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Litens Campaign Emphasizes Proper Belt-Drive Maintenance
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By Counterman
Litens Aftermarket recently announced the addition of eight new SKUS for overrunning alternator decouplers (OADs) and one SKU for overrunning alternator pulley (OAPs) to its product lineup, offering coverage for more than 1 million vehicles in operation (VIO).
The new SKUs include late-model coverage for popular Ford, Hyundai, Buick, Nissan and Honda models.
The decision to expand the OAD product line is a direct response to the growing demand in the market, with approximately half of registered vehicles now equipped with an OAD, according to Litens. As these vehicles reach the aftermarket “sweet spot” for replacement parts, “Litens is committed to ensuring that technicians and consumers have access to the right replacement parts.”
OE belt-drive systems on vehicles built with an OAD are specifically engineered to accommodate the functionality of an OAD and should never be substituted with a solid pulley or a one-way clutch. Ensuring that technicians and customers have access to the proper replacement parts is crucial to maintaining the longevity of a vehicle’s belt-drive system components.
“As the inventors of the OAD, Litens has played a pivotal role in allowing contemporary alternators to meet the heightened performance and efficiency requirements that underpin the modern driving experience we all enjoy today,” said Scott Howat, national sales manager, Litens. “We believe it is our responsibility to provide technicians and consumers with the essential parts required to maintain the vehicle throughout its entire lifespan.”
Litens developed the OAD to meet the demands of improved performance and efficiency in alternators, particularly in late-model vehicles. It achieves this through two design elements that mechanically set it apart from traditional solid pulleys: an internal torsion spring and a one-way clutch mechanism.
The OAD contributes to the optimal performance of the alternator system by providing essential features such as vibration damping, stable belt tension and protection against reverse rotation. Substituting an OAD with any other pulley compromises these critical functions and can lead to adverse effects, including increased friction, potential belt slippage and an elevated risk of component failure, ultimately undermining the reliability and performance of the entire belt drive system.
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By Counterman
Litens Aftermarket introduced its latest product lineup, featuring 28 new SKUs.
The SKUs consist of 15 pulleys covering 4.4 million vehicles in operation (VIO), and 13 belt tensioners covering 3.1 million VIO.
The expansion offers enhanced coverage for more than 7.6 million additional VIO, including coverage for more than 1 million VIO for 2016-2021 Honda models and innovative solutions for popular Ford F-150 applications.
The newly introduced belt tensioners include coverage for the 2016-2021 Honda models, such as the Piolet, Odyssey, Ridgeline and Passport.
“Litens is responding to the demands of millions of customers, enabling technicians to access the right tensioners for proper belt-drive system maintenance,” the company said in a news release. “These portfolio additions are timely as these vehicles approach the point of needing a system reset, ensuring optimal belt-drive system performance. A system reset involves replacing all components of the belt-drive system, including the tensioner, idler pulley(s) and the belt, simultaneously, to maintain proper belt-drive system performance throughout the vehicle’s lifespan.”
The
link hidden, please login to view portfolio expansion also includes extensive coverage for the most popular vehicle on U.S. roads, the Ford F-150, featuring late-model coverage for pulleys and tensioners for more than 1 million VIO. The new tensioners have undergone design enhancements to the OE products, including a lift feature and Litens Technician Assist Pin (TAP). The lift feature adds an extra inch of accessibility for technicians, providing greater ease of access. The Litens TAP eliminates the need for a second set of hands during installation, securely positioning the tensioner for independent and safe belt manipulation. These innovations streamline the replacement process, improving safety and efficiency, according to Litens.
Litens also is introducing a cost-effective and time-saving solution in the form of its new pulley kit, catering to multiple 2015-2022 Volvo applications covering nearly 500,000 VIO. The kit includes all three pulleys in one package, eliminating the need for OE bracket replacement. Vehicle owners now have an affordable option to replace only the components that experience the most wear – the three pulleys – saving technicians the labor-intensive process of removing and reinstalling a bracket with a functioning lifecycle, according to Litens.
