LAS VEGAS -- Dana Holding Corp. is adding several drivetrain service parts specifically designed to support engine “downspeeding.” More than 150 part numbers have been added for heavy-duty Spicer AdvanTek 40-series tandem drive axles and Spicer Life Series SPL 350 driveshafts and universal joints.

The company is officially announcing the additions at the Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week trade show in Las Vegas.

The new items include Spicer universal joints, axle carriers, axle housings, axle shafts, yokes, seals, overhaul kits and power dividers, a company press release said. All will effectively handle and manage the high torques and stresses on driveshafts, axles, and inter-axle shafts associated with low-rpm downspeeding.

“Spicer AdvanTek axles and SPL 350 driveshafts have become the premier drivetrain offering for vehicle systems that take advantage of engine downspeeding,” said Doug Wolma, vice president and general manager, Dana Aftermarket Group. 

“Our service parts offering provides the same quality and performance features as our OEM (original-equipment manufacturer) parts for new vehicles,” he said. “This is especially critical when considering the torsional load put on the drivetrain that is created by engine downspeeding.”

Dana’s Spicer AdvanTek 40 tandem axles are available with five final-drive ratios to support engine downspeeding, including the industry’s fastest at 2.26:1, he said.  Weighing 21 pounds less than competitive 40,000-pound-capacity tandem assemblies, the axles also enable increased overall vehicle efficiency of 2%.

With a diesel set up for a low-rpm cruise speed, the components can help save more than 2,700 gallons of fuel over five years, reducing carbon-dioxide emissions by more than 60,000 pounds, Wolma said.

The SPL 350 driveshaft and SPL 250 inter-axle shaft withstand the increased stresses placed on the drivetrain by on-highway trucks configured for engine downspeeding.  The driveshafts are the most robust heavy-duty system in their class with High Power Density design features and extended bearing life.

As a system, AdvanTek axles and SPL driveshafts are the only combination in the trucking industry that can supply up to 1 million miles of life in a drivetrain mated to a low-speed engine, the company said. More information is at www.dana.com/aftermarket.