Think construction and you think tippers and mixers. They're the
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hardware that supports the construction industry and an indicator of the state of building generally. Sharon Clancy reports that multiwheeler sales are healthy at present, and they're set to get better as more and more operators outside construction choose multi-wheelers.
III ulti-wheeler chas sis sales have traditionally been a good indication of the health of the construction industry, so judg ing by last year's registrations things are picking up. Six-wheeler sales were up nearly 15% to 3,236, while the increase in eight-wheeler sales was even higher at 21.4% to 2,167. Multi-wheelers are appealing to a broader spectrum of operators than in the past, says MAN, but it still reckons muckaway vehicles account for half of the eight-wheeler market, and mixer chassis for a third of six-wheeler sales.
MAN faces stiffer competition for its established 2000 range in 1999. Mercedes-Benz Atego and Volvo FM chassis have just started to go into UK service; they are soon to be followed by revamped Iveco EuroTrakkers with the latest Cursor engines.
Steel-sprung
I ey Laud Daf plans to unveil multiwheeler chassis at this year's TipCon exhibition. Details are yet to be announced, but marketing director Tony Pain says they will include a steel-sprung light six-wheeler and a more powerful eight-wheeler, extending the range to suit a wider variety of applications.
Foden's popularity with tipper operators looks set to continue with the Alpha chassis, offered with either a Cummins Mr or Caterpillar Cro engine (CM r9-2,5 Nov1998).
Eight-wheeler operators are usually more concerned with chassis robustness than fuel consumption or power, but manufacturers say there is increasing demand for more power. ERF, for example, says despite the torqueyness of the 34ohp-rated Cummins Mui engines, it is selling increasing numbers of the 38ohp version. Leyland Daf reckons all multi-wheelers are travelling greater distances, so fuel consumption is more of an issue than in the past.
ERF and Scania are among those adopting a straighter front axle beam and hub-reduction rear axles to increase ground clearance on 8x4 chassis. ERF's latest muckaway 8x4 has Gin extra ground clearance, a heavy-duty steel suspension and a 26-tonne rated rear bogie.
Renault's Kerax chassis are modular, with all models sharing the same sidemembers while the number of bolt-on flitches and cross-members varies according to application, So A chassis are the lightest, Bs are for off-road work, and Cs are the toughest. The rear drive axle on Kerax has vertically mounted brake cylinders to improve ground clearance.
Payload is the crucial factor in cement mixer work. The industry standard has been light three-axle chassis operating at 26 tonnes GVW, but there are signs of a shift up to 29 tonnes GVW. The tax rate is lower than at 32 tonnes GVW, and there is a useful gain in cubic capacity. First Foden launched its tridern chassis which uprated its existing six-wheeler, followed last year by ERF with a light version of its 8x4 chassis. The 5.8-metre outer axle spread limits gross weight to 29 tonnes, and the combination of ES cab and 8.o-titre engine gives a tare weight of 7.75 tonnes. ERF believes it is the only cement mixer chassis currently capable of carrying 7.om3.