Available now, Mack says customers in North America will be able to spec the 85,000-lb. rated axle for specialized severe-duty or heavy-haul applications on Mack Granite models. For extreme loads at slow speeds, the S852 tandem drive axles have a creep rating of 105,000 lb.
“Mack has a long and rich history of engineering and manufacturing its own powertrain components, including drive axles, as it fits with our philosophy that components designed to work together, simply work better,” says Roy Horton, Mack Trucks director, product strategy. “We welcome the new S852, which will broaden the applications our trucks are built to handle.”
The new S852 pulls from a long history of Mack drive axle expertise. The company says its very first Mack drive axles were found on the original Mack bus model built by the Mack Brothers Company in 1900 that transported sightseers through Prospect Park in Brooklyn. After operating in Prospect Park for eight years, the bus was converted into a truck and continued operating until 1923, accumulating more than one million miles. Today’s modern Mack proprietary drive axles are also engineered with a double-reduction design and include several design advantages implemented through continuous research and development efforts, the company says.
“Low-traction situations can be a challenge for truck drivers, seriously impacting their productivity,” says Horton. “To help address that issue, we offer standard inter-axle and optional inter-wheel power dividers that automatically distribute torque between the slipping and non-slipping axle or wheel respectively. This elegant engineering solution is proven and reliable and requires no intervention from the driver.”
Mack proprietary axles also feature a top-mounted carrier design that is not only less prone to main seal leaks, but also provides more than two inches of additional ground clearance. This gives customers improved maneuverability at construction sites and other off-highway applications, the company says.
Finally, Mack’s top-mounted carrier design is improved driveline angles between the drive axles. Instead of a three and a half to eight-degree angle, Mack’s prop shaft angle is just one to two degrees. This maximizes universal joint life, allows for greater axle articulation and reduces vibrations for a smoother ride. It also reduces torque losses for improved efficiency, the company says.
