At last month's Mid-America Trucking Show, Dana Holding Corporation introduced a number of new products, among them its Spicer Heavy Axle Steering Components All-Makes product line. A comprehensive product line, it includes complete coverage for Spicer steer axles, including knuckles, steer arms, crosslink assemblies, beams and whole axle assemblies.
Additionally, the line spans draglinks, tie rod ends and kingpin kits for all makes and models of vehicles in the heavy duty market.
This newly launched product line of "durable and versatile technologies” delivers original equipment quality for a variety of heavy duty vehicle and supplier programs, totaling some 1200 SKUs, including more than 135 kingpin kits, 155 draglinks and 90 tie rod ends, said Bill Gryzenia, vice president and general manager of the Dana Aftermarket.
“As a world leader in front steer axle technology, we are consistently working to meet and exceed consumer demands by ensuring we offer customers complete coverage with our reliable, aftermarket products,” he said. “This enhancement is the newest addition to Dana’s aftermarket portfolio and gives the heavy duty marketplace more flexibility and access to genuine OE-quality parts that are capable of achieving increased product life and reduced service costs, all from one trusted supplier.”
Kingpin kits
Dana’s Spicer axle kingpin kits include sealed thrust bearings, which ensure durability and reduced maintenance, Gryzenia noted. The kits also feature easy-to-install pre-sized bushings.
Consumers have the option to purchase the bronze, composite DX (Garlock) and the latest DX 10 (Garlock) versions.
The bushings reduce wear in the steer axle knuckle, even under high-stress operating conditions, and are able to withstand longer time periods between services, he added.
The all-makes kingpin kits feature bronze, DX, and Nylon bushings, depending upon the application and OEM specifications.
The tie rod end technology incorporated into the all-makes product line gives customers an array of design choices, including purge valve, boot and sliding seal styles. These designs enable the reduction of contaminants in order to extend product life.
D-Series steer axles
Also introduced was a new family of Spicer D-Series steer axles that will enable improved vehicle stopping power and reduced maintenance without the added weight that typically results from specifying air disc brakes.
Available for applications with gross axle weight ratings from 10,000 to 14,600 pounds, the new Spicer D-Series steer axles feature an integrated air disc brake (IADB) knuckle that allows fleets to specify air disc brakes without a net increase in weight over most S-cam drum brake axle systems.
By eliminating a separate torque plate and fasteners, the new IADB feature maximizes the integrity of the axle and brake system, eliminates up to 76 pounds from the steer axle assembly, and reduces vehicle assembly time, said DEramo.
“Air disc brake popularity is on the rise,” he said. “We are pleased to offer our customers the opportunity to improve the performance, maintenance, and safety of their vehicles without sacrificing payload and fuel economy.”
The new steer axles build on patented, “market-leading advancements” used throughout Dana’s line of Spicer D-Series axles, including two-drawkey kingpin retention, tie rod end sealing and a lightweight beam. These features work together to enhance durability, reduce maintenance and improve alignment capability.
E-Series steer axles
Dana also announced additions to its family of Spicer E-Series steer axles that “deliver best-in-class performance and durability” with up to 35 pounds less weight, Pat D’Eramo, president of Dana Commercial Vehicle Driveline Technologies, said.
Available in the first half of 2015, these steer axles feature a steel-forged beam design that reduces axle weight while still delivering the strength and torsional stiffness needed for “superior vehicle braking response,” he added. The axles are targeted for on-highway, city delivery and bus chassis applications with gross axle weight ratings from 10,000 to 13,200 pounds.
This new steer axle system is the latest in a lineup of robust Spicer technologies that reduce weight and improve vehicle performance, enabling original equipment manufacturers to offset the added weight associated with important technologies, such as new fuel-efficient engines, diesel particulate filters and urea injection systems.
The benefits of the new Spicer E-Series Steer enable OEMs to further maximize chassis weight distribution and may also allow fleets to forego the higher rated, more expensive tires needed to support heavier front steer axles, said.
“Fleets today are looking for innovations across the entire vehicle to reduce weight, fuel costs, and maintenance, but they will not allow safety, productivity, and durability to be sacrificed in the process. “We have applied our global engineering resources to deliver new Spicer E-Series steer axles that support the highest levels of performance, offering fleets weight savings that increase efficiency and reduce the total cost of ownership.”
The new lightweight steer axles build on advancements already offered by Spicer E-Series axles, such as a larger diameter kingpin, two-drawkey kingpin retention, compressible king pin inserts, and tie rod end sealing. These features work together to enhance durability, reduce maintenance, and improve alignment capability.
