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Rear-steer is the right gear
Page 16
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Rear steering axles offer tighter turning circles, reduced tyre wear and reduced ground damage on loose surfaces. Last year Nem Ford set up a pilot project to develop its own 6x2 rear-steer system; the company is now offering it as a line option...
by John Kendall
• Iveco Ford modified a regular Cargo 150E23 with a trailing steer axle at the rear equipped with air suspension all round. To reduce the loading height, 19.5in wheels are fitted front and rear.
The chassis is plated at 20.9 tonnes GVW with a 24.4-tonne GTW. A conversion is also offered based on the 170E23. This gives a heavier front axle weight with a slightly lighter rear to cope better with diminishing loads. In both cases the rear steer axle is rated at 8.0 tonnes. The latest Michelin 245/70 tyres with rating up to 8,480kg allow a further increase.
Modifications from the early models include a change to the rear steering system. This offers the same 110 steering angle on the rear axle but the system has changed from an hydraulic master and slave ram to a cable-sensed system.
The front axle steering movement is sensed via a zero
loss cable and transmits the movement to a sensor on the rear steering axle. As with the Mark I system, the trailing axle is then steered hydraulically.
Like the Mark I system, the Mark Ii locks in the straightahead position above a preset speed (15km/h for the Mark 1; 25km/h for the Mark II). The Mark II also gives the same 11° steering angle at the rear in forward or reverse gears.
Iveco already has a Mark Ill system at the prototype stage, based on the Phoenix electrohydraulic system unveiled earlier this year (CM 4-10 July). This design is not likely to reach production for around a year. It is undergoing tests to ensure the electronics are not interfered with by other electromagnetic fields and in turn do not interfere with other electronic systems. When this is completed it will meet all present and pro
posed European standards.
The first user of the rear-steer Cargo was Carlsberg Tetley which now has 25 of the vehicles on its fleet and is likely to order another 30. Carlsberg Tetley's next-door neighbour Bramall Trucks of Warrington has supplied all the Cargo rearsteer models, both to Carlsberg and other operators.
Carlsberg Tetley has experimented with an Allison World Series MD-3060 five-speed automatic gearbox for its London deliveries. The overdrive box is fitted with a lockup torque convertor which automatically locks in third gear and above. A full range of automatic gearbox features includes a manual-hold facility for hill-climbing and pre-selected downshifts when the exhaust brake is applied.
Allison claims reduced driver stress, improved fuel economy in stop/go conditions and less strain on the driveline. Although Carlsberg Tetley is staying with manual transmissions at present, it is keeping its options open on the automatic.
Apart from Carlsberg Tetley, Coca-Cola has also been operating the Cargo 6x2 chassis on soft drinks distribution.
CM has driven both the Mark
I and Mark 11 versions of the rear-steer system. The Mark 1 on an Allison-equipped Carlsberg Tetley dray; the Mark H in a Coca-Cola distribution truck —Coca-Cola has 39 on the road and is likely to order more.
The rear-steer Cargo is not restricted to the drinks distribution sector: Biffa Waste is using the 6x2 chassis with a curtainsider body to collect household waste for re-cycling at three of its depots.