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Slick shift
There is new technology wherever you look on the new Volvo FM. Here we check-over the all-new transmission range developed for the heavy truck platform
ne of the major interfaces between the driver and his truck is the gearshift. It is here that first and lasting impressions are made. If the , shift is too heavy there will be complaints, likewise if the throw is too long or the stick is too big. All these complaints have been levelled at Volvo over the years, and now the Swedish builder has designed a gearbox that firmly answers its critics.
Enter the VT gearbox, a new breed of manual synchromesh transmission for the FM and FH truck ranges featuring a low-effort shift mechanism, new gearstick and shorter shift pattern. Available in three versions VT2014, VT2514 and VT25140D the gearbox is designed to cope with the high torque generated from Volvo's 12 and 16-litre engines.
The gearbox is a 14-speed affair, hence the last two digits in the model nomenclature, while the other two digits refer to the maximum torque loading possible on the gearbox 2000Nm and 2500Nm respectively. The OD indicates it is an overdrive gearbox for use on high-power 470hp and 520hp 16-litre engines.
The transmission uses a singlecountershaft design and has virtually the same exterior dimensions as the current SR1900 transmission. The existing line-up continues in the FM for the time being, though as production gets going the new box will doubtless be made standard. A new patented mechanism reduces shift effort by up to 50% and new smaller synchros have allowed Volvo to widen the size of the gears, thus offering the higher torque rating without a bigger box.
Protection devices include an inhibitor on the box to prevent the driver changing down too many gears and damaging the engine. And there is a protector on the box to stop engagement of a gear without using the clutch. Volvo has also improved the drain intervals. With Volvo transmission oil, they go up from 180,000km or one year to 400,000km or three years.
Drivers will first notice a new slimmer gearstick used throughout the range. This is much more comfortable in the hand than the old one. which was a thick, bulky affair. They will notice, too, the lovely light shift and short throw, but that is not all, With Norwegian firm Konberg, Volvo has cut the clutch effort required without losing feel from the clutch. The result is a 30% reduction in pedal effort thanks to new and improved servo assistance.