Dana Launches Spicer S172 Series Single & Tandem Drive Axles

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Jim Park, Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT)  /  March 4, 2018

Dana introduced its new Spicer S172 series single drive axle for Class 7 and 8 vehicles during a press conference at the Technology & Maintenance Council annual meeting in Atlanta. According to Dana, the new axles retains the robustness and strength of the existing S170 drive axle while reducing weight by more than 60 pounds.

The axle is crafted for 4x2, 6x2, and 8x2 applications up to 25,000 pounds gross axle weight rating. It offers a broad range of gear ratios, from 3.07 to 6.14, and features a low hypoid offset with High-Power Density AdvanTek gearing to optimize efficiency. The high-strength pinion bearings allow for greater lifespan under heavy loads, improving durability and overall performance, the company says. In addition, a passive lube management system has been added that requires less lubricant overall while maintain optimum lobe flow.

"It uses a venturi-cover design to optimize the lube flow in the axle and to make better use of the available lubricant, so we require less lubricant that a standard axle," said Steve Slesinski, director of Dana's global product planning. "We coupled the venturi-cover with a patented lube meter that controls the amount of lubricant going in between the bearing system of the pinion. That helps reduce spin losses due to churning and thus improves axle efficiency."

 

The single drive axle can also be paired with the Dana tag axle as part of the Spicer EconoTrek tandem axle, a durable, lightweight 6x2 configuration that offers increased fuel economy, improved performance, and reduced maintenance for heavy-duty linehaul tractors. This system is up to 3% more efficient and up to 380 pounds lighter than typical 6x4 offerings.

The tandem version is more than 60 pounds lighter than existing D170 series tandem axles, and it's available in a broad range of gear ratios, from 3.07 to 6.14, to serve a variety of needs, especially heavy-haul applications such as the Canadian logging sector with GWV up to 160,000 pounds and 50,000-pound gross axle weight ratings.

“Dana engineers are continuously examining innovative ways to improve our existing products,” said Mark Wallace, president of Dana Commercial Driveline Technologies. “We were able to build upon the advanced features of the S170 and make it lighter without sacrificing its industry-proven durability and efficiency. We remain a company committed to finding a better way to address the needs of our customers and the commercial-vehicle market.”

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Dana shows new axles, updated tire analytics program

James Menzies, Truck News  /  March 4, 2018

ATLANTA, Ga. – Two new lighter-weight axles and an updated tire analytics platform were among product introductions made by Dana at the Technology & Maintenance Council’s Spring meetings.

The Spicer S172 single drive axle and D172 tandem axle will replace the 170 series, Dana announced. Steve Slesinksi, director, global product planning for Dana, said the company was able to reduce weight by up to 60 lbs. Both axles come with broad ratio coverage from 3.07 to 6.14.

The S172 is aimed at Classes 7 and 8 applications with a gross axle weight rating of 25,000 lbs and a gross combination weight (GCW) rating of 100,000 lbs.

The D172 tandem axle also reduces weight by up to 60 lbs, and is well suited for Canadian linehaul applications or heavy-haul work, with a GCW rating of 160,000 lbs. The first OEM to offer the axle will make it available in the second quarter of 2018, Slesinski said.

Some of the features include: Dana Spicer AdvanTek gearing design, with wider face gearing; a 20-mm hypoid offset to improve efficiency without compromising strength; a high-strength pinion bearing system; an integrated one-piece carrier design; and a fully autonomous lubrication management system.

Tim Farney, global vice-president of Dana’s commercial vehicle division, announced the second-generation Rhombus TireAnalytics system. It builds on the initial platform introduced at this show last year.

“It addresses a key maintenance area in the industry, which is tires,” Farney said. “Specifically, it provides tire inspection management consistency, predictive analytics and forward-looking capability, and total life-cycle management tools fleets can utilize to help with the maintenance costs of their tires.”

New features include: greater efficiency in gathering tire data using Bluetooth; life-cycle management capabilities using serialization; benchmarking capabilities; tread wear analytics; and tire performance comparisons by region. Farney said it’s the “only system with cradle to grave tracking capability” available in the market.

“The Rhombus TireAnalytics 2.0 platform is a great example of the successful digital transformation of Dana, with our continued strategic focus on the customer,” said Mark Wallace, president of Dana Commercial Driveline Technologies. “Our team listened to our customers and upgraded the platform in many ways to enhance the robustness of information the platform provides while also making it more user friendly.”

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