Help with identifying a device

[Shpaget]

I've seen this thing on semi truck wheels only a handful of times over the last couple of years, usually on highways in Germany, but by the time I take out my phone to snap a picture, the truck is usually long gone. Now I stumbled upon a YT video with a truck that has it. I'm talking about the things attached to the body and leading to the center of the wheels, both front and back. 

I have no idea what it is, what it's called and my attempts to google "thing on truck wheels" are, expectedly, not fruitful.

 

So, what is it, what does it do, why does it have to be on all wheels, why do some trucks have it, does it taste good, why don't all truck have it? Help!

[Green Baron]

This is interesting. A few months ago i have seen similar things on some of the newer generation buses here. It can't be something crucial because it is so exposed that it will sooner or later "fall off" and would increase maintenance cost. Now they are gone again, so apparently is was temporary.

Pressure control is inlying, distance counter is better done via a radio or magnetic transmission. It is independent of the wheel suspension (must be flexible).

idk either ....

Edited February 8, 2018 by Green Baron

[LordFerret]

Is it attached to the axle/hub? Doesn't look like it.

My first impression is that they're 'curb feelers', found on old cars... a fad which seems to have worn out.

On the other hand, maybe they're some kind of water sensor? A better picture would help... or stop one of the drivers and ask.

[benzman]

I may be wrong here, but I vaguely recall that such devices were used to tell the tyre pressures.  They were probably too accident prone and ugly to get popular.  I also recall that tyre manufactures used such devices to rapidly deflate tyres when the vehicle is in motion for research purposes.  But like I say, I could be wrong.

 

[Shpaget]

8 hours ago, Green Baron said:

This is interesting. A few months ago i have seen similar things on some of the newer generation buses here. It can't be something crucial because it is so exposed that it will sooner or later "fall off" and would increase maintenance cost. Now they are gone again, so apparently is was temporary.

Pressure control is inlying, distance counter is better done via a radio or magnetic transmission. It is independent of the wheel suspension (must be flexible).

idk either ....

Yeah, I discounted those since there are simpler solutions.

3 hours ago, LordFerret said:

Is it attached to the axle/hub? Doesn't look like it.

My first impression is that they're 'curb feelers', found on old cars... a fad which seems to have worn out.

On the other hand, maybe they're some kind of water sensor? A better picture would help... or stop one of the drivers and ask.

I don't think so. These are at the center of the truck wheels which are much higher than your average curb.

I can't stop a truck on a highway just to ask the driver that, and I've never seen it on a parked one.

30 minutes ago, benzman said:

I may be wrong here, but I vaguely recall that such devices were used to tell the tyre pressures.  They were probably too accident prone and ugly to get popular.  I also recall that tyre manufactures used such devices to rapidly deflate tyres when the vehicle is in motion for research purposes.  But like I say, I could be wrong.

 

On the picture in OP it's on an older model, but I've seen it on newer ones as well.

My car has tyre pressure sensor, but it's hidden somewhere. Apparently it can be done without parts sticking out like this.

Deflators wouldn't be mounted on a truck in operation, would they?

[YNM]

Maybe something to do with tachograph ?

Or something to prevent tyre stealing somehow ?

 

It goes right over the axle's axis. They are also on the rear axle (there's something jutting out as well). Maybe it helps determine when you're "moving". Maybe it obstructs the wheel from being uninstalled.

Is it on the other side as well ?

Edited February 9, 2018 by YNM

[Shpaget]

14 minutes ago, YNM said:

Maybe something to do with tachograph ?

Or something to prevent tyre stealing somehow ?

Could be, but a tachograph wouldn't require it to be on more than one wheel, and most of the trucks manage to have techographs without even one of these.

14 minutes ago, YNM said:

They are also on the rear axle (there's something jutting out as well). Maybe it helps determine when you're "moving". Maybe it obstructs the wheel from being uninstalled.

Is it on the other side as well ?

Yes, this one and the real life ones I've seen had multiple installed. The mounting bar that connects the device with the body is somewhat of different shape (probably only to facilitate mounting), but the device at the end is pretty much same looking.

On this particular truck I don't know if it's on the other side as well, but all the real world ones I've seen had them on driver (left) side at least. Unfortunately, I couldn't examine the right side, because highway.

[YNM]

26 minutes ago, Shpaget said:

Could be, but a tachograph wouldn't require it to be on more than one wheel, and most of the trucks manage to have techographs without even one of these.

