New middleweight contender
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Leyland Daf has launched the 55 Series in the UK, replacing the 50 and 60 Series and giving a foretaste of the 45 Series which is due later this year. Also new is a higher-powered variant of the Dutch-built 65 Series 18-tonner.
by Toby Clark The 55 Series spans the weight range from 12 to 18 tonnes GVW, with versions that include urban artics and a specialist road-sweeper chassis. The diverse choice of models is designed to appeal to an exceptionally broad market, including the 17-tonne sector—Leyland Daf MD David Gill predicts that this will be one of the few growth areas this year.
The truck was designed in the UK with plenty of operator input, and is built at the Leyland Trucks plant in Lancashire. Full-scale production starts in June.
The 55-Series rigid chassis is available with eight wheelbases, from 3.3m to 6.4m. All models from 12-15 tonnes GVW are fit ted with 19.5in wheels and front disc brakes; 181onne versions have 22.5in wheels and drums all round.
Alongside the general haulage and drawbar models is a pair of "urban artic” tractive units rated at 21 or 28 tonnes GCW (13 tonnes GVW) with a wheelbase of 2.6m or 3.0m. These have ECAS rear air suspeasioit.
The compact (2.1m-Wide) F2I0 steel cab will also be fitted to the Leyland-built 45 Series. All variants are available with a sleeper cab; day cabs, except for 18-tonners, get a dual passenger seat as standard.
All versions of the 55 Series use Cummins' B-Series engine in Euro-2 form: the 5.9-litre straight-six is rated at between 145hp and 235hp.
A six-speed ZF gearbox comes as standard on models up to 2151.0: the 235hp versions get a nine-speed Eaton box which is also an option on lower powered models.
Other features include a flattopped chassis frame with the option of extra-long rear overhang, and Albion's new TruckDrive range of hypoid drive axles. Diff-locks and ABS/ASR are optional, as are an immobiliser and the Tracker vehicle location system.
The cab is compact, almost car-like inside, and is very easy to get in and out of. The instru
ment binnacle is small and clear, with the tachograph more prominent than the rev-counter. An Is,ringhausen air-suspended seat is optional.
Leyland Daf claims that the 18-tonne GVW version of the 55 Series offers the biggest payload of any two-axle truck. The 6.0in wheelbase version has an unladen chassis weight of 4.96 tonnes; the rear axle is rated at 11.5 tonnes.
The other new 17/18-tonner is the 65.240, powered by a 240hp version of Daf's 6.2-litre ATi engine. The premium cab it shares with the 75 and 85 Series helps make it heavier than the 55: an equivalent model weighs around 740kg inure.
Like the 55 Series, the 65.240's rear axle is rated at 11.5 tonnes, but it has a 7.5-tonnes front axle in place of the 55 Series' 7.1tonne model.