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24th August 1995, Page 112
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CE OF

Q 20 COMMERCIAL MOTOR

ALITY

• Scania is once again an independent company separated from the Saab car and aircraft manufacturer that it joined up with in 1969. Trucks and buses are the group's principle business, employing some 19,000 people.

The company has been building trucks since 1902: all major truck components are still produced in-house. In the early fifties it was still producing fewer than 2,000 vehicles a year, most for the Swedish market. But in 1994 production topped 34,000 vehicles, of which 97% were exported. Scania entered the UK market in the late sixties and in 1994 was our third largest truck supplier in the 17tonne-plus sector, with a market share of 14.3%.

• EVOLUTION

Scania has been using the low-mounted 1') cab since the first 82 Series 8x4s were imported 10 years ago, with a charge-cooled 7.8-litre in-line six-cylinder engine rated at 231hp (172kW),

Scania eightleggers aren't light and they aren't cheap, but they have a reputation for reliability that makes them much in demand on the used truck market.

IP113-320 8x4 with a two-spring bogie, which was on trial with Paulton transport of Midsomer Norton. In production it was to be specified with a higher tensile steel chassis than used for earlier models The suspension saved 346kg over the four-spring arrangement, reducing the chassis weight to 8,740kg with a full tank of fuel, despite a slightly longer wheelbase. Drive axles with pneumatically operated diff-locks were retained, along with the 10-speed range-change box and the P day cab. The 11-litre engine was a lower powered version of a unit specified for 38tonne 113 tractors. The 3.4:1 final-drive ratio (fastest of five options) combined a geared top speed of 64mph with a 25% (1-in-4) restart capability. The P113 matched the fastest time attained by any tipper over the motorway section of our tipper route, but heavy traffic on the A-road section put paid to any record attempts Fuel consumption was an impressive 8.56mpg (32.91it/100km) overall with 8.98mpg (31.51it/100km) on the motorways. Gearchanges with Scania 's synchromesh gearbox couldn't be rushed and there was a definite pause while waiting for the gear to select when moving between ranges. A dogleg shift from fifth to sixth made the lever movement awkward when changing up and almost impossible when

the transmission oil was cold. Scania 's approach to spring design is slightly unusual Each spring contains three substantial leaves, tapered towards the ends and damped by doubleacting shock absorbers. n July 1991 we tested a prototype Scania

On tight manoeuvres the suspension could be seen and heard working and the movement felt through the chassis. The brakes were uninspiring but pulled up in a straight line. The wrap around dashboard put everything within easy reach — just as well as the day cab offers barely enough room to stow a bag The nearside window was electrically powered and visibility was good. The 92 Series arrived a year later: its DS9 8.5-litre engine

developed 245hp (181kW) at 2,200rpm with 726 lbft (985Nm) of torque at 1,300rpm. The 82 stayed in service until the end of 1985. The well established cab got a facelift with the introduction of the 93 Series in March 1988 when charge-cooling boosted the 8.5-litre engine's power to 275hp (205kW) with 826Ibft (1,120Nm) torque at 1,200rpm. This engine is still in service: it now meets Euro-1 with an extra 8hp and a touch more torque.

At the 1990 Birmingham Motor Show Scania added the DSC11 11-litre charge cooled diesel to its 8x4 range. It was designated the P113ML 320 and gave an installed power output of 310hp (228kW) at 2,000rpm with 1,036 lbft (1,405Nm) of torque at just 1,100rpm. In the spring of 1992 the lightweight two-spring rear bogie replaced the non-reactive fourspring suspension: with this update the ML chassis became the MK For operation at 30.49 tonnes it was still no lightweight but it was designed for 32 tonnes and began to look more competitive as other true 32-tonners emerged.

When the P113MK-320 hit the streets it was offered with a GR871 10-speed box. This transmission has since been superseded by the nine-speed GR900. The DSC11 has also been given the Euro-1 treatment, gaining power and torque in the process.

At TipCon in 1993 Scania raised the stakes in the power game with the 362hp (270kW) DSC1123 engine from the tractor range which can match the power of many larger rivals with a useful saving in weight.

