Tenneco Automotive is displaying its Monroe shock absorbers and Walker exhaust systems in their natural setting at Automechanika - a garage, complete with hoist, work bench and a car - on its stand in Hall 2. The company's products will be demonstrated here throughout the Show, including two revolutionary new devices; the innovative Walker Endoscope and the Monroe Magic Camber, both designed to help installers offer an even more professional service in an increasingly hard-fought market.

The Walker Endoscope: A new diagnosis system for exhausts
Utilising technology developed in the medical field, the new Walker Endoscope allows mechanics to detect damage inside an exhaust system before it becomes obvious from the outside. A miniature, fibre optic camera on the end of a flexible cable is inserted through the rear silencer. Pictures are relayed from the camera to a monitor, giving an outstandingly clear view of inner corrosion, condensation build-up and emerging holes, as well as damage to the catalytic converter. This device can also be used to access other hidden areas of the car, such as the wheel case or engine block or to check the condition of the brakes.

By enabling garages to show their customers any damage on screen, the Walker Endoscope makes it far simpler to convince them of the need to replace the exhaust system.

Monroe Magic Camber
Altering a car's wheel camber - usually by parking on kerbs, lowering the vehicle's height, driving with worn springs or wide base tires - causes uneven tyre wear which is 20% to 50% higher than usual. The car pulls to one side and driving comfort is noticeably decreased. Often this problem is impossible to solve because the camber on many cars can't be mechanically adjusted.

This problem is now a thing of the past for more than 70% of all cars, thanks to Monroe's innovative new Magic Camber. This uses two special bolts which allow the wheel camber to be adjusted quickly and easily by up to three degrees in either direction. The Magic Camber carries Germany's technical standards agency (TÜV) seal of approval. Visitors to the stand can also find out more about the restructured Monroe standard product line, Monroe Original; the latest additions to the Walker Aluminox range of premium silencers; Walker's expanded range of Catalytic Converters, Monroe Mounting and Protection Kits, and Monroe Magnum truck shock absorbers.

Monroe Original
Monroe has restructured two of its key product lines. The respected Gas-Matic and Radial-Matic shock absorber ranges have been merged to create the new standard product line, "Monroe Original". The new name underlines the fact that these components utilise the same technology as those fitted as original equipment.

In addition, these shocks are specially designed for the replacement market to compensate for the wear in the car's suspension and other components, which inevitably occurs after the vehicle has covered thousands of kilometres.

Hydraulic shocks are now labelled Monroe Original, while gas-charged shocks carry the label Monroe Original Gas Technology. Premium shocks, Monroe Sensa-Trac with the new Safe-Tech system, retain their current name.

Walker Aluminox - now for more cars than ever before
Tenneco Automotive is adding 100 new silencers to its premium silencer product line, Walker Aluminox, bringing the total number in the range to 650. Cars now covered by the range include the Volkswagen Polo, Golf III & Passat; the Audi A4 & A6; the Mercedes 250 D & 300 C/CE; the BMW 325; the Opel Vectra & Omega; the Ford Mondeo; the Citroën Xantia; the Peugeot 306 & 406; the Renault Espace; the Fiat Bravo, Brava & Punto; and the Alfa Romeo 146. Aluminox meets the highest quality standards and offers excellent protection against dangerous internal corrosion through the use of a special double skin. The outer aluminised steel shell is 0.7mm thick, the inside shell 0.5mm thick and made of stainless steel. This twin combination provides longer life and greater sound absorption.

Walker's catalytic converter range is expanding
The new, expanded range of Walker catalytic converters will be on show at Automechanika this year. At present the range consists of 220 different catalytic converters, for over 1300 applications, and this figure is continuing to grow. Walker broke new technological ground in the 1960's by working on the development of the first catalytic converter, and has striven to find the most efficient solution to the problem of vehicle pollution ever since. More than 40 specialists are employed in development centres at Edenkoben, Germany and in a number of satellite centres who are committed to producing a full range of catalytic converters to meet the demands of an automotive industry that is increasingly environmentalist. Tenneco Automotive takes pride in the knowledge that every new product they create is helping to reduce vehicle emissions.

Monroe Mounting Kits and Protection Kits
Monroe commissioned a French independent automotive testing agency known as GTS to test the effect of worn top mounts and compression bumpers. GTS concluded that there is a significant reduction of driving safety and ride comfort when these components are worn. The driver feels vibration through the steering wheel, and must frequently correct his/her steering because the car tends to drift, especially on bad roads. The tests showed a 24.5% increase in vertical acceleration, which puts 20kg additional pressure on the driver and adds 190kg more pressure on the front axle, resulting in increased stress and higher cabin noise levels.

These important components are all too frequently neglected when shock absorbers are replaced. Replacing worn top mounts with a Monroe Mounting Kit, and using a Monroe Protection Kit to fit new compression bumpers and dirt shields, will improve the new shock absorbers' performance and ensure greater driving safety and comfort.

Monroe Magnum Shocks for Heavy Duty Vehicles
Based on 40 years experience with cars and light trucks Monroe has developed Magnum shock absorbers for trucks between 3.5 and 41 tons and for trailers up to 12 tons. Technical advantages, including the use of high performance oil, enable Magnum shocks to perform reliably in extreme temperatures ranging from -40°C to +200°C, as well as offering improved vehicle performance and reduced tyre wear. Recently, Monroe commissioned TÜV to investigate for the first time the consequences of worn shock absorbers on trucks. These tests showed that a truck and trailer taking a bend on a bumpy road with 50% worn shocks takes up to 3 meters longer to come to a complete stop, compared to one fitted with fully-functional Monroe Magnum shock absorbers.

A truck with poor shocks is difficult to keep under control when forced to swerve, increasing the risk to both the driver and other road users. To reduce the dangers and high costs of driving with worn components shock absorbers should be checked regularly.

Tenneco Automotive - a World Leader
Tenneco Automotive is a world leader in the fields of automotive ride control and emission control products and systems through its brand names Monroe and Walker. The company has a turnover of 3.3 billion dollars, employs 24,000 staff and has 81 facilities worldwide. Products are manufactured as original equipment for well-known automobile manufacturers and for the aftermarket as repair and replacement parts.