Rumours had that you can disable one with a magnet, esp. if it only measures the drive shaft. Maybe it's a workaround.

EDIT : If TLDs are to be believed, that could be in South America.

 

On the tyre stealing : Here, if you park your car in a dodgy place, your tyres can be changed entirely in 5-10 mins. You won't notice it unless you're staring at the tyres and the threads. Often happens if you had a new tire. I think this is shown in slumdog millionare, albeit that's in India and they didn't restore the wheels in the film. So I'm not sure why would it happen to the trucks but there could be such risk esp. in less well countries.

Edited February 9, 2018 by YNM

[James Kerman]

I've been a truck driver for 20 years and never seen anything like that but it would be illegal under Australian laws (danger to pedestrians/infrastructure).  I don't think they are touching the axle/rim or you would rip off the front ones as soon as you turned.

My guess is that it might be an aftermarket energy recapture system - braking with strong magnets and injecting the power back in when you put your foot down however the systems I have seen have been fitted inline with the driveline.  Perhaps truck training wheels??

Edit:  I showed the image to a car mechanic and he disagreed and pointed out that the "struts" look too weak to be used in energy recapture.

Edited February 9, 2018 by James Kerman
More information

[Green Baron]

4 hours ago, James Kerman said:

Edit:  I showed the image to a car mechanic and he disagreed and pointed out that the "struts" look too weak to be used in energy recapture.

That was my thought as well, there are really currents flowing and cables need to have diameters or it gets warm. Recuperation brakes of electric or hybrid cars are integrated in the drive train. Pressure sensors need no rigid connection. Any counting is better done magnetically or via short range radio.

For now it remains mysterious :-)

[tater]

I've never seen that on any truck in the US, ever.

[Shpaget]

7 hours ago, James Kerman said:

I've been a truck driver for 20 years and never seen anything like that but it would be illegal under Australian laws (danger to pedestrians/infrastructure).  I don't think they are touching the axle/rim or you would rip off the front ones as soon as you turned.

Do you drive only in Aussie land or have you driven much in the other parts of the world?

7 hours ago, James Kerman said:

My guess is that it might be an aftermarket energy recapture system - braking with strong magnets and injecting the power back in when you put your foot down however the systems I have seen have been fitted inline with the driveline.  Perhaps truck training wheels??

Edit:  I showed the image to a car mechanic and he disagreed and pointed out that the "struts" look too weak to be used in energy recapture.

Yeah, that would require much more substantial bracing.

1 hour ago, tater said:

I've never seen that on any truck in the US, ever.

Could be a Europe thing. Or it could be something recent. The first time I remember seeing it was summer 2016.

What I see as a potential candidate would be a special purpose high precision distance measuring device. Mapping companies could offer truckers some cash to have that on their trucks and drive around for purposes of accurate map making. The device would be continuously calibrated by GPS, but offer much better short term precision than GPS alone (since GPS is accurate but not precise, and this thing would be precise but not accurate). GPS provides error correction over long distance, and this thing provides precise wheel rotation counter and can conceivably offer the possibility to measure roads very accurately, twists and turns in the road included, as well as suitability for urban canyons and tunnels where GPS can be finicky or entirely nonoperational.

I could be entirely wrong of course.

[Tex_NL]

First of all, as a trucker I can guarantee you it has NOTHING to do with the tachograph. Tachograph sensors are always mounted on the gearbox. Never on the wheels.

Pretty sure I've identified your gizmo. It's called a 'central inflation system'.

Check out this google search for more images.
Trucks that go off-road sometimes partially deflate their tires to improve traction. Deflating and re-inflating your tires manually multiple times a day is not just a cumbersome job, it would simply take up too much time. With this installed all it takes is a simple flip of a switch.

Edited February 9, 2018 by Tex_NL

[adsii1970]

14 hours ago, LordFerret said:

Is it attached to the axle/hub? Doesn't look like it.

My first impression is that they're 'curb feelers', found on old cars... a fad which seems to have worn out.

On the other hand, maybe they're some kind of water sensor? A better picture would help... or stop one of the drivers and ask.

Nope. They still make and sell them... want to get a set?

https://www.amazon.com/United-Pacific-Chrome-Curb-Feelers/dp/B007IWTTO6/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_263_bs_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VQZR4M93DQD1TBP14PT9

Edited February 9, 2018 by adsii1970

[Shpaget]

1 hour ago, Tex_NL said:

First of all, as a trucker I can guarantee you it has NOTHING to do with the tachograph. Tachograph sensors are always mounted on the gearbox. Never on the wheels.

