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JAPANESE TRUCK FOR EUROPE

6th August 1965, Page 40
6th August 1965
Page 40
Page 41
Page 42
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Page 40, 6th August 1965 — JAPANESE TRUCK FOR EUROPE
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WHILST most Japanese manufacturers clearly were casting eyes in the direction of Europe, the overall impression I retained was that they regarded it as a tricky market. However, one company, Hino Motors . Ltd., plans to make an early mark. To borrow motor racing parlance, they seem to have stolen pole position in the race for European sales and intend to show their KM 31-tonner at next January's Amsterdam Show. Before then they hope to have begun assembly of the vehicle in Holland.

This move into Holland is not, incidentally, an isolated European venture. Hino are showing three of their buses at the Barcelona Trade Fair this year and have sold about 400 buses and trucks to Spain in semi-k.d. condition. They also have an Israel assembly plant for the Briska light pie kup.

Hino offer a complete range of commercial vehicles. The lightest is the 10 cwt. Briska, which is based on their Contessa car. Then follows the KM truck upon which European export hopes appear to be pinned. With an unladen weight of a little under 3 tons, the KM has a tilt cab; but the engine is fully accessible from within the twoseat cab by removing the cowling, so that the cab is usually tilted only for major work.

The engine used in this vehicle is the company's own DM100 90 b.h.p. 4.3-litre diesel which (rather surprisingly) is a six-cylinder unit workilig well within its maximum capacity. The engine is a conventional, water-cooled, precombustion chamber type of 90 mm. bore and 113 mm. stroke. It produces its 90 b.h.p. at 3,200 r.p.m. but is rated to 80 b.h.p. at 2,800 r.p.m. for sustained running. Maximum B6 torque is 180 lb. ft. at 2,000 r.p.m. Compression ratio is 205: 1.

Maximum speed (I would think genuine) is given as 51-5 m.p.h. and a turning circle of 42ft. is possible (35ft. in the short-wheelbase model). The chassis is of convention design, using 16in. diameter wheels.

Unfortunately the KM I tried out was unladen and I drove it only within the factory limits. However, with those reservations, here are my impressions of it. The engine was a free-revving one but the gearing seemed very low. In point of fact, when I subsequently checked, I found that the four forward ratios—synchromesh on all except first —were practically identical with those in the Ford fourspeed box on the smaller D series vehicles in this country. I classed the driving position as "excellent ". Steering was positive but definitely low-geared (a general trait in Japanese lorries).

The synchromesh itself was very smooth and the floormounted shift was easy to use, although the lever itself was floppy; I twice went from first to fourth without realizing it. The only thing I can say about the brakes is that on this particular vehicle they felt a bit spongy: they are of the hydraulic type, with vacuum servo, and —as usual with Japanese designs—the handbrake acted on the transmission. The cab was adequately, if rather severely, finished; entry and exit was simple.

Purely out of interest, and with no invidious intent, I compared the Hino KM with the Ford D400—announced in this country last April--and found the specifications to be remarkably similar except that the D400 offers an 83 b.h.p. and a 115 b.h.p. diesel engine, as well as a b.h.p. petrol version. Hino offers no engine option. D400 comes in 10f t.and lift. 2in.-wheelbase versions, Hino KM in aft. 10.3in. and 12ft. 10in. versions. The 0 trunk runs up to 4.2 tons payload. Having seen the of both vehicles, I would rate the Ford ahead on nor finish, but engine access is much better in the o—untilted, that is. Ford also offer air-assisted brakes n option. The Ford costs about £1,200 with drop-side y. In Japan the Hino costs around £1,250.

ino proved to be a fascinating company. They have eloped, for instance, a semi-automatic lubrication ern of their own, which is standard in Hino vehicles a the 61-tonner upwards. Electrically operated, it is trolled from the cab by the driver to between 15 and vints (depending on the type specified). A pilot fight cates completion of the greasing. It has—so I was -to be done each day. Perhaps Japanese drivers have good memories. . . . Air suspension was developed for goods chassis (it is virtually standard in Japan for most ps.v.), but as there was no demand Hino dropped it Other Hino forward-control, tilt-cab trucks are the KC. and TC ranges. The KC is a 7-tonner of conventional design, using a six-cylinder in-line 7-litre diesel engine developing 140 b.h.p. at 2,500 r.p.m. Maximum torque is 318 lb. ft. at 1,600 r.p.m. The five-speed gearbox has constant mesh on the top four ratios. A butterfly-type, airoperated exhaust brake is optional, being actuated electro-magnetically when the accelerator pedal is released. A dash control overrides it when required.

