Dana Holding Corporation unveiled the Spicer Formed Aluminum Tube Driveshaft at IAA Commercial Vehicles 2012 recently. Designed for SUVs, medium-size pickups, and light commercial vehicles up to Class 6, the Spicer Formed Aluminum Tube Driveshaft offers manufacturers a single-piece assembly that delivers reduced weight and increased assembly clearance.
Available in summer 2013 as an option for Spicer Life Series driveshafts in North America, the Spicer Formed Aluminum Tube Driveshaft weighs up to 25% less than two-piece steel assemblies, and it reduces cab noise and vibration.
Starting with a straight tube, the Spicer Formed Aluminum Tube Driveshaft is shaped to have an expanded center using a proprietary hydroforming manufacturing process. This expanded center allows it to run at higher speeds for a given length while offering increased strength and up to a 5% reduction in weight.
Also at IAA, Dana introduced tire pressure management technology optimized for line-haul tractors, the first internal axle system of its kind for powered commercial vehicles.
Now undergoing initial road testing on commercial-vehicle tractors, these concepts have been engineered to automatically maintain proper inflation for drive and steer axles, increasing vehicle fuel efficiency and reducing maintenance.
Dana will be the first to offer fully integrated, electronically controlled systems specifically engineered for the more complex demands of tractors.
Only 44% of all tires on commercial vehicles are within ± 0.3 bar of target pressure, and underinflated tires decrease fuel economy. Dana’s tire pressure management technology can improve fuel economy by 1% by making periodic checks to ensure each tire is properly inflated to a pressure equalized with the other tires on the tractor.
Dana’s tire pressure management technology for line-haul vehicles automatically initiates periodic system and pressure checks while driving, eliminating the time drivers would otherwise spend checking tire pressure at stops. As needed, it inflates tires to the optimum pressure and can equalize pressure in all tractor tires, minimizing tire dragging and premature wear. A closed design isolates the tires, preventing a hose failure or tire puncture from affecting the other tires.
Also at the show, Dana introduced the Spicer M300 axle featuring AdvanTEK gearing, the latest in a series of axles for Class 1–5 vehicles. Available now in Salisbury style, the M300 axle extends the benefits of Spicer axles with AdvanTEK gears for the light commercial-vehicle market.
Spicer axles with AdvanTEK gearing are designed to provide increased power density and efficiency in a smaller package than competing axles. The wide gear face improves gearing strength, tapered roller bearings increase fuel efficiency by reducing friction in the axle, and the overall design is optimized for low NVH.
To learn more, visit www.dana.com/commercialvehicle.