Litens Aftermarket introduced its “Reset to OE” campaign messaging, because as the market share for OAD pulleys continues to grow, the need to educate technicians about this component increases, the company affirmed.
“With virtually one-third of registered vehicles now equipped with a Litens OAD, and as those vehicles enter the aftermarket “sweet spot” for replacement, bringing awareness about how an OAD impacts a belt drive system is imperative,” the company said.
“As more vehicles come equipped with a Litens OAD on the alternator, rather than a traditional pulley, it becomes increasingly more important for technicans to understand what an OAD does, and how critical it is to the longevity of a vehicle’s belt drive system components,” said Scott Howat, national sales manager, Litens. “As our campaign says, OEMs use a Litens OAD for a reason, and substitution could cause damage to other drive components.”
On vehicles that were built with an OAD, technicians should never replace it with a solid pulley or one-way clutch, because OE belt-drive systems are specifically engineered to accommodate the functionality of an OAD, Litens advises.
“The OAD provides additional functionality from a simple one way clutch pulley, and they are not interchangeable. An OAD contributes to the optimal performance of the alternator system by providing vibration damping, stable belt tension and protection against reverse rotation. Substituting an OAD with any other pulley compromises these critical functions and can lead to several adverse effects including increased friction, potential belt slippage and an elevated risk of component failure, ultimately compromising the entire belt drive system’s reliability and performance,” the company said.
For more information, visit https://www.litensaftermarket.com/oaddecoupler.
