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Dana Teams With ERIM To Provide Enhanced Mobility To COMBATT

7 March 2000

Dana Corporation Teams With ERIM To Provide Enhanced Mobility To COMBATT Vehicle Program    

    Dana Mobility Package Includes Revolutionary Hydra-Lok Differentials,
        Rugged Axle Assemblies, & Integrated Tire Inflation Technology


    TOLEDO, Ohio, March 6 Dana Automotive Systems'
expertise in vehicle mobility enhancements, axles, driveshafts, and structures
may help the U.S. military expand its vehicle fleet to include a new series of
modified commercial platform vehicles.
    (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990903/DANA )
    Dana has assisted in the development of several "proof of concept"
vehicles that will be on display at this week's Society of Automotive
Engineers (SAE) World Congress at Cobo Hall in Detroit.
    The intent of the COMBATT program is to integrate complementary
technologies that maximize off-road performance, while maintaining the on-road
personality of the original commercial vehicle platforms.  The Ford F-350 and
Dodge Ram 2500/3500 series pickup trucks used in the demonstration phase of
the program feature focused modifications to improve off-road mobility and
payload capacity.
    Dana Corporation has worked in tandem with systems integrator ERIM
International, Inc., of Ann Arbor, Mich., to provide the following mobility
enhancements to the COMBATT demonstration vehicles:

    -  Hydra-Lok(TM) Speed Sensing Limited Slip Differentials.
       Unlike traditional limited slip differentials, Hydra-Lok offers
       controlled torque transfer in both front and rear axles, delivering
       power to the driver where it is needed most and providing improved
       traction in adverse driving conditions.

    -  Robust Front & Rear Axle Assemblies.
       The demonstration vehicles are equipped with durable Spicer(R) Model
       248 (M60) front axles and Model 286 (M80) rear axles. Both axles are
       outfitted with Hydra-Lok(TM) limited slip differentials and optimized
       for COMBATT program requirements.

    -  Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS) Technology.
       The vehicles also incorporate CTIS technology from Dana's Tire
       Management Group.  This technology allows the driver to identify the
       terrain and prompt the system to respond with a tire pressure to match
       the condition.  For example, in rough terrain the driver can push a
       button inside the vehicle cabin and lower tire pressure, providing the
       vehicle with a larger "footprint" and improving mobility.  Dana has
       three patents pending on the CTIS technology integrrated into the axle
       wheelends.

    "We are extremely proud that when the military and its partners in the
COMBATT program sought to up-fit commercial platform vehicles with today's
most advanced mobility technologies, they turned to Dana Corporation," said
Jim Krisher, Chief Engineer of Dana's Axle Core Product Group.
    "Dana is proud of its heritage of axle innovation, particularly its recent
developments in the area of torque management," Krisher added.  "We believe
that our systems approach and integration of torque control and torque
distribution technologies will continue to provide valuable solutions as
markets and vehicle platform profiles evolve."
    Dana's Steve Goddard, Engineering Supervisor of Wheelend Systems, said
vehicle durability represented the biggest challenge of the COMBATT project.
"These vehicles are designed to spend 40 percent of their cycle time in heavy
off-road use, which demands superior mobility," he said.  "This program
provided a unique engineering opportunity to transform our axles and apply new
technologies."
    The result is a modified commercial vehicle platform that enables
operators to go places and do things that previously could only be done by
"hard-core" off-roaders or with custom-designed military vehicles.
    According to COMBATT Program Manager Kirk Luckscheiter of ERIM
International, early vehicle testing has been positive, exceeding the group's
expectations in the area of vehicle mobility.
    The COMBATT program is a cooperative effort of the U.S. Army
Tank-automotive & Armaments Command's National Automotive Center (NAC),
Veridian-ERIM International, AM General Corporation, DaimlerChrysler AG, and
Ford Motor Company.
    Spicer Light Axle Group is part of Dana's Automotive Axle Products Group,
which consists of more than 25 manufacturing, assembly, and research and
development facilities in 16 nations.  The axle operations are part of Dana's
Automotive Systems Group, which provides under-the-vehicle products,
integrated modules and systems to customers anywhere in the world. Automotive
Systems Group products include Spicer(R) axle products, Spicer(R) driveshaft
products, Parish(R) structural products, Nakata(R) steering and suspension,
FTE(R) brake and clutch systems, and a systems engineering integration and
logistics unit.
    Other Automotive Systems Group products featured on the commercial
platform vehicles used in the COMBATT program include Spicer(R) driveshaft
products and Parish(R) structural products.
    Dana Corporation is one of the world's largest independent suppliers to
vehicle manufacturers and their related aftermarkets.  Founded in 1904 and
based in Toledo, Ohio, the company operates some 320 major facilities in 33
countries and employs more than 82,000 people.  The company reported sales of
$13.2 billion in 1999.  Dana's Internet address is http://www.dana.com .