Alcoa rolls out its most durable aluminum wheel

Alcoa rolled out its most durable commercial truck wheel, Dura-Bright EVO, to the North American market. Alcoa’s Dura-Bright EVO wheel maintains all the benefits of its predecessor, the Dura-Bright wheel with XBR technology, while taking the wheel’s performance to a new level. The Dura-Bright EVO wheel is 10 times more resistant to corrosion primarily caused by road salts and weather elements, and more resistant to chemicals found in the toughest truck cleaning agents, according to the company. This durability enables the use of a wider variety of cleaning solutions to simplify maintenance, while preserving the integrity and brightness of the wheel.

“Since inventing the forged aluminum wheel, Alcoa has continuously innovated stronger, lighter and more durable wheels to increase payload and enhance sustainability,” said Tim Myers, president, Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products. “The Dura-Bright EVO wheel is Alcoa’s easiest-to-maintain wheel yet, meaning it can stand up against the harshest weather, road salts, grime and cleaning agents that can corrode and dull standard commercial truck wheels.”

Unlike surface coatings that can crack, peel, corrode and dull quickly, the Dura-Bright wheel allows brilliant shine to last even after years of use, without the need for polishing, Alcoa said. Dura-Bright is not a coating, but rather a surface treatment that penetrates the aluminum and becomes an integral part of the wheel, ensuring what happens on the road stays on the road. Regular cleaning with commonly used truck washing products or with just mild soap and water will keep the wheels shiny, even after hundreds of washes and thousands of miles, reducing maintenance costs.

In addition, all Alcoa wheels are made from one piece of forged aluminum, making them lighter and stronger than steel wheels, increasing payload and fuel efficiency. The Dura-Bright EVO wheel is commercially available in North America for orders shipping in August on Alcoa’s popular LvL ONE 22.5- x 8.25-in. and 24.5- x 8.25-in. wheels. All remaining North American fitments will shift to Dura-Bright EVO in January 2016, extending the innovation to fitments from Class 3 through 8.