VOLVO FL10
Page 30
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Volvo eight-wheelers evolved at the company's Scottish plant at Irvine about 17 years ago, but nowadays lefthand-drive FL10 8x4s are produced in Sweden. Its 9.8-litre engine delivers almost 20% more power than the lighter and smaller-engined FL7-260 eight-wheeler. This model can also be specified for 32-tonne operation in the UK, with either of Volvo's 'B' (two-leaf parabolic) or 'T' (multi-leaf steel springs) on 9.5-tonne tandem axles, as options to road-friendly four-bag air suspension Our test vehicle was equipped with Morrel underfloor tip gear and a two-way tipping steel body.
The FL cab is mounted lower on the chassis than the other cabs and a single external step makes it the most convenient to get in and out of. The driving position is not so low that it reduces forward vision—the driver can still see over the tops of cars—but the single widow in the rear panel and absence of glass behind the B-post restricts visibility to the nearside rear. In this respect the Volvo is the worst of the bunch.
Mounting the cab low down has its drawbacks. The engine cowl protrudes high into the cab and, even though it has a padded cover, this seemed to make it just a little noisier than any of the others.
The attractive dog-leg binnacle and gear lever close to the air suspended seat make it hard to move out of the driving position to cross the cab, but that is not a problem for this type of operation. , Full-width vents below the front screen and on the doors help keep the front and large door windows clear from mist. An array of warning lamps and switches compensate for the simple instrumentation package.
With slightly less power on tap than the other vehicles it becomes all the more important to make the most of what there is by keeping the free revving engine turning over in the top part of the economy band. While maximum power is generated at 2,100rpm, best use of the exhaust brake is made if the full range is used up to 2,500rpm. The threeposition gate used in Volvo's 5R1400 transmission, aided by a splitter and range-change, provides 12 easy-to-use gears so overall journey times do not suffer. From the slightly lower, comfortable driving position there is less sensation of roll and it gives the impression of being a much smaller vehicle. Betterthan-average fuel consumption and journey times combined with one of the biggest payloads produced the best productivity figure of the bunch.
Make: Volvo. Model: Fll 8x4. Outer axle spread: 6.57m. Engine: TD103ES-EDC six cylinder in line charge cooled. Capacity: 9.8 litres. Max power: 235kW (315hp) at 2,100rpm. Max torque: 1,350Nm (996Ibft) at 1,200rpm. Gearbox: Volvo SR 1400 12-speed synchromesh range-change with splitter. Rear axle: Volvo CTEV87 with cross-axle and inter-axle duff-locks. Ratio: 4.3:1. Tyre size: 13R 22.5 tubless. Michelin XZY front and XDY rear. Fuel tank: 400 litres (88gal). Chassis-cab weight: 9.46 tonnes. Average fuel consumption: 48.914/100km (5.78mpg). Average speed: 48.3km/h (30.01mph).