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DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
Page 15
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N There's nothing like starting at the top, so we began our drive with the new 480, installed In an FTC 85.480, a 8x2 twin-steer pulling a tanker at 40 tonnes. As the only hill within 50 miles of Eindhoven is the artificial one at the Oaf proving ground, neither the engine's outright grunt nor the brakes were seriously challenged. The engine's flexibility was immediately obvious, however, being perfectly capable of pulling back from as little as 800rprn. A 2,100ilm torque plateau extends from 1,0501,50Orpm. On the reads we encountered, the splitter was pretty well superfluous; eight (or even seven) ratios being quite enough.
The extra steer-axle did not detract from the CF's excellent handling; the discs gave strong retardation and a progressive feel. We've already praised the CF's cab Interior and controls, which would not disgrace a luxury car—on this occasion the loudest noise was the hiss of the air-assisted clutch.
As a taster of how much these vehicles have in reserve, we carried out a tour of the proving ground facilities In a prototype FAD 85.430 8x4 chassis, laden with test weights to 43 tonnes, rather than Its 34tonne design weight. Performance and slow-speed handling were perfectly acceptable, and while the parking brake failed to hold the truck on a 24% test slope It managed the restart effortlessly. The eightlogger came with the new extended day cab; the extra space In the bins behind the seat was Just the Job for the helmets, extra clothing and various other bits that tippermen tend to accumulate. The vinyl cab trim and hose-clean flooring look practical without being unattractive (seats are still cloth-trimmed).
We couldn't leave without driving one of the local specialities: In this case an FAS 85.430 6x2 drawbar rig towing a two-axle turntable trailer. The load comprised a pair of demountable skips loaded to 44 tonnes, some way shy of Holland's 50-tonne limit.
With a power-to-weight ratio below 10hp/tonne, the engine's abilities were stretched a little, but even so the splitter wasn't really needed. The rig was surprisingly easy to drive. Even through some narrow staggered gateways and typically Dutch traffic calming chicanes, It tracked perfectly, and certainly proved easier to place than an antic of the same size.
Finally we sampled the tipper range off-road with a pair of almost identical 8x4s, the only difference being that one had a 380hp engine and conventional 22.5in wheels, while the other was an operator's 480 sporting 24In wheels on the rear bogie.
Needless to say the 480 proved the most effective off-road, but both demonstrated that there's more to tipper driving than might be obvious, particularly when keeping the steering axles in the right direction without grabbing the sides of the ruts.