Mack Trucks announced Wednesday at the Work Truck Show in Indianapolis several new enhancements to its Mack Granite Medium Heavy Duty (MHD) model, including a new horsepower rating, a new under-frame exhaust system, a shorter wheelbase 4Ă—2 configuration and a tractor configuration.
Equipped with the Cummins L9 engine, the MHD now features a lower option of 330 horsepower and up to 1,000 ft.-lb. of torque.
A new under-frame exhaust offers more options for body adaptation, potentially unlocking new applications like tankers, flatbeds, box trucks, cranes and certain municipal applications.
The MHD model can be spec’d as a Class 7 or Class 8 vehicle, is offered in either an axle back or axle forward configuration, and is available as a 4×2 or 6×4. An axle back tractor option meets the needs of light tractor applications requiring maneuverability, flexibility and durability without extra weight.
A shorter wheelbase is also available for the MHD model in the 4Ă—2 configuration, ideal for 10-foot dump bodies commonly used in municipal applications.
Mack also announced Wednesday it is adding ground clearance for underbody scrapers to its Granite model, making it more appealing for snow removal.
Mack says the extra six-inch increase in chassis ride height enables the underbody scraper to articulate in excess of 45 degrees in both directions, enhancing the ability to remove snow in the winter and grade roads in the offseason.
Tim Wrinkle, Mack Trucks construction product manager, says the increased ground clearance allows for easier plow installation without the need to move other chassis components like fuel tanks and exhaust aftertreatment systems. The new configuration, he adds, also allows for a shorter wheelbase for greater maneuverability and decreased weight.
The Mack Granite is available with either the Mack MP7 and Mack MP8 engine and the mDrive HD 14-speed automated manual transmission with creeper gears, which weighs approximately 150 pounds less than an automatic transmission.