Trucks go further with Meyle-HD quality

Fleet downtime costs clients and transport companies money but what really hurts is when a truck is off the road again after being repaired. To help workshops get vehicles back on the road for longer, Wulf Gaertner Autoparts AG has developed its very first re-engineered truck component.

Wulf Gaertner Autoparts’ engineers have designed, what it claims is a more robust tie rod end for DAF, Iveco, MAN, Mercedes Benz, R.V.I. and Scania trucks which lasts longer than its OE counterpart.

The HD tie rod end can be used in a whole range of different vehicles produced by these six manufacturers, making things much easier in the workshop.

The principal improvement is an increase in the ball diameter from 40mm to 45mm. The larger contact area improves the load-carrying capacity by 25 per cent. The component also has a wear-resistant plastic socket, made to withstand high forces and temperatures by our German technology partner igus®. This combination of materials is carefully matched to deliver extra resistance to wear. The finely polished surface of the ball pin keeps the friction coefficient extremely low.

The zinc flake coating of the housing ensures a high degree of protection against corrosion and the optimised rubber sleeve, for long-term sealing, contributes to the reliability of the tie rod end. Wulf Gaertner Autoparts also uses a high-performance grease specially adapted to the requirements of this specific tribological system.

This greatly contributes to reducing wear and thanks to the highly stable lubricant film and high temperature resistance, also protects against corrosion-related failure – no coincidence, therefore, that the same lubricant is used in wind energy plants and ships.