CONVERTIBLE TAG AXLE

Dana’s new Spicer tag axles are said to improve fuel efficiency and reduce weight, while making it easy to convert a 6×2 into a 6×4 configuration. The company has also introduced new Spicer conversion kits, providing the option of converting existing 6×4 vehicles to 6×2. Dana says the conversion makes it easy for owners to increase the resale value of their trucks.

Fuel economy improvements have been estimated at up to 3%, through decreased mechanical drivetrain losses and a total weight reduction of roughly 400 lb compared to a traditional 40,000-lb tandem.

When spec’d with either a Spicer S170 or Spicer S190 single drive axle in the forward drive position, the new tag axles also maintain the same 40,000-lb GAWR of a traditional tandem axle, while maintaining up to 100,000-lb GCWR. 

The single-axle design requires 14 fewer pints of lubrication, lowering maintenance costs. 

If you’re worried about 6×2 traction problems, Dana says they can be mitigated with the use of a differential lock, a six-channel ABS/TCS system, or the adjustment of air-suspension bag pressures to shift weight temporarily to the driven axle at low speed.

The axles are available now, with new model numbers S21-060B and S23-070B respectively replacing rear-axle model numbers RS404/RS405 and R40-170/R46-170.