ONE DAY BEFORE TOUR - IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM

We arrived at the Henschen Axle Plant in Jackson Center, Ohio (north of Dayton) began with a meeting in the main conference room where National Sales Manager told us a little about the history of the company, how the axles are assembled, why they work the way they do, and the years of craftsmanship that went into development. The Henschen Axle is truly unique because it includes a blend of rubber that comes from their own unique, and refined, patented recipe. No one else can blend it the way they do, and that is what makes their axle superior to any other on the road today.

He also wanted to be sure we had a little homework the night before, so we were provided brochures and materials to familiarize ourselves not only with the product, but the process. In keeping with that tradition, below you'll find excerpts from the brochure so that you too can familiarize yourself prior to taking the tour. Take a few moments, and then we'll be ready to enter the plant and view first hand how these innovative axles are made.

HENSCHEN DURA-FLEX AXLES KEEP YOUR RIDE CONSTANT
You won't rock or shock when you ride with our axles. With special shock absorbing rubber compound cords, the inner torsion shaft of each wheel is cushioned from the frame. Increase the load, and these special self-dampening cords compress under the added pressure. In addition, because these rods are self-dampening, the risk of oscillation is reduced. The result is a smooth, shock-free ride, regardless of the load.

HENSCHEN DURA-FLEX AXLES ARE SIMPLE BY DESIGN
We've purposely kept our axles simple. That way there are fewer components to induce contact stress. We've eliminated metal to metal contact so there's no high maintenance lubrication. Also, we've kept the wheels independent to reduce conventional shock transfer. Ground clearance can be varied simply by adjusting the torsion arm angle, and the whole axle can be assembled with four easy mounting bolts. These axles deliver trouble-free handling on the toughest terrain.

Constructed from high strength steel, our axles add rugged durability to the chassis frame, without unwanted weight. Encased in steel, all DURA-FLEX axles are maintenance free, and the rigid, bracketed frame resists the danger of twisting.

Henschen axles are designed for light load to heavy capacity axles, ranging from as
low as 500 pounds to 10,000 pounds. Each axle is then designed according to these specifications.

On the first part of the tour, we'll see the raw steel rods finely machined to make
the spindle, and soon after that, how it is precision welded to the plate.

Remember the rubber compound cords that hold the inner torsion shaft in place? (Shown in the first color diagram.)
Once mounted to the torsion arms, these cords are responsible for allowing the arms to angle up,
and down -- absorbing the bumps, dips and potholes most roads and terrains serve up daily.

When Henschen tells us, "We've purposely kept our axles simple. That way there are
fewer components to induce contact stress." They're not kidding. It's visible! Take a look at the
picture on the left (above). That's the other axle manufacturers. Now, take a look at the picture on
the right. That's Henschen. You immediately see the difference between the vast number of parts on
the left, and the unbelievably simplistic number of parts on the right.

I'm guessing they must have learned a little something from the class where we were told
to honor the "KISS" rule. After all, that's what your grandfather told you
when you were little, right? And it applies here today as well.

Ok, we're ready for the Tour. Any questions?
Visit Inland RV Center, Inc. at inlandrv.com

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