Euro Volvos go For more height
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1 Higher and heavier construeion vehicles from Volvo, desined for continental markets are nlikely to replace current UK aodels but there may be some pin-off for right-hand-drive hassis in the form of stiffer cab uspension and easy-to-clean inerior trim. Spring stops atached to the side of the chassis o assist tipping stability could lso be adopted.
Construction vehicles account al20% of the market above 16 onnes on the Continent, and six nd eight-wheelers take more han a 50% share. With the 7rench allowing eight-wheelers rom 1993, their dominance will Icrease.
Volvo's FL1OH 8x4, designed
o cope with softer site conitions than are generally exerienced in Britain, has been eveloped in parallel with the L101I, the bonneted NL1OH nd NL12 six-wheelers with )w-emission engines with outkits up to 298kW (405hp).
A stronger and higher chassis, tronger straight front axle ateci at nine tonnes, and 26onne T-Ride bogie with multinf suspension help increase the 11011's ground clearances by 10mm to 430mm at the front nd by 60mm to 260mm for the ub reduction axles.
As a result approach, belly and eparture angles are improved by up to 11' and componentry such as brake actuators have all been raised above the 550mm mark.
A high yield aluminium skid plate protects the underside of the engine. It is available only in left-hand drive. The steering has two power-assisted circuits incorporating a second pump driven by the propshaft. Stronger chassis and axles give a design weight of 42 tonnes but with a penalty of almost two tonnes on the unladen weight.
If adopted in the UK for onroad applications this would negate most of the advantage of the higher 32-tonne limit due next year.
The left-hand-drive vehicles are easily recognised: to meet lighting regulations the headlights have been relocated in the one-piece steel bumper with the original recesses blanked out.
Paradoxically the FL(low) cab is now mounted as high as the F cab, but has a low first step which articulates to prevent damage. El Driving off-road in France we found that the high front axle beam was less likely to act as a plough blade, which is often the cause of vehicles getting stuck on site. Wide front tyres help flotation but inevitably if it is wet enough all road vehicles will sink to their axles despite having inter-axle and cross-axle difflocks.