The same cab is used on all these models. The TH 8-tonner (in all its versions) has an engine producing 160 b.h.p. at 2,400 r.p.m. and 372-5 lb. ft. torque at 1,600 r.p.m. Power steering and air-operated, two-speed rear axle are standard.

Because it is the largest-capacity-on-the-road Japanese vehicle, the TC Hino is especially interesting; I have, in

fact, mentioned it earlier in this series as being the only twin-steered Japanese truck. The engine is a 10-litre unit giving 195 b.h.p. at 2,300 r.p.m. and torque of 492 lb. ft. at 1,400 r.p.m. Power steering is standard. The fullyfloating rear axle is of the spiral bevel, double-reduction type. Payloads vary between 10 and 11+ tons. Gross weight of the 10-tonner is 17 tons.

As is common in Japan, Hino also offer a bonneted range of trucks in payload ranges from (I tons to 12 tons, a range of heavy-duty 6 x 6 bonneted chassis, and a 15-ton payload dumper of half-cab design. Some 200 of these dumpers have been sold in Peru.

Hino Motors also offer a range of passenger vehicles, the " star " of which is a high-speed coach with a flattwelve engine. Smallest in the range is the 28-passenger BM powered by the DM100 diesel engine, which is used in the KM 31-ton truck. It is best described as a wellfinished, functional vehicle.

There is a also a range of underfloor-engined vehicles using two horizontal six-cylinder engines producing 195 b.p.h. at 2,300 r.p.m. or 160 b.h.p. at 2,400. Torque converters and two-speed axles are optional and exhaust brakes are standard. There is also a standard third braking system which Hino call the "safety spring" and which, like similar American systems, operates independently of the basic air braking system. , If the vehicle is in service and air pressure drops for any reason, a spring eventually overcomes the air pressure in an air chamber and applies the rear brakes. The driver has a separate control switch to override the spring brake, which also has an independent air reservoir enabling release after five or six applications before it, too, fails through lack of air. Power steering is standard on some of these models and optional on others. Seating capacities vary from 39 to 49. Body widths are all 8 ft. 1 in. Lengths vary between 28 ft. 9 in. and 36 ft. 3 in.

There is a 42/45-passenger service bus with the DM100 engine mounted longitudinally at the rear, and a further range of buses and coaches have flat engines mounted at the rear. Air suspension is used on these models; into this range comes the RA120—with the flat-twelve I referred to. I rode on one of these and will say more of that in a later article, when I shall be describing motorway coach operators in Japan.

I reported in a previous article that Prince Motors Ltd. is to merge with Nissan by the end of next year, and I cannot help but feel that they will prove to be a decidedly r8 effervescent technical addition to the Nissan Group.

Prince is a comparative newcomer, being established (under a different name) in July, 1950, to produce such products as cine cameras and sewing machines in factories that previously had been used for aircraft production. By March, 1952, they were marketing Prince cars and a year later they went into rocket research and production. They also make textile machinery. Such diversity of products could hardly help but produce flexibility and this Prince Motors have in plenty.

They produce goods vehicle of capacities up to 2 tons. the " oldest " being the normal-control Miler (first produced seven years ago) and Super Miler pick-ups which have 1-25-, 1.75and 2-ton carrying capacities. The smallest of these uses the Prince 1,500 c.c. petrol engine which gives 73 b.h.p. at 4,800 r.p.m. The two heavier Super Milers have a 1,900 c.c. engine developing 96 b.h.p. at 5,000 r.p.m. All of them have top speeds of about 65 m.p.h.

These vehicles, and the comparable forward-control Super Clippers, are unique in being fitted with lockable differentials; the design used is Thornton Axles' Powr-lok made under licence from the American company. The Super Clippers are 2-tonners using the same chassis, engine and components as the Super Milers.

Just as the Clippers are a more advanced design than the Milers, so the newest Prince, the 25 cwt. T64 Homer shows many advances. One of the most notable is the suspension. Rubber helper springs are used on the Super Clipper, but the technique is fully-utilized in the Homer, which is fitted with long, semi-elliptic, four-leaf rear springs and Aeon-type rubber springs. Front suspension is independent, of the wishbone type with torsion bars. • The petrol engine is the 1,500 c.c. unit, but it is mounted at a 30° incline. By the use of grease-packed joints, chassis lubrication is at intervals of either 19,000 miles or one year.

I was able to drive the Homer on the test track at Prince Motors' new factory at Murayama. Unfortunately (because of a misunderstanding) it was literally taken at random from the production line. I therefore had to limit it to less than 40 m.p.h. For the same reason I was unable to test the suspension—which looked, and felt, excellent— on the cross-country track.

By inclining the engine, a full three-seat cab is made passible. The driving position is good, with excellent visibility. Noise is at a very low level, and the worm-androller steering proved positive.

