Meritor announced its new 14X HE high-efficiency linehaul tandem drive axle at the 2017 Technology & Maintenance Council’s (TMC) Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition in Nashville, Tenn.
“Built upon our trusted and valued 14X platform that is specified by a large majority of fleets, the new 14X HE is an evolutionary axle that takes efficiency to a whole new level,” said Ken Hogan, vice president, Rear Drivetrain for Meritor. “Based on today’s diesel prices, a fleet with 1,000 trucks equipped with the 14X HE could realize $1 million per year in fuel savings.”
Meritor’s engineering teams used cutting-edge technologies to improve axle efficiency up to 1.5 percent while also reducing weight by 30 lbs over the current industry-leading 14X design. The 14X HE comes standard with high-efficiency bearings, the Meritor Lube Management system and precision-finished gearing.
Meritor uses laser welding to manufacture components to reduce weight and drive efficiencies, Hogan said. The 14X HE’s ring gear is laser-welded to the differential housing, offering a very robust joint that eliminates fasteners and reduces oil churning losses. The axle, which targets linehaul customers seeking fuel efficiency, has superfast ratios down to 2.15 for aggressive downspeeding.
“With fuel being the largest operating cost to fleets, the 14X HE rounds out more of our portfolio with a product focused on improved fuel economy to save fleets money and reinforce Meritor’s leadership in axle efficiency,” Hogan said. “Meritor recognizes that fuel prices won’t stay low forever and that customers are always looking for solutions to reduce their operating costs.”
