Roadranger Field Marketing has issued a new specification for lubricants used in Fuller transmissions and Dana Spicer axles. The new spec calls for significant performance improvements, which will enable extended warranty coverage and 500,000-mile initial drain intervals.
The transmission specification goes into effect April 1; the axle specification deadline is April 1, 2007. A lube specification is a set of conditions that a lubricant manufacturer must meet to market itself as an extended drain lube, says Rick Muth, manager of lubricants for Roadranger Field Marketing.
“The lube specification hasn’t really changed in 15 years,” Muth says. “But the environment has changed dramatically.” Higher torque and horsepower applications have put increased demand on component lubricants. Design changes to axles and transmissions also require lube changes. The company also is anticipating higher undercarriage operating temperatures in 2007 engine models, which will require better lubricants, Muth says.
The new specs call for improvements in:
To qualify, lubricant suppliers must conduct a series of bench and lab tests, as well as 100,000-mile, 50-unit field tests across a variety of transmission types. Lubricant manufacturers who fail to meet the new spec will be removed from Roadranger’s list of approved lubricants, and users will not receive warranty protection. Muth says the new spec should last a few years.
