Road Wheels

GS Engineering is known throughout the world for its expertise in track & suspension systems with years of experience in road wheels, bushings, track, vibration reduction, bandtrack, and system reliability. In the example below, GS Engineering successfully created an advanced lightweight road wheel design for the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) used by the US Marine Corps. This design reduced the weight, increased the durability, and decreased the cost of the wheels currently used on this vehicle.

GSE's Track and Suspension Services Include:
Road Wheels
Bushings
Band Track

Historically, these wheels have been rolled, formed steel, or cast aluminum — weighing approximately 60 pounds each. They were not able to be refurbished and had many failures in the field.

Requirements:
EFV road wheel must weigh < 43 lb. ( ~25% weight reduction)
Low cost
Durability life = 2000 miles
Wheel tire & wear ring able to be refurbished
Wheel should be self-cleaning

Products:
A forged aluminum wheel
A hollow shell cast aluminum wheel (GSE patented design)

GSE'’s forged aluminum design is the leading candidate for the EFV. The forged aluminum brings high ductility at a fraction of the weight of a steel wheel. The hardened steel ring is replaceable, and the foam debris shield prevents build-up of dirt.

Specifications:
• Weight = 40 lb. (33% weight reduction)
• Competitive production cost
• Durability life = 2000 miles
• Tire and wear ring can be refurbished
• Self-cleaning wheel design to prevent accumulation of debris
• Corrosion-resistant

Potential Applications for Lightweight Wheel Technology:
Army Future Combat Systems (FCS) Tracked Vehicle
Marine Corps AAV
Army Bradley Fighting Vehicle
Army M109 Paladin

Contact GS Engineering to bring expertise to your track & suspension challenges.