Continued on page 45

Engine access is good. by lifting the centre seat and emoving a large hatch. But because the engine is inclined o the right, the sparking plugs are not too accessible; 1 fact, I doubt whether anyone could get No. 4 plug out xcept from underneath the cab. However, the rest of he engine and accessories are fully exposed from within he cab. There is a separate small hatch in the cab front or access to the radiator whilst a quick-release spare /heel is carried beneath the all-steel body, at the rear, nd really is easy to detach.

Toyota are Japan's largest volume producer. Like many Lich companies everything designwise is subordinated to te need of the production lines, It is not, therefore, urprising that in many ways I have less to say about their roducts than those of smaller, but more interesting, ompanies. I am not suggesting that their designs are in ny way inferior: on the contrary, (as so often was the ase in Japan) 1 was favourably impressed at their :andards of quality. But the vehicles were not exciting. Nevertheless. Toyota do have 36 per cent of Japan's total des. In 1965 they sold 270,000 light vehicles and 20,000 the 6-ton range. In relation to these figures, their sports are relevant. Only 10,200 light trucks (less than per cent) were exported: but no less than 11,600 (nearly 3 per cent) of the heaiver models were exported.

They have, in fact, just one full-size goods chassis, a ormal-control 6-tonner. Either a six-cylinder, 6-litre diesel nine (110 b.h.p. at 2,600 r.p.m. and 250 lb. ft. at 1,200 p.m.) or a six-cylinder, 3-9-litre petrol unit (145 b.h.p. at .500 r.p.m., 230 lb. ft. at 2,200 r.p.m.) can be specified. or heavy-duty work a 6-5-litre diesel can be fitted. This roduces 130 b.h.p. at 2.600 r.p.m. and 290 lb. ft. torque t 1,400 r.p.m, The 6-tonner is a very manceuvrable vehicle to drive. Its tie-speed gearbox has overdrive top gear and excellent mcromesh is fitted on all except the crawler first gear. )ne normally starts off in second. The engine was willing ut rather noisy. In common with most Japanese trucks had a massive box-section headboard. As usual, the eering was low-geared. Access to the cab was average. ; were the fittings.

A useful forward-control 2-tonner is the Toyopet (the ame used for smaller Toyota vehicles) Dyna, which has 1-9-litre 85 b.h.p. petrol engine mounted vertically under te three-man bench seat. The only unusual feature of this thicle • is the use—like the Prince T64—of Aeon-type ibber springs in conjunction with Semi-eiliptics. For payloads of about 30 cwt. there is a normal-control pick-up, the Stout, which is a typical modern vehicle of its sort and is based on the Dyna chassis.

More interesting is their "newish" 25/30 cwt., the Toyoace, a forward-control vehicle with options of 59 b.h.p. or 65 b.h.p. petrol engines of 1,200 cc. or 1,500 c.c. capacity. I drove this, as 1 did the Stout. The Toyoace cab seats three people (just) and although the front wheel-arch obtrudes into the cab it does not affect operation of the accelerator. Both the Column-mounted gear change and the synchromesh itself were very smooth to use. My big complaint was that there was no seat adjustment and I would have become uncomfortable if driving the vehicle for any length of time. 1 was told that Toyota have had field complaints from export markets about this but are reluctant to redesign the cab so as to allow seat adjustment because this would affect the admittedly low price (C460/£490, depending on the payload).

Particularly for export markets (they are assembled in Brazil and Venezuela and also sell well in Australia and South Africa), the Toyota Land Cruiser is a best-seller of its class. The only real competitor is the Nissan Patrol. to which I referred two weeks ago, About 10,000 Land Cruisers are produced each year. 90 per cent of them for export.

It is powered by a six-cylinder 3-9-litre petrol engine which gives 135 b.h.p. at 3,800 r.p.m. and torque of 217 lb. ft. at 2,000 r.p.m. It has a three-speed gear box (synchromesh on second and third) with a double-reduction control to give high and low ratios.

Across very treacherous open ground (loose earth which had received two days of rain), the short-wheelbase Land Cruiser performed admirably. I had four passengers, as well as myself, and although at times in deep, water-filled ruts I experienced no trouble; and I had no need to resort to clutch-slipping. The vehicle did tend to was its tail at times; but when I got back on to dry land I discovered why—it still had its city shoes on! This was an impressive vehicle.

The company produces a service bus, which I have referred to in a previous article in this series, and there is also a forward-control 4-ton truck which remained something of a mystery vehicle for me. Unlike most Japanese manufacturers, Toyota were not over-willing to give information about their models. It is presumably intended IV%a corapTtitor to the Hino KM.

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