Engineers at IMI Have Improved the Equal Wheel Balancing ‘Solution’
Equal Flexx is the next generation of Equal, the internal balancing compound introduced to the commercial market by International Marketing Inc. (IMI) in 1990. Engineers call it a dry, granular polymer; IMI marketers call it a wheel balancing solution.
More than 25 years of independent testing and testimonials prove a bag of Equal or Equal Flexx in a truck tire keeps it balanced for its original life. And based on comparison testing, the numbers say Equal Flexx is superior in every way, the “best” to Equal’s “better”:
- two times the vibration absorption power.
- 20%-25% improvement in tire life.
- up to 15% improvement in overall performance.
- lower rolling resistance.
The result is fuel savings and longer-lasting tires, which addresses the number one and two costs in any fleet. Just by balancing all wheel positions, a fleet can save more than 2% in fuel costs. Equal Flexx also makes a filtered valve core unnecessary.
“The product is sized so that all of the particles going into the tire are larger than what could possibly get through either side of the bore of the valve core,” says Steve Ludwig, senior product development engineer. “And it’s easier to clean out of the tires when they are demounted.”
Rolling resistance and axle positions
Derek Forney, associate product manager for International Marketing Inc. (IMI), breaks down rolling resistance as it relates to wheel position this way:
- 20% comes from the steer tires.
- 30% to 40% comes from the drive tires.
- 40% or more comes from the trailer tires.
He estimates total annual savings per truck by using the new Equal Flexx in all unbalanced tire/wheel positions is $5,500, which compares to $5,000 for Equal.