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This tipper show has drive...

30th April 1976, Page 51
30th April 1976
Page 51
Page 52
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Page 51, 30th April 1976 — This tipper show has drive...
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

by Trevor Longcroft

THE organisers of the tipper exhibition at the Road Haulage Association Tipping Convention starting today at Harrogate have shown real drive and the bonus for operators is that they can drive the tippers—in a nearby quarry, allowing a closer assessment to be made of performance.

Saturday afternoon is allocated for vehicle demonstrations, and the Convention closes on Sunday.

Eight-wheeler interest will centre on the two new models : the Foden S83 and the lightweight Leyland Octopus.

The Foden chassis features a number of significant improvements on the S80. The steering gear has been redesigned and now includes a boost cylinder as well as an integral powersteering unit to give privatecar steering ease.

The S83 turning circle has been brought down to less than 24m (79ft) and the effort required to steer the vehicle in the event of power-assistance failure meets EEC Steering Directive 70/311.

Revising the steering linkage has enabled Fodens to fit longer springs at the front and so improve ride.

Other improvements include relocation of the oil filler and dipstick from inside the cab to alongside the radiator. The fuel tank has been lowered on the frame so that lower bodywork can be fitted and the brake system air tanks at the vehicle rear have been relocated to enable removal of the worm-drive diffs without shifting the tanks. Unladen, wet, chassis-cab weight of the S83 is 8.6 tonnes (8.5 tons).

Although introduced at the Scottish Motor Show the eightwheel Octopus is only just starting to come on stream.

Supplied as standard with the Leyland 502 engine the vehicle is now available with the new Leyland 511 engine announced today. The 511 develops 172kW (230:)hp) at 2,400rpm and 830Nm (612Ibft) torque at 1,500rpm. Both figures to BS AU 141a:net installed.

The 5.8m (19ft) wheelbase version of Octopus has an unladen kerb weight of 7.6 tonnes (7.5 tons) giving a 22.9-tonne (22.5-ton) body and payload allowance at 30.5 tonnes (30 tons) gvw. The total front and rear bogie weights, depending on tyres and axle spread, will allow a one-ton tolerance at the front and the rear for unevenly distributed loads.

Payload

The vehicle's light weight— Leyland claims a half-ton payload advantage over the competition — does give rise to misgivings whether the lightness has been achieved at the expense of strength. However, only in-service operation will testify to the vehicle's reliability. Apart from the Octopus, Leyland will also be showing an eight-wheel 30-ton Scammell Routeman. This vehicle and the Octopus obviously invite comparison, particularly as many operators feel that the Routeman would have formed the ideal and proven 'base for the new eight-wheeler.

The Routernan is fitted with the 190bhp, 690 engine and sixspeed gearbox whereas the Octopus has the higher rated 500 series engines matched to the nine-speed Fuller gearbox.

Other manufacturers, including DAF, ERF, Magirus-Deutz, MAN, Seddon Atkinson and Volvo, are exhibiting eightwheelers.

The on/off-site six-wheel tipper market seems to be hotting up with maufacturers, notably the importers, bringing out models for this relatively small but lucrative market.

The American Mack company is making its first foray into the UK and is showing two six-wheelers specified for arduous operation.

The R 685 RSX is designed for operation at up to 26.4 tonnes (26 tons) gvw. One feature of this vehicle is the Maxidyne engine which is rated to 177kW (237bhp) at 1,800rpm. The engine has a massive torque rise, developing 1,228Nm (9061bft) at 1,200rpm, which in effect gives an almost constant horsepower output in the top rev band. The Mack DM 897SX 6x4 dump truck is an off/off-road machine designed to carry payloads of up to 30.5 tonnes (30 tons). With a 15.3cum (20cuyd) rock body the Mack is powered by a Therrnodyne engine developing 280kW (375bhp) at 2,200rpm and 1,410Nm (1,0401bft) at 1,60Orpm.

Newcomer

Another newcomer is the Scania LT145 bonneted 6x4 on/off-site dumper. Designed for operation at up to 30.5 tonnes (30 tons) gvw the Scania also conforms to Construction and Use Regulations for operation on road. Tho LT is powered by Scania's own DS14 engine rated at 257kW (350bhp) and develops 1226Nm (9031bft) torque at 1,400rpm. The new powerassisted clutch system drives through a 10-speed synchromesh gearbox and the tandemdrive rear bogie is equipped with hub-reduction axles.

Operators will have the opportunity to compare these new chassis with the MagirusDeutz, Volvo and MercedesBenz 6x4 dumpers that will also be on show.

Moving down the weight scale, Mercedes-Benz is taking this first chance to give its "New Generation" 16-tonner its first show airing in the UK. The M-B 1617 equipped with a Neville Industries body will be on display on the M-B stand, and a second model will be available for demonstration.

The demonstration vehicle carries the samc specification as the one on the M-B stand but is fitted with an alloy body built by E. M. Wilcox of Peterborough.

The chassis has a turbocharged diesel engine developing 124kW (168bhp) at 2,800rpm and 490N:n (358Ibft) torque at 1,600rprn. Drive is taken through a 310mm (12.2in) single-dry-plate clutch and eight-speed range-change gearbox to a hub-reduction rear axle.

At the 32-ton end of the market most of the manufacturers are showing their top of the range vehicles though these will carry specifications already familar to operators.

With several years of overseas experience under its belt with the Sand Tipper, Edbro is to make this equipment generally available in the UK. Three vehicles at Harrogate will be fitted with versions of the equipment — an ERF eightwheeler, a Magiruz-Deutz eight-wheeler and a Leyland Bison.

The equipment, a range of front single-ram tipping gears that operate on the displacement principle, is claimed to operate at speeds up to 20 per cent faster than the conventional models. The ram tubes are highly polished and are kept corrosion free because they are immersed in oil when they are in the down position. Dust and dirt are prevented from entering the hydraulic system by polyurethane wiper seals operating on the polished surfaces of the ram.

Liaison

The fruits of production liaison between M 8z G Trailers (Lye) Ltd and George Neville Truck Equipment will be shown in the form of the Samson GP 40 heavyweight. Specifically designed to run at the present 32.5 tonnes (32 tons) gcw legal limit for artics, the trailer has a second kingpin allowing for operation at up to 40.6 tonnes (40 tons) gcw.

The 33.6cum (44cuyd) capacity trailer has a steel body built for carrying scrap metal.

George Neville's Samson Easysheet device is also on show fitted to an ERF eightwheeler.

Hauliers carrying grain and similar bulk loads will be interested in a new tail-door configuration from Neville Industries (Mansfield) Ltd. The rear opening has two barn doors of unequal width with a grain hatch set on the vehicle centre line and in the widest door. The design is shown on a 26cum (34cuyd) Nevilloy body on a Gardner-powered Guy eight-wheel chassis. A new design is the insulated Weightlifter body from J. B. Weightman & Sons Ltd. The 13cum (17cuyd) alloy body is shown fitted to a Ford sixwheeler. According to the company the alloy body is 609kg (12cwt) lighter than its steel counterpart.