“Litens is committed to delivering an innovative, engineering-first approach to the aftermarket,” said Randy Wolters, aftermarket product manager. “Our latest product lineup demonstrates our dedication to providing the most comprehensive range of high-quality OE-manufactured tensioners, designed to enhance the experience and efficiency for technicians.”
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By Counterman
Litens Aftermarket recently introduced its “Reset to OE” campaign messaging, as the market share for OAD pulleys continues to grow, and the need to educate technicians about this component increases.
With virtually one-third of registered vehicles now equipped with
link hidden, please login to view, and as those vehicles enter the aftermarket “sweet spot” for replacement, bringing awareness about how an OAD impacts a belt-drive system is imperative. Advancements to improve the performance and efficiency of alternators have lead Litens to the development of innovative technologies such as the OAD pulley. An OAD helps synchronize the belt-drive system via two design elements that mechanically separate it from a traditional solid pulley:
An internal torsion spring that provides rotational flexibility, absorbing engine vibrations prior to reaching the alternator rotor, which could damage or negatively impact the performance of the accessory drive. A one-way clutch mechanism that allows the pulley to rotate freely in one direction (overrunning), while preventing reverse rotation when the engine decelerates or shuts down. When replacing an OE alternator that came equipped with a OAD, it’s critical to replace with an OAD equipped alternator in order to reduce stress on the alternator and other components, according to Litens.
“As more vehicles come equipped with a Litens OAD on the alternator, rather than a traditional pulley, it becomes increasingly more important for technicans to understand what an OAD does, and how critical it is to the longevity of a vehicle’s belt drive system components,” said Scott Howat, national sales manager, Litens. “As our campaign says, OEMs use a Litens OAD for a reason, and substitution could cause damage to other drive components.”
Technicians never should substitute an OAD with a solid pulley or a one-way clutch on vehicles that were built with an OAD, because OE belt-drive systems are specifically engineered to accommodate the functionality of an OAD.
The OAD provides additional functionality from a simple one-way clutch pulley, and they‘re not interchangeable. An OAD contributes to the optimal performance of the alternator system by providing vibration damping, stable belt tension and protection against reverse rotation. Substituting an OAD with any other pulley compromises these critical functions and can lead to several adverse effects including increased friction, potential belt slippage and an elevated risk of component failure, ultimately compromising the entire belt-drive system’s reliability and performance, according to Litens.
Litens’ OAD coverage for 2023 OE-equipped vehicles includes but is not limited to the Chrysler Pacifica; Ford F-250, F-650 and F-750; Toyota Tacoma, 4 Runner and Highlander; and Lexus.
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By Counterman
Litens Aftermarket recently introduced its latest OE improvement, the 999420A belt tensioner.
This new tensioner boasts improvements to the OE design, enabling an efficient belt-tensioner replacement process by a single technician, according to Litens.
“This tensioner was engineered to improve upon the OE design by addressing the challenges technicians encounter during the installation of belt tensioners, particularly in the confined spaces of engine compartments,” Litens explained in a news release. “Focusing on ease of installation, Litens integrated a design advancement to simplify the installation process significantly.”
The design upgrade is the lift feature, strategically placed in an offset position between the mounting bolts that secure the tensioner – adding an extra inch under the lip for a technician, providing greater ease of access.
Typically, a tensioner is located at the side of the engine compartment where there’s very little room for working hands to get a wrench on the tensioner to loosen the belt during installation. The configuration in the Litens tensioner facilitates easy access for technicians to position their wrench when loosening the belt, streamlining the installation process even in the tightest engine compartments, according to the company.
Additionally, the lift feature is designed for a 14-millimeter hex wrench consistent with OE design, rather than using a 15-millimeter hex wrench traditionally used on aftermarket tensioners. Consequently, Litens says, the technician has one less tool to keep track of throughout the replacement process.
“As an engineering company that manufactures parts, we recognize the struggles that come with installing these parts in tight space,” said Randy Wolters, product manager, belt-tensioning products, Litens Aftermarket. “With these design improvements we’re able to give the tech an extra set of hands and save them from the bloody knuckles you get when working in such a tight space.”
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