customer integration and manufacturing readiness on the first model, the 23,000-pound-capacity MTA23 -- continues through summer, with production launch in fall of this year. Five other models will roll out through mid 2011, said Craig Frohock, general manager for trailer products.

"Over the coming months, we'll work closely with our customers, our supply chain, and our manufacturing and quality teams to ensure flawless delivery and product performance for our customers," he said.

The suspension series features three technology advancements claiming distinct operational benefits:

* Patented multi-functional pivot bushing: absorbs road vibrations for a softer ride, more cargo protection, and reduced torsional stress on the vehicle's structure. Patented steel interleaf shims in the bushing provide improved fore-aft stiffness to keep axles aligned under all road conditions for long tire life.

* Large, robust shock absorbers: specifically tuned to the suspension with high damping power to keep tires on the pavement, which aids tread life, braking control and enhanced handling.

* Unique, patent-pending axle-wrap collars: secure the axle to trailing arms. Collars are welded in a circular pattern to special elliptical holes in the axle carrier. This also contributes to suspension durability, according to company engineers.

The integrated design includes Meritor trailer axles and brakes, and is available with Q Plus cam or air disc brakes, automatic slack adjusters, the SteelLite X30 drum and lightweight hub, and the Meritor Tire Inflation System by P.S.I. The suspension offers a five year, 500,000-mile warranty on most parts and varying times for labor.

Like other Meritor products, the MTA trailer axle-suspension will be supported by a large field team including experienced district managers located across the U.S. and Canada. They will assist fleets and dealers with specifications, technical support, and training and service of the new trailer suspension series.