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RSI's solution to wheel separation from bearing failure and lock mechanism malfunction brings the only solution of its type to the transportation industry. Hub-Lock is a cost effective means of preventing wheel loss due to bearing failure. Hub-Lock incorporates both positional and thermal indicators of impending catastrophic bearing failure.

The Issue

Wheel bearings fail for a number of reasons. Currently there is no internal or external indication of bearing wear or overheating. When the wheel bearings have a catastrophic failure (pictured above), the retaining nut at the end of the axle is smaller than the bearings outer race, and is insufficient to hold the wheel assembly on the spindle. These bearing failures and lack of proper retaining nuts will cause the wheel assembly to separate from the vehicle, resulting in an accident that happens thousands of times every year, causing serious damage, injury or death.

Accident Data: Background to the RSI issue

Big truck wheel loss resulting from bearing failure occurs thousands of times every year in the United States as detailed in multiple NHTSA/DOT studies. Three separate reports conclude that the rate of wheel loss accidents is .3% of all reported big truck accidents. 26% of the time wheel separation accident result in serious injury or death. The true number of big truck wheel loss incidences from wheel bearing failure is much higher than .3% since the majority of wheel loss accidents go unreported. This type of wheel loss failure persists for all type of wheeled vehicles. RSI offers a low cost solution to this problem. RSI's solution can be integrated into any type of conventional wheel bearing assembly.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) submitted a report to Congress entitled “The Large Truck Crash Causation Study”. The study was conducted by the FMCSA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the DOT. It reveals that tires/wheels failed resulting in 1% of crashes, brakes failed resulting in 1% of crashes, and .3% or approximately 1500 accidents per year are the result bearing failure induced wheel separation. RSI has a solution.

Links to Additional Resources

Video: “Lucky truck driver”

Video: “Loose wheel”

Video: “Flying tyre causes chaos”

Video: “Truck” shows a quarry truck hauling its front wheel after it fell off

Video: “Semi loses 2 tires 1 hits a minivan windshield”

Video: “Semi loses tire, kills driver in opposite direction”

Video: “Losing tires not uncommon, truckers say”

Video: "Flying truck tire hits van, kills driver on Ottawa Hwy"

NEWS STORY with video: "Loose tires roll and bounce down New Jersey Highway, smashes into Jeep"

USA TODAY REPORT : "Close call: Air Canada Express flight loses wheel after takeoff, lands safely in Montreal"

Contact Nels Melberg: nels@rsihublock.com