Foden Keeps Abreast of Six-wheeler Design
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An 11ton "Rigid" With a Six-tyre Trailingwheel Bogie and Novel Suspension Added to Range
COMPLETING the group of six-wheelers in the range of vehicles built by Fodens, Ltd., Sandbach, Cheshire, an 11-tonner has now been introduced. The company, therefore, now offers 9, 10, 11 and 12-ton rigid six-wheelers.
Of these the 10-tonner is distinguished by the fact that it has two steering axles, and the 9-tonner is lighter generally and has smaller tyres than the maximum-legal-load model, whilst the latest model—the 11-tonner—differs from all three in having single tyres on the rearmost wheels, which are not driven.
Powered by a Gardner 5 LW oil engine of 85 b.h.p.. the vehicle is available in two wheelbase lengths, 12 ft. 3 ins. and 13 ft, 1,} ins. The unladen weights gf these two models are, respectively, 4 tons 17 cwt. and 4 tons 18 cwt, and the body spaces afforded are 18 ft, and 20 ft.
Considerable interest attaches to the rear bogie, which is of a special type. The trailing wheels are mounted on fulcrum arms, the, object of this arrangement being to afford improved weight distribution. Freedom of movement is also permitted. All wheels are shod with 36 by 8 heavy-duty tyres.
Braking is by Dewandre vacuum-servo and Lockheed hydraulic apparatus, and it is of note that power assistance is provided for the hand brake as well as for the foot system. The former, however, does not include the frontwheel shoes.
Among features of note in the transmission may be mentioned the use of a four-speed gearbox as standard with a five-speed unit offered as an extra, Hardy-Spicer propeller-shaft assembly and overhead-worm final drive,
The new chassis is designated model DG 5/11, and in view of its capacity, 11 tons, and platform area, 20 ft. by 7 ft. 6 ins., its unladen weight of well below 5 tons is a credit to its maker and an attraction to operators.