11-13 unveils its h4 fire fighter
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I Mercedes-Benz introduced four-wheel drive on/off road re and crash tender chassis his week at the 1988 fire .ghting equipment exhibition in irighton.
The 4x4 917AF — plated at Line tonnes GVW — is the 'test addition to Mercedes' .1■12 middleweight truck range, rst introduced into the UK pack in 1985.
Power from the 126kW 169hp) 5.9-litre six-cylinder in ne turbocharged liesel engine is taken through five-speed synchromesh main ransmission to a two-speed, nid-mounted, transfer gearox. The drive is then divided ietween a conventional hypoid tar axle and a 3.8-tonne AL3 ype steer-drive front axle.
The faster 1.05:1 transfer >ox ratio gives a maximum ;eared speed of 113km/h, vhile the slower 1.64:1 ratio g.ives a top speed of 72km/h or off-road use.
The transfer inter-axle diferential is included as stanlard, but a cross differentialock can also be specified as a Urther traction aid.
With a power-to-weight ratio in excess of three times the minumum legal requirement pefonnance is rapid. The 917AF will accelerate from 0 to 64ktn/h in under 19 seconds. Rolling gradeability is correspondingly impressive. Using the high transfer box ratio it will climb a 37.6% (1-in-2.66) slope in bottom gear. The offroad ratio theoretical gradeability (tyre adhesion permitting with the standard on/off road tread pattern tyres) is given an 62.4% (1-in-1.6).
The 917AF is available in standard chassis-cab form, for a twoor three-man crew, or as a chassis-cowl allowing the addition of purpose-designed crew cabs and integral bodywork. The chassis come in two wheelbase lengths of 3.09m and 3.64m providing bodywork and equipment space of 5.05m and 5.85m.
The exhibition model was shown as a fire service water tender meeting JCDD standards. The six-man crew cab, based on a chassis-cowl, was built by HCB-Angus which also manufactured and installed the equipment with the 1,800-litre (400gal) capacity water tank.