News from Hannover truck show Several global truck component suppliers released important new products for various markets at Septembers annual international commercial-vehicle trade show in Hannover, Germany.
Dana adds to Spicer Life Series Toledo-based Spicer Driveshaft Div. of Dana Corp. launched the latest enhancements to its Spicer Life Series driveshaft offerings. Starting with the last quarter of this year, announced Ron Scheff, commercial vehicle sales & marketing manager, Life Series assemblies will be available with Spicer Life XL (extended lubrication) universal-joint kits. He said the U-joint kits will provide up to 350,000 miles of on-highway service without needing re-lubrication. Thats up from the previous recommended lube interval of 100,000 miles on Life Series U-joint kits. Scheff pointed out that once the new kits reach 350,000 miles, U-joints should be lubricated. Beyond that point, on-highway users should revert to the standard 100,000-mile interval. He also said lubricating the kits every 100,000 miles remains a workable, Spicer-approved option for those fleets that prefer sticking to the traditional interval. Major design improvements credited with allowing the extended intervals include new double-lip, garter-spring seals; seal guards with new Neoprene compounds; new needle roller spacers that protect the seal andreduce needle roller skewing, and the use of a premium lithium-based grease.
Eaton expands synchro line U.K-based Eaton Limited introduced its new RTS(O)-15316 transmission. An addition to its European S-Series range, the gearbox was developed to meet specific requirements of truck maker MAN. Also new is the FS(O)-10209, a medium-heavy 9-speed synchromesh. Eaton said it fills a gap between its existing medium-heavy 9-speeds and its heavy-duty S-Series units. At the same time, Eaton said it has approved use of synthetic lubes in S-Series transmissions to allow extended oil drains. The manufacturer also announced that its 6- and 9-speed synchromesh transmissions for the European market now feature pyrolitic carbon-faced synchronizers. Eaton said this change extends synchronizer life with more consistent shifting performance to improve durability and reliability, especially under severe conditions.
ZF debuts car-like shifting Germanys ZF Friedrichshafen AG announced that its 16-speed Ecosplit transmission boasts a newly designed system engineered to make shifting a truck more like shifting a car. According to ZF, this system supports actual gear change operation instead of the selection process in the shifting gates. A traditional turning shaft was combined with an integrated pneumatic servo-cylinder. This provides specific and variable support for the drivers shifting efforts, thus creating car-like shifting comfort, said ZF. And since servo-power support is only limited, the company stated, shifting mistakes through extreme yanking of gears arent possible. If a pneumatic leak occurs, the driver can resort to normal mechanical shifting with the truck remaining fully functioning and driveable.
Meritor rolls out truck axle Troy, Mich.-based Meritor Automotive Inc. unveiled its new Model H127E Hypoid single-reduction truck axle. Slotted at the lower end of the manufacturers Series Seven axle range, the H127E shares such common features with its stablemates as low weight, unitized pinion pack bearings and seals, unitized hub bearings, and standard driver-selectable air-actuated differential lock. According to Meritor, the axle incorporates development work applied to its previous axles produced in Cameri, Italy. The H127E offers stiffer but lighter carrier castings and a lighter banjo housing, the manufacturer stated, making it both lighter and more durable than its predecessor in the Series Seven lineup.
