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EQUAL OUTPERFORMS LEAD WEIGHTS IN PIRELLI AND PENN STATE LAB TESTING

CHAMBERSBURG , Pa. (Feb. 1, 2001) - EQUAL ® Tire Performance - a dry granular polymer formula that is injected into tires to provide accurate, continuous, maintenance-free balancing for the life of the tread - was once again proven to be more effective than lead weight balancing in reducing tire vibration.

A vibration study performed at the Pirelli Tire Facility in California involved the use of a Ford F-450 with 19.5-inch tires on a 67-inch dynamometer. A triaxial accelerometer was mounted on the axle at the center of the left front wheel. The dynamometer was set to run the tire wheel assembly at prescribed speeds from 40 to 80 miles per hour, and the resulting axle acceleration was measured for a period of five minutes. Data was first taken on a tire with a dual-plane balance. Then, the lead weights were removed, EQUAL was inserted into the tire and the measurements were repeated at each speed level, taking care to maintain the same air pressure in each tire.

The testing, observed and authenticated by the Pennsylvania State University Center for Acoustics and Vibration, found that at all speeds "the addition of EQUAL significantly reduced the vibration level of the wheel assembly at the fundamental frequency." The reduction in vibration ranged from 21.3 to 35.8 percent, with an average of 29.2 percent.

"This study further establishes the superior results of EQUAL over lead weight balancing and verifies it reduces vibrations from force variation," said Bob Fogal Jr., president and CEO of International Marketing Inc. (IMI), which manufactures EQUAL. "It is especially significant that the results were authenticated by Penn State , a leader in transportation research."

In previous testing performed at the Transportation Research Center test tracks in Ohio , EQUAL was found to reduce vibration in truck tires an average of 20 percent better than lead weight balancing on a group of 10

11:00 x 22.5-inch tires.

Since its introduction in 1991, EQUAL has been installed in millions of truck, bus and aircraft tires. And more than 3,000 commercial tire dealers, truckstops, truck dealerships and alignment shops in North America offer EQUAL. Additionally, the product is now available in an automotive formula for passenger cars, light trucks and SUVs with wheel diameters of 13 to 18 inches. In automotive testing using a chassis dynamometer, EQUAL proved to be superior in reducing vibrations at various speeds. An additional automotive test proved that EQUAL, together with a dual plane balance, improved rolling uniformity by as much as 50 percent over dual plane balancing alone.

Headquartered in Chambersburg , Pa. , with regional and international sales offices, IMI is a 28-year-old company that develops and markets tire and wheel maintenance products and equipment worldwide. IMI can be accessed through the Internet at www.imiproducts.com.