ArvinMeritor Inc. on Thursday, March 19, at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., introduced the Meritor MXL (Meritor Extended Lube), a new series of greaseable drivelines with 100,000-mile lubrication intervals and a three-year 300,000-mile warranty in linehaul service.
ArvinMeritor also announced a suite of Meritor blended learning programs for 2009 incorporating self-guided online learning, virtual classroom webinars and onsite instruction; and touted its remanufactured brake shoes with a special platinum-gray coating designed to protect against corrosion and rust-jacking.
Greaseable drivelines
The new driveline – with the same product ratings and application guidelines as the Meritor 17N, 176N and 18N series — was designed for truck operators who seek reduced maintenance costs and a longer warranty. The Meritor MXL will enter production this summer and be available on new trucks or able to retrofit. The new driveline joins the RPL permanently-lubricated driveline in the Meritor family of driveline products for commercial vehicles.
“The MXL combines the simplicity and durability of the proven RN U-joint design with the premium sealing capability of the RPL permanently lubed product,” said Joe Plomin, vice president of ArvinMeritor’s truck business unit. “We’ve set the bar higher for drivelines in terms of performance, ease of maintenance and warranty coverage – all highly valued by the customers.”
The company said the main and interaxle slip assemblies combine an advanced nitrile seal to keep contaminants out with a protective guard that resists road debris, increasing slip assembly operating life. The u-joint builds upon the high-strength Meritor RN series design; tts needle-bearing package with contoured ends are designed to minimize axial (side) loading, and the glass-reinforced nylon thrust washer helps prevent metal-to-metal contact.
The MXL’s RN Series yoke configurations are compatible with other industry standard yokes, making it interchangeable with most greaseable drivelines in linehaul use today, according to the company; truck operators may standardize on a single greaseable driveline regardless of vehicle make or model. The product offering will be available with both easy-service and full-round yoke designs.
