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22nd February 1996
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USINE

• The original Cargo six-wheeler first saw light of day in 1981; it was progressively improved before its final demise in 1993, when it was superseded by the current Super Cargo range. Ford never made an eight-legger so the Cargo six-wheeler was, and still is, the heaviest chassis to come out of the truck plant at Langley.

The Cargo range, extending from six-tonne rigids to 38-tonne tractive units, consistently secured a high market share over many years. But in 1987, after making what was considered a substantial financial loss over three consecutive years. Ford entered into partnership with Iveco and has since become a virtual sleeping partner, although it does still supply parts for the Cargo from Daventry.

The New Super Cargo range was conceived and designed in Italy using Iveco-based components and last year the six-wheeler was second only to market leader Leyland Daf. Tooling for the original Cargo cab was moved 1

to Iveco subsidiary Ashok: it is still in pro

duction for Indian trucks.

EVOLUTION

Following on from the success of the D-Series, the lower mounted Cargo cab set new standards of entry, visibility and comfort. It could be tilted, albeit manually, to give access to the mechanic-als below without the aid of a spanner. The 2417 6x2 and 6x4 chassis on Eaton single-reduction axles were the first models to be introduced with a choice of an 8.83-litre 180hp Perkins vee-eight or an 8.23-litre 186hp vee-eight from Cummins. Four wheelbases ranged from 318m to 5.5m. All were specified for operation at 24.39 tonnes except for the shortest with twin steering which was limited to 22.35 tonnes.

In April 1982 a 206hp air-cooled six-cylinder Deutz engine was introduced, giving a model designation of 2420. In the last quarter of 1986 the Cummins L10 turbocharged 10-litre in-line six became an option, badged the 2424.

The lighter Cummins turbocharged 8.26litre six-cylinder C-Series followed at the start of 1988. The C-Series had already established a good reputation in the US and it was to prove equally popular choice over here, superseding the 9.6-litre Deutz.

Later that year both we-eights were dropped from the standard specification sheet, although the Perkins engine was retained for a little longer as a special-order

option. Optional two spring and rubber suspension were offered as alternatives to the standard four-spring bogie pack in October 1989: at the same time a 280hp charge-cooled version of the Cummins L10 engine was added to the range, complete with 12-speed transmission instead of the standard ninespeed box.

The 2420, 2421, 2424 and 2428 Cargos stayed in production until the arrival of the Super Cargo early in 1993, coinciding with the introduction of the 26-tonne weight limit for six wheelers.

OPERATORS

CDC Demolition started out as an agricultural contractor and then got into demolition, dismantling defence works along the East Coast after the war. Today the company is still in demolition but also specialises in landscaping and sports ground construction. The golf course next to CDC's head quarters at Waldringfield, Suffolk belongs to the group.

Plant manager John Sharman runs two Eregistered 2424 6x4 Cargo tippers.

"We've also got a Falen and a smaller Ford as well as a fleet of Ford vans," he says. "We've always been Ford orientated but we specified the six-wheelers the way we wanted them. They were the first six-wheeler chassis on the rubber suspension that Ford fitted with wide-single tyres.

"The bodies were made to our own design by a body builder in Wisbech," he adds. "They have front end tipping gear but I think we will go for underfloor gear next time around. At the rear they have barn doors which also allows them to tip. They tare in at under nine tonnes but there seemed to be no point in uprating the maximum weights to haul our own loads--a lot of work is on site anyway.

The Cummins L10 has plenty of power," adds Sharman. "The big tyres give the traction to pull out of really deep muck where a lot of other trucks get stuck, and they don't pick up debris like twin wheels can. Eightieggers offer more payload but there is seldom enough room to manoeuvre on site so the six. wheeler suits us better. We run loaded whenever possible but our annual mileage, around 36,000km, is not huge. Considering the amount of site work I think the fuel consumption of about lOmpg is very good.

"But the Cargos aren't without their shortcomings. "Ford's six-wheeler doesn't have a decent braking system," says Sharman.

"They brake a lot more on the front than on the back. if the shoes wear down too far the adjuster can pop out and we have to replace the drums every year...they have automatic adjusters and manual adjustment, sometimes necessary for the MOT, is very difficult. Foot valves leak and the quick release has to be changed twice a year. The park brake release valve needs replacing once a year. They last better since we fitted auto drain valves. The clutch pack leaks air and fluid after about a year. One of the trucks has already got through two clutches while the other is still on the original.

"They come with a nine-speed rangechange box," he adds, "but a straight six speed with a split on each gear might be a better option. We have only needed to replace one rubber suspension. Although the rubber bushes on the A-frame wore out that was cov ered by the warranty; the bushes on the front suspension seem to last quite well. Other than tyres nothing has needed renewing on the steering—tyre scrub can be heavy on the second axle if the driver isn't made aware of it.

''Cabs can rust around the mirror mounts but ours are standing up pretty well," Sharman reports. "The alloy step gets in the way of working on the engine. The cab is heavy to lift but it can be done more easily by one man if the doors are opened to tilt and closed to lower. We were thinking of replacing them about now. A dealer offered around £4,000 apiece, but at that price they are more use to me.

"The 2424 Cargos have been first-class vehicles," he concludes."There is no direct replacement so we may go for Mercedes next time but we'll look a bit closer at the specification before we decide."

Penny Demolition and Plant Hire has been based at Ston Easton, on the borders of Avon and Dorset, for the past 36 years. The company runs a fleet of 15 Iveco Ford tippers, including two H-registered 2424 Cargos and a Foden 4400 low-loader.

