Simard Suspensions Offers Custom Heavy-Duty Truck Conversions
Louis-David Tremblay with his father David at the Simard Suspensions booth. Credit: Michel Beaunoyer
A very interesting conversation took place at the Simard Suspensions booth during the Truck World show in Toronto, where father and son, David and Louis-David Tremblay, explained to Flottes&Mobilité the wide variety of their Class 8 truck conversion services. The entrepreneur took over this family business in 2009 and has since built it into a global leader in the design, manufacturing, and installation of steering and suspension systems for heavy trucks.
Depending on specific applications, trucks may be tasked with duties that exceed their original capacities or result in premature wear and tear. Concrete mixers, refuse trucks, crane trucks, container carriers, and snow removal trucks often require the addition of specialized wheels or non-standard suspension components. Working closely with vehicle manufacturers, the Quebec-based company—which has facilities in Indiana, USA, and the Montreal area, while headquartered in Baie-Saint-Paul—is able to develop technical solutions that meet OEM standards.
The engineering achievements are impressive. For example, doubling the wheels to allow for better load distribution requires precise calibration of every detail, right down to the synchronized steering angle. In short, the technical challenge is significant and must be tailored to each client's specific requirements.
We are looking at approximately 2,000 to 2,500 heavy vehicles of all types being modified in one way or another annually. It was no surprise, then, to learn that the CEO's son, who helps out with operations in his spare time, is currently studying mechanical engineering.