Pretty sure I've identified your gizmo. It's called a 'central inflation system'.

Check out this google search for more images.
Trucks that go off-road sometimes partially deflate their tires to improve traction. Deflating and re-inflating your tires manually multiple times a day is not just a cumbersome job, it would simply take up too much time. With this installed all it takes is a simple flip of a switch.

Mistery solved, I guess.

Thanks!

[kerbiloid]

1 hour ago, Tex_NL said:

'central inflation system'.

Before it became mainstream.

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

P.S.
Also maybe they are gadgets to check if the wheels are still here and not stolen at a red light.

 

Edited February 9, 2018 by kerbiloid

[Delay]

1 hour ago, Tex_NL said:

Deflating and re-inflating your tires manually multiple times a day is not just a cumbersome job, it would simply take up too much time. With this installed all it takes is a simple flip of a switch.

You sound like one of those people in/on shopping programs telling you to buy stuff. I like it.

[tater]

Hummers (commercially available humvees) had CTS, but it wasn't, you know, ugly:

 

It also wouldn't get ripped off on a rock. I didn't realize it ever got retrofitted in such a sloppy fashion, I guess.

[Green Baron]

Same with Toyota (reminds me of Pidgin "same same, but different") :-)

I am not yet quite convinced if it is solved. The buses i saw with these things were normal road version, low floor and long wheel base. They do have buses for dust roads as well here, but they are much shorter and have a much higher clearance between chassis and ground ...

Edited February 9, 2018 by Green Baron

[LordFerret]

2 hours ago, Tex_NL said:

Trucks that go off-road sometimes partially deflate their tires to improve traction.

Absolutely. I see this constantly with people up on the beach (IBSP and southern tip of LBI) with their dune buggys. There are even re-inflation stations at the visitor centers. Back when I used to dirtbike (motocross) in the sand pits up in Saxton Falls NJ, tire deflation was a must in the sugar-sand (also very common in the Pine Barrens as well)... way different than riding dirt.

[benzman]

15 hours ago, Shpaget said:

 

Deflators wouldn't be mounted on a truck in operation, would they?

I have heard of them being used by tyre manufacturers for research purposes.

[James Kerman]

7 hours ago, Shpaget said:

Do you drive only in Aussie land or have you driven much in the other parts of the world?

Only in Straya, Mate.  As a young man I used to do east/west across the country and deliver to remote places however the unsealed roads (gravel) are generally in ok condition.  Still, a deflator would have been useful because I've had to dig myself out of a bog a few times (once at 44°C) and it *ruins your day.

*insert your own expletives here.

[YNM]

9 hours ago, James Kerman said:

*insert your own expletives here.

List of hard expletives : *liquided*

16 hours ago, Tex_NL said:

First of all, as a trucker I can guarantee you it has NOTHING to do with the tachograph. Tachograph sensors are always mounted on the gearbox. Never on the wheels.

Pretty sure I've identified your gizmo. It's called a 'central inflation system'.

Spoiler

Check out this google search for more images.
Trucks that go off-road sometimes partially deflate their tires to improve traction. Deflating and re-inflating your tires manually multiple times a day is not just a cumbersome job, it would simply take up too much time. With this installed all it takes is a simple flip of a switch.

Hmm... I presume you won't see them in places where the road is mostly paved or muddy but only a short distance...

I presume the thing at the front of the original picture was somehow being disconnected then ?

On the tachograph : I just thought this was some interesting invention to circumvent fouling. Rumours had it that you can disable the standard older ones by some magnets.

Edited February 10, 2018 by YNM

[Tex_NL]

17 minutes ago, YNM said:

On the tachograph : I just thought this was some interesting invention to circumvent fouling. Rumours had it that you can disable the standard older ones by some magnets.

As far as I know this is correct. The older models could be fooled in recording a lower road speed with a few well place magnets. Quite possibly even stop them from recording at all. But if you get caught doing this the fines you'll face are not just through the roof. You could loose your license and perhaps even face jail time. In other words: DON'T!

[YNM]

18 minutes ago, Tex_NL said:

But if you get caught doing this the fines you'll face are not just through the roof.

This should be clear in breaking any safety & security law I guess