• OPERATORS

Biffa Waste, part of the Seven Trent group, operates a mixed fleet of 760 CVs: many were acquired through Biffa's acquisition of other businesses. The fleet includes 165 eight-wheel rigids of which 104 are 8x4 Scanias. Engineering manager John Barks says that soon after joining the company in 1982 he had to decide whether to buy the latest Scania eight-wheeler. Biffa, with its base at High Wycombe, was also the Scania sub-dealership for the area.

"They are a little bit more expensive to buy than the competition," he says, "but life costs are what matter. We have had to extend our vehicle life; in the main it is now seven years. The Scania works out no more expensive than others and in many cases cheaper." But coming from a Leyland background, he was sceptical of that familiar looking non-reactive four-spring bogie and wondered if it would also need to be rebushed every year. In fact the rear suspension proved to be good for three years, but when the two-spring bogie became available he switched over and now has 22 vehicles with the later suspension. Six of them are 113s bought for a special contract. "The 11-litre engine is too powerful for most of our work," he says, "and it doesn't give me the

timing-case PTO option that I get with the 8.5litre engine; I find this very useful to drive the hydraulic pump for the equipment."

The oldest Scania with the two-spring suspension is only about two years old so it is too early to say how they compare. Overall Barks says that the new chassis are not a lot lighter but they do allow the body to be placed further forwards, in a better position relative to the front axles.

"It's even more important on the six-wheelers now that the weight has gone up to 26 tonnes," he adds. Vehicles fitted with front end loaders, working on commercial and municipal refuse collection, generally cover only about 45,000Iun a year. Biffa's purchasing policy is now Scania and Volvo for commercial contracts, with Seddon and Dennis for the municipal side. A typical weight for an empty front-end loader is 19 tonnes; even a normal refuse vehicle runs at about 12 tonnes unladen. Running the PTO for around 700 hours a year pulls fuel consumption down from 7.5mpg to as little as 5mpg.

"When we dispose of them we always cut the bodies up," says Barks. "We never sell them on. Over the years we have been able to rationalise the specification for body and equipment. When we take a vehicle out of service a lot of the body spares are fit to be used on existing machines. We scrap the chassis and although we don't get a very good price for them we take what we want off them to keep some of the older stuff going.

"The Scanias don't give us a lot of problems," he adds. "Clutches last two to three years, even on the worst operation. They tend to jump out of gear at three or four years. On the latest ones we have taken the GR900 transmissions which gives me a full-torque flywheel PTO option. We had a few niggling problems but we have overcome those now. Some of the early eighties models suffered a bit from cab rot round the windscreen frame but they don't seem to go rotten any more. Steering geometry is remarkably good and doesn't give tyres a hard time. It is not unusual for kingpins to last five years. The latest brakes on the front, with the shorter nonasbestos linings, wear prematurely. There were a lot of problems with propshafts on the late '82s and early '92s but since joint sealing was improved they have been remarkably good. Parts backup was poor but they have done something about it now."

Peter Maggs, managing director of PauIton Transport, based at Midsomer Norton, bought his first Scania in 1989. His mixed fleet of 16 vehicles now includes three Scania tractive units and two eight-wheelers running alongside Fodens and Volvos. The eightwheelers are all on quarry work and cover some 80,000km a year, usually within 150km of base. With a limited opportunity for back loads the vehicles only run fully laden for about 60% of the time. The two Scania eight-wheelers have different bodies but both run at 31 tonnes gross. The 93 gives a payload of 20 tonnes; the 113 takes 20.5 tonnes.

"Drivers think that the Scanias and Volvos are more comfortable than the Fodens," says Maggs. "The Scanias are the most expensive of the three but they don't need so much attention as the others. The 93 gives us about 9.5mpg and the 113 with the two-spring suspension returns around 8.5mpg. Sometimes it pays to spend a bit extra—the price of the Scania could make all the difference when it's time to replace them."

Maggs finds that the Scanias are best on maintenance. The cabs don't rust and the trim stands up to day-to-day wear better than the Volvos, which suffer from broken door handles. However, Scania changed the linkage for the load sensor with the two-spring bogie to a cable and it just won't stay on the pulley, he says. "The parts prices are high: a drag link cost us £283, a water pump £178 and a pipe for the inter-cooler cost £128. A similar one for the Foden is just £7.86. We've got autolube so the four-spring suspension is no trouble but the two-spring is simpler. The 113 was originally a company demonstrator and just after we got it the inter-axle propshaft broke up, but there is no telling what it had gone through. We like to support local firms so we fit Hytec tipping gear. The wet seals are a bit messy and you lose a bit of oil; believe the new ones are better. I think the Scania is a better truck all round for the driver but not the boss. We haven't sold any for some time but they won't be a problem. Both Volvos and Scanias sell easily."

