Dana Incorporated introduced a new line of Spicer u-joints incorporating the company's Spicer Life Series (SPL) technology, features that have been tested to deliver significantly more service life than competitive u-joints, according to the company. The distinctive blue coating on the journal cross of the Spicer Blue-Coated Performance U-joints also has been shown to resist rust and corrosion in salt and mud testing.
Dana made the announcement at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, held Oct. 31 through Nov. 3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
"Spicer u-joints with SPL technology have consistently performed better than the competition. Our testing has shown them to last ten times longer than the nearest competitor," said Peter Cirulis, vice president of customer experience, strategy, and product planning for the Dana Aftermarket Group. "Now, with the blue coating, they also look better than the competition. They are the perfect complement to Spicer chromoly performance axle shafts."
In testing at the Dana engineering laboratories, Spicer 1310 Series u-joints with SPL technology were fatigued tested to more than one million cycles without failure. By comparison, the nearest competitive u-joint tested achieved an average of 106,746 cycles before failure.
The Spicer Blue-Coated Performance U-joints have been subjected to 1,000 hours of salt fog spray and mud testing to evaluate their corrosion resistance compared with non-coated u-joints. The Blue-Coated Performance U-joints exhibited less than 10 percent red rust, the company said.
Dana Blue-Coated Performance U-joints incorporate SPL features including:
- Journal cross, engineered with a solid cold-formed body designed to improve wear and overall strength;
- Bearing cups, heat-treated for strength and precision-ground and case-hardened for durability;
- Thrust washers, that eliminate metal-to-metal contact, prevent wear and lower the overall operating temperature;
- Multi-lip seal, to keep grease in and contaminants out, and to attain maximum retention in a wider range of environments. The multi-lip seal on the SPL u-joint includes seal guard for optimal protection; and
- U-joints that are lubed-for-life for maintenance-free operation.
Initially, Dana Blue-Coated Performance U-joints will be available in five common sizes – 5-760XC, SPL30-7166XC, SPL30-1350XC, SPL55-1480XC, and SPL70-1550XC – for some of the most popular 4X4 vehicles, including Jeep Wrangler and Ford Super Duty. Additional applications may be added in the future.
Dana will highlight a number of new products at its exhibit at SEMA, Booth No. 36193.
