Dana shows new axles, updated tire analytics program

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 D172 tandem axle.

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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James Menzies is editorial director of Today's Trucking and TruckNews.com. He has been covering the Canadian trucking industry for more than 24 years and holds a CDL. Reach him at james@newcom.ca or follow him on Twitter at @JamesMenzies.


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