"We had more Cargo six-wheelers but we replace them after about five years and we have moved on to the Eurotrakker eightwheeler and six-wheel lvecos now," says workshop fitter Stuart McArdle. Although the nearest main dealer, at Bristol, delivers twice a day, Penny finds Abbey Hill at Yeovil to be more helpful. "Both Cargos are on rubber suspension and it's been no trouble except that it doesn't give enough movement for the load sensing to work properly," says McArdle. "The payload is about 15.5 tonnes—they're still at 24.39 tonnes. All of the braking is done by the fronts. They lock up very easily and only last about eight months. On average we get through one set of drums to two sets of linings. The rears last longer. We had any amount of trouble with air valves before we fitted air dryers.

"I can't fault the engine," he adds, "and the nine-speed box is no trouble but we have had some problems with the differential and halfshaft damage. They do a lot of heavy work and the flange nuts can work loose. The chassis is robust but we find that the rubber suspension is a bit to rigid for on-site work. It's very stable but we could do with a bit more traction.

"With the exception of the hazard switch cab electrics have been pretty reliable," says Mc.Ardle. "The seats get a lot of wear—there are too many moving parts—but the brakes are definitely the truck's worst point."

AF Preston Farmers manufactures and delivers animal feed all over the country. Fleet engineer Richard Dawson looks after some 200 vehicles across the weight range. "We bought the two 2424 Cargos six years ago, from the local Iveco Ford dealer who was giving us good service at the time," he says. "Both are equipped with bulk bodies with blow discharge for delivery to farms. Six-wheelers are used where access is difficult for larger vehicles. The one running on rubber gives us 16 tonnes payload; the second, on two-spring steel suspension, gives about a tonne less. We're getting between 9mpg and 10mpg which is quite good as they can stand up to an hour blowing off the load with the engine revving at 1,50Orpm—that's equivalent to doing 30mph in top gear. They work harder than indicated by the 50,000 to 60,000 miles recorded on the trip each year."

"We don't have any policy laid down for replacement but we would expect to keep them for at least seven years before evaluation and may keep them as long as 12 years," says Dawson. "Then they're sold for scrap. We don't expect to touch the engine for anything major before it's done over 750,000km. We stripped an L10 down recently at about that mileage. Although it really only needed a new head gasket we gave it a full engine job including piston liners, mains and big ends to save time later but it could have gone on a lot longer. We use a high-spec oil and change it at about 15,000km; half the recommended distance.

"Parts prices are not bad but some things are difficult to get hold of," he warns. "We waited for a whole month for a powersteering pipe for a 1718 and then had to get one made up.

"The front brakes heat up very quickly; they are just too efficient," says Dawson. "The truck's best feature is its power-to-weight ratio. They do a lot of hill work. It's a case of so far so good with the cabs; there's no sign of rust yet."

DEALERS

Independent truck dealer AR Pugh is based on the A20 at Addington, Kent and carries a stock of about 100 vehicles ranging from 7.5tonners to 38-tonne tractive units. At the end of January Pugh advertised two 6x4 Cargos from stock and by the time CM talked to salesman Frank Scott at the beginning of the month he had sold them both! "The 2424 is the most sought-after 6x4 Cargo tipper chassis" he says. "The majority we see have the steel four-spring suspension at the rear—not many customers ask for rubber suspension."

They like the Cummins L10 engine which is nearer 250hp than the truck's badging indicates, says Scott. "The lowerpowered 2421 and the air-cooled 2420 are not so much in demand...they're a bit lighter and some were used with mixers but now they're considered a bit under-pow ered for tipper work against the 2424.

"Older cabs suffer a little from rust under the wipers but it's not a problem," he says. "We carry replacement panels in stock. Parts are not expensive; the Cummins/Eaton combi nation speaks for itself. In most respects its a good reliable truck and compares well against other makes. We have a steady throughput and don't generally have a problem getting hold of the more popular Cargo models." he told us.

On price Scott quoted £16,500 for a 1991 (Fl-regL 2424 tipper ready for work.

If it's Iveco in Derbyshire then it has to be Sherwood Commercial Vehicles. This main dealer runs sites in Blackwell, Sheffield and Nottingham with workshop support from 06:00hrs Mondays through to 13:00hrs Saturdays. "Even then our rapid-response service on parts and vehicle breakdowns is always available," says marketing and sales director Neil Shaw Sherwood normally keeps 12 to 15 used trucks in stock between 3.5 and 38 tonnes. "The 6x4 Cargos are fairly rare in this area," says Shaw. "When new they were not as popular as the Leyland Daf Constructor 24.21 and 24.23 but those operators who did buy them liked them.

They found them quite robust and easy to repair: 2421 cargos were used more for mixers while the 2424 was more likely to be first choice for tipper work.

You're more likely to find them with steel suspension although some operators operating mainly on road do take rubber, he says. "In average condition you would be looking at £13,500 to 4:14,500 for a tipper on a 1992 J-plate."

SUMMARY

The well-proven Cummins/Eaton combination is durable with enough power to satisfy most tippermen. The 2424 Cargo is the most popular model.

The Cargo cab offers a reasonable degree of comfort, even by today's standards. Twospring steel suspension may be preferred to the rubber for the extra articulation it provides on-site.

None of our operators thought it worth uprating to 26 tonnes but all three complained about the braking system; in particular the fast-wearing front brakes.

Buying prices for four and five-year-old Cargos look generally more attractive than most other comparable six-wheelers

U by Bill Brock


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