IGHT WHEELS ON MY RENAULT
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Renault is pushing hard to increase its heavy truck market share. After the launch of its G-range six-wheeler it now has a 0290 8x4. How does it drive?
• Renault's G290-30D newcomer to the UK eight-wheeler market — exhibited at October's Motor Show — is a powerful contender at 30 tonnes gross, as we discovered in a recent 1131cm (70-mile) drive in a prototype through the Chilterns.
At 214kW (291hp), the charge-cooled version of the Renault MIDR 06 20 45 9.8-litre engine delivers a high power-toweight ratio of 7kW/tonne.
The well-spaced ratios of the standard B9 nine-speed range-change overdrive (0.75:1) gearbox, and 5.125:1 final drive, give a maximum top-geared speed when laden of 1051unfh, making good use of the engine's 1,176Nm (86711bft) of torque.
This peaks at 1,300rpm, but even at a maximum-power speed of 2,100rpm, the 9.8-litre unit still chums out an impressive 900Nm (661bft) of torque.
More importantly, between the 641cm/h and 80Icm/h (40-50mph) speed limits for single and dual-track roads, in top gear engine revs hover between 1,250rpm and 1,500rpm where the torque is well in excess of that at the 1,150rpm mark. One gear down for through-town work at 481cm/h (30mph) allows the engine to idle along at 1,350rpm on near-full torque. It .s possible to start from rest in third gear, followed by fifth, seventh, then each of the remaining gears, but on a gradient, a second-fourth-sixth sequence is necessary.
Renault's seemingly wise choice of iriveline at 30 tonnes was underlined on the climb out of High Wycombe town :entre on the A404 towards Amersham, Nhere it pulled strongly in fifth for most of the way and needed only one downchange an the steepest part.
The standard range-change box (Remutt's, 18-speed B18 splitter is an option :osting another 2970) gave fairly smooth thanges via the handily-placed gear lever nit, although the air-over-hydraulic clutch s easy to operate, the pedal is too high or comfort.
Judging by its hill-climbing ability, the 3)(4 G290 seemed to perform well within ts claimed 4/5% (1-in-2.4) gradeability .ating. Two wheelbases are offered (first o third axle centres) for tipper chassis at 5.00m and 5.57m, within overall frame lengths of 8.64m and 9.22m.
The chassis is of bolted, ladder-frame construction with sidemembers of 302x85x8nun section and has internal flitches which run from the front springs' rear hanger bracket to the rear of the chassis rails.
Standard day-cabbed models give bumper-to-back-of-cab (BBC) dimensions of 1,795mm in each case and 2,340mm with the long-wheelbase tipper chassis with optional sleeper cab.
The basic 5m 8x4 model has an 8,384kg kerbweight, while the longer version weighs 98kg more. Each of the steered axles are plated at 6,300kg with a design rating of 7,100kg, but the rear bogie, which uses Renault PMR2041 ax les, is rated at 19,320kg with a 20-tonne design limit.
No turning circle dimension is given on the G290's specification sheet, but Renault has chosen the ZF 8046 recirculating-ball steering box to power its twin-steer arrangement.
At engine speeds of less than 750rpm the system vibrates, is noisy, and offers slight resistance at the steering wheel, as though there is cavitation in the pump. At more than 750rpm, however, it is very positive and performs easily. For site work, the laden G280 tipper has 206mm of ground clearance beneath the Hendrickson RT450 suspension at the rear. Rear brake chambers are positioned well up behind the rear differentials (similar to the Daf tipper models) and slope upwards about 30°, forward of the third axle. Renault makes use of the spring-brake actuators on the rearmost axle parking, but as there is no inter-axle differential the other bogie axle is locked up through the interconnecting clriveline.
With a list price of £48,090 for each of the tipper models and the sleeper option of the longest 5.57m model costing another E1,000, Renault's G290-30D stands among the least expensive of 30tonners in this power bracket. In a market sector accounting for around 3,000 units a year, it is certainly worth more than a second glance. o by Bryan Jarvis