GKN springs Daily
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• GKN has broken the 3.5tonne barrier with its composite leaf springs, and the first production application for the higher-capacity spring will be in the new Iveco Ford Turbo Daily van.
The Daily's promised facelift was previously thought to be confined to a slight reworking of the nose panels and interior trim, but it now appears that the all-new springs will be included in the specification.
GKN's chairman David Lees confirms: "A new production order for composite leaf springs has been placed by Iveco Fiat SpA, which will double the current annual output."
The composite spring has suffered from delamination problems at weights higher than 3.5 tonnes, and its use has been confined to the rear of the Leyland Daf 200 models and some taxis. Manufacturers like Scania have struggled with uprating composite springs in the past and given up, but GKN has continued to develop the product.
It is now suitable to fit in the Daily range, with gross weights from 3.5 to 4.5 tonnes when fitted with the 2.5-litre Sofim diesel engine.