Dana Holding Corp. on Sunday introduced a new tandem rear axle product and stronger drive- and inter-axle shafts, and said certain axles are now available on Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks. Executives described the products the day before TMC’s annual meeting opened in Nashville, Tenn.
 
The new tandem, called Spicer AdvanTek 40, is a 40,000-pound-capacity model using new gear sets, bearings and other components, and is aimed at a variety of Class 8 applications. It saves fuel, improves reliability, reduces vehicle weight, and decreases total ownership costs, Dana executives said.
 
The new tandem replaces the current DS404, and is estimated to deliver more than $8,000 in operating savings over a five-year period.
 
Features include the industry’s fastest axle ratio of 2.26:1, which allows cruising at low engine speeds, optimum inter-axle driveline angles by means of a hypoid coupling on the rear axle’s differential, and reduced lubrication quantity.
 
AdvanTek 40’s fast gear sets can handle higher input torques while lowering engine rpm at cruise speed, and increase axle efficiency by up to 1.2%, executives said. A range of ratios to 2.79 are suited for direct-drive transmissions, and ratios from 2.93 to 3.91 match with overdrive transmissions.

The new Spicer tandem is up to 21 pounds lighter than competitive 40,000-pound tandem axles now on the market. It is available with additional options such as Dana’s patented wheel differential locks, lubrication pump, breather, and Spicer LMS and LMSi hubs. Other options include thick-wall housings and Dana’s versatile SelecTTrac feature to maximize bearing life in single wide-based tire configurations.
 
AdvanTek 40 is now in final testing and will be available in early 2014.
 
Spicer Life Driveshafts
 
Spicer Life Series main- and inter-axle driveshafts have increased strength to handle high torque from modern engines, execs said. The shafts offer durability and savings for severe-duty vocational and other applications.
 
In its latest of an upgraded line of Spicer heavy-duty universal joints, Dana offers standard service and extra heavy-duty versions of the SPL-350 driveshaft, as well as the complementary SPL-250 inter-axle shaft.
 
Available in the second half of 2013, these products extend the expected life of the drivetrain and eliminate application restrictions on engine power in today’s Class 8 linehaul and vocational vehicles.
 
Claimed to be the most robust heavy-duty driveshaft and inter-axle shaft in their classes, the SPL-350 driveshaft and SPL-250 inter-axle can withstand increased stress placed on the driveline by low-RPM linehaul engines, as well as those in severe vocational applications like heavy hauling, mining, oil fields, and road trains.
 
With up to 28,810 pounds-feet of torque capacity in a smaller package, the SPL-350 driveshaft and SPL-250 inter-axle shaft are equipped with High Power Density design features that extend product life and outperform competing driveshafts, executives said.
 
Like all Spicer heavy-duty U-joints, these products have an optional service-free design for further maintenance and lifecycle benefits, more power density than competing products, and a 40% improvement in bearing life over competitive designs.