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"I got a good deal on the alloy wheels. They cost

27th April 2000, Page 31
27th April 2000
Page 31
Page 31, 27th April 2000 — "I got a good deal on the alloy wheels. They cost
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,400 extra." Donald King Foden advised against it for vehicles with a high centre of gravity, so I settled for rubber.

"I have now covered I36,000krri and had one starter motor failure," King reports. "The replacement is also playing up a bit. The brakes started binding on one occasion but that was traced to some debris lodged in the foot valve. I am not very impressed with Daf Aid. In both instances they wanted to tow in the truck even though the first time they turned up with a new starter motor. Since then I have had problems with the transmission jumping out of gear, an inaccurate fuel gauge, dump valve on the driver's seat and loose mount on the electrically adjusted mirror. I had to specify the Road Relay computer system to be eligible for the three-year driveline warranty.

"Although the distance is accurate the fuel reading is to% optimistic," he says. "I bought five years' warranty on the engine and will review the truck's performance when that runs out before deciding if that is the time to buy another. I am still running on five of the original tyres. One on the second steer axle was replaced because of dam age but otherwise the fronts outlast those on the drive axles.

"It is easy to get in and out of the cab and the narrow dimensions are a help on farm deliveries," says King. "The heating and ventilation system is a big improvement over the 4000 Series. The ceramic clutch tends to be fierce but the pedal is light. Warning lights on the dash are not very visual as they are obscured by the rim of the steering wheel. I am very pleased with the performance of the Jake brake. I leave it on all the time. On the right run cruise control can make driving a lot more relaxing. Ride and handling are very good but it's just too noisy inside the cab.

"I got a good deal on the alloy wheels— they cost D,I.00 extra," he concludes. "The 330-litre alloy tank and alloy air tanks are standard. I don't think there is another truck that can match it on payload. I carry 20 tonnes. "As I do my own regular maintenance I am not very impressed with Foden's handbook or the workshop manual. Both are sadly lacking in information. It would appear that my truck has neither a gearbox nor a rear suspension."

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