Filter Media with Steel Wire Backing
- Thread starter Soft Cars
- Start date
The Fram endurance filter i recently cut, was wire backed.
Amsoil filters.
I went searching for the C&P thread; can't find it.
I didn't post it.
Fram Endurance is the best one so far.
some of them
others are being consolidated to the Purolator Boss design with plastic mesh
some of them
others are being consolidated to the Purolator Boss design with plastic mesh
The Affinia made Platinums were for sure, and some of the earlier Mann+Hummel owned Platinums made in 2021 were, but we're starting to see some C&P with nylon mesh like slacktide mentioned.
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2023
- Messages
- 401
Fram Endurance, Royal Purple & Amsoil EaO - practically same OE and construction.
Old Fram Titanium A0-A2 stock as long it isn't above A22### if you want the old pink media
Old Fram Ultra. Pre 2020 stock. Pretty rare to find some these days. XG8A are still wire backed but that may vary.
Wix XP
Purolator Boss - more of a polymer screen backing but serves the same purpose.
FleetGuard - Their numbering system is very confusing and their website doesn't exactly sort very well when it comes to narrowing media types often mixing cellulose filters in even though you selected strata-pore in the search box.
Donaldson Blue or any Donaldson with Synteq media. Not much light duty applications in their selection. They advertise around 15-17 microns depending on size of the filter.
Old Fram Titanium A0-A2 stock as long it isn't above A22### if you want the old pink media
Old Fram Ultra. Pre 2020 stock. Pretty rare to find some these days. XG8A are still wire backed but that may vary.
Wix XP
Purolator Boss - more of a polymer screen backing but serves the same purpose.
FleetGuard - Their numbering system is very confusing and their website doesn't exactly sort very well when it comes to narrowing media types often mixing cellulose filters in even though you selected strata-pore in the search box.
Donaldson Blue or any Donaldson with Synteq media. Not much light duty applications in their selection. They advertise around 15-17 microns depending on size of the filter.
Seems the Napa Platinum/(XP) is going to the "polymer" mesh backing used on the Boss. Honestly, the polymer mesh is a very tough and durable material. Wire or polymer, imo equally good as synthetic media backing material. Also, the Ultra XG Pentastar cartridge that was made in S Korea, also used polymer backing, In my observation, that cartridge very well-liked by users commenting on this subforum.
I have an application where Fram is still offering the OG Ultra & bumped up the mileage to 20,000. They do not offer the new Ultra or an Endurance for the Volvo. I have a theory that it's old stock or not worth switching to the new version. I'm not complaining just confused LOL. 
I'm not sure if the early XPs and Platinums were wire backed, but always had the nylon/polymer mesh backing.
Whip City did a C&P of a Platinum with a date code of 11/18/2021. When I saw the holes in the center tube and the wire backing, I was sure it was going to be an Affinia made Platinum. I was very surprised to see "Mann+Hummel" when I spied the sticker as he was cutting it open. I had to stop the video and role it back in slow mode a couple of times to make sure. So that tells me that Mann+Hummel kept the Affinia designed construction for at least a couple of weeks before they started making drastic changes to the construction of the filter.
Some Fram Ultra cartridges are still metal-screen-backed synthetic, including my 10358 size.
10415 here.
Having followed the Wix filters gradual design transition after M&H acquisition in 2016, I can say the changes took place over far more than a couple weeks. After a while, the first change seen was the move to a louvered tube, with no other design changes for quite some time. As noted and seen the Plat/XP did use wire backing since its intro, also dome bypass, not traditional Wix base end.
More recently, it appears M&H has been converting Wix filters to a Purolator design with dome bypass and stamped compression spring. So, seeing polymer backing used on Boss now showing up on Plat/XP, not really surprising.
More recently, it appears M&H has been converting Wix filters to a Purolator design with dome bypass and stamped compression spring. So, seeing polymer backing used on Boss now showing up on Plat/XP, not really surprising.
I gotta ask, why is steel mesh so desired? I have seen so many C&P posts here for virtually all oil filter types and I don't recall a crushed centre tube? is this devotion to steel mesh just the usual overkill?
Simply needing a filter to not collapse or tear over a 15k+ mile ODI. The filter needs to be stronger. It's not just optics.
The mesh is in place to support the full synthetic media, which is not strong enough on it's own. Plastic works too (although the steel is stronger), the steel (or nylon Ecore) center tube is still there to stop the media from collapsing on screw on filters, not necessarily cartridges.
