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Mercedes with more muscle

12th September 1991
Page 11
Page 11, 12th September 1991 — Mercedes with more muscle
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

• The low-key launch of Mercedes' 3229 eight-legger may well leave Mercedes-Benz dealers with unsold stocks of the old 3025, but it will certainly deal with complaints about lack of power.

A lighter chassis, the more modern SK cab and the meatier 218kW (296hp) naturally aspirated version of Merc's big veeeight must make the 3229 a stronger contender in one of the most depressed sectors of the UK heavy truck market.

Ecoclear, a division of recently privatised Southern Water, has bought the first four 3229s (CM 5-11 Sept), fitted with 17,300-litre (3,800gal) Whale tank bodywork and PT-C)driven pumping gear. Whale has also provided the integral sideguards, hose rails and toolchests. The steel tanks will carry sludge, dirty water and other biodegradable liquid wastes including foodstuffs between treatment centres.

The work includes transporting waste to farms for spreading on the land: a task for which the 8x4 3229, with its softer footprint, is better suited than Ecoclear's ageing Seddon Atkinson six-wheelers.

The 3229 multi-wheeler is an obvious extension of the latest SK range, but unlike the equivalent 1729 tractor it does not sport a Powerliner 2 grille badge as its G125-16/14 16-speed gearbox retains a conventional gearlever and mechanical linkage in place of Merc's EPS electro-pneumatic gearshift.

M-B (UK) says it will fit EPS if an operator asks for it, but as most 3229s will be tippers it doesn't expect a great uptake for EPS. Powerliner 2 automatic chassis lubrication comes as standard.

Ecoclear driver Adrian Paris is well-pleased with his new charge: "We tried a 3025 demonstrator and knew it was underpowered. This 3229 can change up on one of our local hills where we were changing down with the 3025 or anything else," he says.

To check out the 3229's potential for ourselves Commercial Motor took Ecoclear's eight-legger for a drive through

the East Sussex countryside.

Even though the 3229 was not fully laden there was no doubting that it pulled harder than the 3025, especially lower down the rev range. That's no surprise because the 3229's big, unblown vee has 18% more power and 19% more torque on tap than before. It's also smooth, quiet and well suited to the relatively slow but tortuous operating conditions encountered by Ecoclear running in and out of farms.

interestingly, the first 3229 has the old-style large steering wheel so characteristic of Mercedes. Other models in the SK range now sport a smaller wheel but the big wheel on the 3229 is just right for piloting the Ecoclear eight-legger round cramped farmyards.

The twin-steer set-up is certainly different to the old 3025's steering: it shaves all of 6m off the turning circle and is also modified to handle the greater forces imposed by the heavier 32-tonne design weight with the entire linkage kept outside the main chassis rails. However, the steering wheel is not that great; the steering wheel kicked back twice on leaving bends and roundabouts as both sets of wheels came back into line.

The 3229 has the usual steel springs and dampers all round, although our 8x4 featured unconventional anti-roll bars on both steering axles to cope with the high centre of gravity.

The short S day cab has the same practical interior as the 1729 artic. The dash layout is a model of clarity while the sloping 'new generation' Mercedes window line gives better lateral visibility than the old 3025. Heated mirrors come as standard but the suspended driver's was specified by Ecoclear.

With 218kW (292hp) on tap and a 16-speed splitter box the 3229 is an easy truck to drive. This is certainly an improvement over the old 3025 with its standard seven-speed box. The 3229 has a slightly faster back axle than the 3025 (3.76 against 4.3:1) providing a higher maximum geared speed and lower revs at the motorway limit.

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