Heavy Duty Aftermarket Journal's Top 5 products were selected by the editors from new product announcements published in HDAJ during 2010.

They were chosen for innovation, usefulness to the end user, effectiveness in improving performance and serviceability, and potential to help distributors gain more business.

Bee Line's Mobile Alignment System Package can gauge toe, rear tracking and camber - the number one, two and three culprits for steer tire wear. It can easily self-calibrate, ensuring the equipment is always accurate. It aligns wheels to the centerline of the chassis to ensure maximum tire life. Its computerized system quickly gauges the alignment of tractors and trailers. And it can do all this and still be transported in a van or trailer, allowing independent service providers to build business by taking the service to the customer.

The mobile package includes a laptop computer running Bee Line's WindSpeed alignment software instead of a large cabinet and desktop PC. Every major component has been redesigned to improve mobility and efficiency.

The Ultra Fifth Wheel line from Fontaine Fifth Wheel and its aftermarket parts group, Fontaine Parts Connection, consists of the Ultra LT, the Ultra NS, the Ultra HR and the Ultra HD.

- The Ultra LT, weighing in at 195 pounds, is the lightest slider assembly available for on-highway applications, the company says, including highway tanker operations. It's the weight of aluminum at the price of steel, according to Fontaine.

- The Ultra NS is available with an infinite automatic slack adjustment. For on-highway use in standard to severe service applications, this next generation No-Slack lock design allows easier switching between trailers and helps extend kingpin life.

- The Ultra HR is an aftermarket retrofit model designed to be a direct replacement for competitive standard-duty fifth wheel top plates, while also incorporating a number of Fontaine-specific improvements. The new cast steel Ultra HR is similar in shape to the top plate it replaces and will fit existing lower bracket assemblies with no adapters required.

- The Ultra HD is rated for severe-duty applications such as oil fields, logging, chip hauling and end dump trailers. The Ultra HD fifth wheel fits Fontaine's existing mounts, including two sliders and a number of stationary mounts. It is also available as a blocked model for frameless dump applications.

Alcoa's LvL One Wide Base Wheel uses a new proprietary process, which according to Alcoa results in the industry's lightest forged aluminum wheel but with even greater strength.

The 14-inch LvL One weighs 62 pounds, at least 8 pounds less than traditional aluminum wheel options. According to the company, long-haul operators running on steel wheels can save even more weight - 1,344 pounds - by converting to the new wheels, while also enjoying as much as 7 percent fuel savings.

Alcoa says the wheel is also six times brighter than other wheels in its class, with a 50-brightness rating. And Alcoa's Dura-Bright Surface Treatment keeps wheels bright without polishing.

Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake's Versajust Automatic Slack Adjuster eases upgrades and replacement of link-style adjusters with its infinite adjustment rate.

Advanced sealing technologies help combat the extreme corrosive environment seen by today's vehicle undercarriage. Its increased corrosion resistance and stronger seals make it more robust, longer lasting and conducive to severe environments and duty cycles.

The Versajust features industry-standard clevis pin dimensions, making it easily installed as a replacement part in the aftermarket. Replacing competitive slack adjusters with the Versajust model will be simple, as customers can use welded yokes or competitive link-style yokes already installed on air chambers with 1.3" pin-to-pin dimensions. The Versajust eliminates the need for templates, special brackets, attachments or tools.

Hendrickson's TireMaax Pro continuously monitors and adjusts trailer tire pressure by inflating or deflating tires based on changing conditions. TireMaax Pro addresses over inflation and balancing issues due to temperature changes. Higher temps can raise tire pressure by 5 to 15 psi, which causes high wear in the center of the tire tread.

Claimed to be the first automatic tire inflation system in the trailer industry capable of active tire deflation and balancing, the patented system draws from the trailer air supply to keep trailer tires properly inflated and rolling smoothly. If the ambient temperature increases, the system will relieve air when necessary to prevent over inflation, helping to achieve maximum tread life.

TireMaax Pro also balances the pressure at every tire.

TireMaax Pro uses a rotary air connection that is integrated into the hubcap. Axles are non-pressurized so the hub cap needs no vent, which helps keep out contaminants. It's easy to maintain because it has no electronics, transducers or pressure switches.

From the January/February 2011 issue of HDAJ.