Dana has introduced two new lightweight Spicer S140 Series axles for medium-duty applications.
The company says its Spicer S140 Series drive axles are up to 50 lbs lighter than competitive offerings. They feature Dana's GenTech gearing, providing increased torque capacity and durability while producing less noise. They're available with ratios from 3.31:1 to 6.50:1.
The 50-lb weight savings helps fleets offset some of the weight gain emissions-related components have added to medium-duty trucks in recent years, said Steve Slesinski, director, global product planning, commercial vehicle driveline technologies.
The new axles are available on Classes 6/7 vehicles with gross axle weight ratings of up to 21,000 lbs and gross combined weights of up to 46,000 lbs, Dana announced at the Technology & Maintenance Council meetings.
Dana also announced Kenworth and Peterbilt are now offering both its Spicer Advantek 40 tandem axle and its Spicer EconoTrek 6x2 tandem axle. Slesinski said the Advantek 40 offers the fastest axle ratio in the industry, to accommodate engine downspeeding and the extra torque it produces.
"Fast axle ratios drastically increase the amount of torque on the driveline," Slesinski said. "This is designed to handle the additional torque."
Engine downspeeding can provide fuel savings of about 2%, he noted.
The EconoTrek 6x2 reduces weight by about 400 lbs compared to a 6x4, which can provide up to $8,000 in additional revenue over a five-year period (even accounting for the lower resale value 6x2s are expected to command).