John Steward is based at Paddock Wood in Kent, at the heart of the English hop county. He runs a fleet of 22 vehicles carrying bricks, blocks and materials for builder's merchants: 80% of his vehicles are Volvos, so what made him buy his first Scania eight-wheeler? "The rep kept calling but they weren't in the frame on weight and wheelbase. When Scania introduced the two-spring chassis with a longer chassis on a 6.5m wheelbase we decided to give them a try. I've got three 113s; two at 320hp and one at 360hp. There are another three on order. I specify alloy wheels and a light Hiab crane. We either build our own alloy bodies or get Ellis, a local bodybuilder, to make them for us. They are plated at 32 tonnes so that gives us a 21-tonne payload. They run fully freighted, mostly off motorway, in town and off the beaten track to pick up from the brickyards.

"The performance of the 360 doesn't give it a decisive advantage over the 320 on hill climbing and there's not a lot to choose between them on fuel consumption," adds Steward. "All three return between 7.5 and 7.8mpg. Originally we worked on a five-year turnround but that's lengthened to 10 through the recession. When we sell, it's to owner-drivers working for us. After discounts there is not so much in the price between one make and another—maybe £1,500 to £2,000 at the most—and Scania residual prices keep high." Has he had any problems with them? "The brakes are better than the Volvo's; I've just relined the front brakes at 130,000km. Parts prices are a bit high but I've really had to buy nothing for them yet. The exhaust brake is ineffective and just after the first vehicle's PIA its butterfly valve kept sticking in the closed position.

"We have had two rear springs go," says

Steward. "When we needed the first one the local dealer didn't have one in stock so we had to wait 24 hours for it to come from the factory. It was supplied under warranty but they couldn't do the work for another two days. We did it ourselves—I don't have vehicles standing in the yard. We do our servicing in the evenings and use long-drain oil but change at 20,000km. The steering is very powerful so you could get accelerated tyre wear if the driver abused them. The brakes are not as good as the Dafs for stopping but overall the Scania's might be slightly better than the Volvo's for reliability and fuel consumption. The drivers like them better and I am happy with them. I can't see anything to beat them now that the power and weight is right."

• DEALERS

Independent used dealer J & F Trucks, based at Newton Abbey in Northern Ireland. carries a stock of about 40 vehicles but buys and sells a lot of vehicles within the trade. Frank Walsh says: "I get a few tippers but rarely Scanias. The work has picked up just at the moment and late-reg eight-wheelers of any make are hard to come by Scanias don't stand about at any time; not that they are the best but they are very expensive. They have this image and there is a bit of a myth about them. There are very keen deals on new ones in the north of Ireland so the price of used trucks has to be realistic. It's got a fabulous cab and you can't fault the engine. It's got to be good for a million kilometres.

"In the North the price is based on the year so you pay the same for an F or G plate. In England an H-reg 93 series could fetch as much as L32,000."

John Rankin is used truck salesman for franchised Scania dealer Reliable Vehicles of Strathclyde which is one of Scotland's largest used truck outlets "The market is very buoyant," he reports, "and our order book is very busy in tippers. We normally have up to 45 vehicles in stock and recently have been getting a few more Scania eight-wheelers in part exchange. Owner-operators are asking for more power. Our busiest time for eight-leggers is during the first three or four months of the year."

• SUMMARY

Scania's MK tippers are not the most popular 8x4s on the market, but judging by the feedback from the operators CM has talked to, familiarity breeds respect. With the switch from the four-spring to the two-spring bogie Scania has removed any doubts operators may have had about its rear suspension, and the 360hp 11-litre lump clearly appeals to tippermen looking for more power.

Scania's own driveline comes with a proven pedigree too. The latest nine-speed box has gone along way to overcoming the old moans about beating the range-change on the 10speed with its awkward dog-leg shift pattern.

Although the lower-powered Scania eightwheelers have a reputation for being on the heavy side, pricey and with an expensive parts supply, their reputation for reliability and residuals means there's a strong demand for them so the few that do come up are snapped up almost immediately.

12 by Bill Brock


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