IMI introduces two new truck wheel balancing products
International Marketing, Inc. (IMI) said its new XactBalance 180 and XactBalance Truck products put the same self-adjusting, dynamic balancing concept used in IMI’s Equal tire balancing product to use outside the tire. The products are designed to provide fleets with an alternative to standard fixed weights as a means of balancing wheels, and to deliver a smoother ride.
According to IMI president Bob Fogal, Jr., the newest additions to the IMI balancing family are the result of years of research and feedback from drivers, maintenance managers and shop owners. “Since we launched Equal, we’ve talked to countless fleet managers and owner-operators. Almost all of them like the idea of a dynamic balance, but some prefer to see the weight on the wheel. The bottom line is we wanted to give them a choice. Inside the tire or outside the tire, with or without a balancer, now there’s a product for everyone.”
XactBalance Truck is an adhesive wheel weight, which consists of twin thermoplastic chambers of steel particles that provide the balancing power needed for larger heavy-duty truck wheels. Having dynamic capabilities at the site of the imbalance, the company reported, allows XactBalance Truck to adjust for changes in speed, load and direction, giving the tire more miles between balances. It can be installed using traditional tire balancing equipment.
XactBalance 180s consists of two sections of long thermoplastic cartridges designed to cover the interior diameter of each wheel, creating 360 degrees of protection from vibration. IMI said this approach provides a new option for situations that prohibit the use of Equal or a spin balancer. The weight covers the entire wheel and can target imbalance at any point, so it effectively reduces vibrations for the life of the wheel and multiple sets of tires, the company explained.