FL EE T TRE AT F or as long as we can remember Daf
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has used numbers, not names, to identify itsits . models. Following its takeover of Leyland, the replacement for the Roadtrain tractor in December 1990 wasn't called New Roadtrain but F7'80.300/330, dependent upon the engine's output. The two ratings for its 11.6-litre unit put it within the most popular power bracket at the time; our test vehicle was the more powerful version. The engine benefited from all of the revisions to the injection system, combustion chamber, turbocharger and charge-cooler made for the 95 Series the previous year, and matched the pulling power of many of its contemporaries, but it couldn't equal the Perkins Eagle Tx-powered ERF E12's 14% torque advantage. At 33012p the 11.6-litre Daf engine only mustered 9961bft at 1,300rpm. It would pull at lower revs but appeared to run easier and more efficiently at about 1,400rpm (equal to 50mph in top gear). Maximum geared speed was about 74mph. While a 3.22m wheelbase was standard, a 4.0m option was more practical at maximum load with a 13.6m trailer On the road our FT80.300 tared in at 6.62 tonnes with a full tank; just a smidgen lighter than the FL10 320. Overall it returned 744mpg which was not quite up to the Scania P113 320 or ERF E12.32 tested the previous year—but was at least on a par with the Mercedes-Benz 1733 and Volvo FL10 320. The anti-lock brakes were up to current standards. Interior noise levels were acceptable with clear instrumentation.
A11-round vision was good but the offside rearview mirror could have been bigger We found the power steering sticky about the straight-ahead
position; the softer parabolic springs left something to be desired and handling was not as good as that of some of its more modern rivals, although the cab's suspension effectively limited rode and roll. Creature comforts were few and the lack of space inside the cab was a major stumbling block but the bunk was adequate for the occasional night out.
in competition with Daf's own 11.6-litre ATi engine as used in
40 uk irat the 95 Series. It did r VP not seem logical for
this state of affairs to continue for long, and by the end of 1990 the Roadtrain models were phased out. With the 85 Series still at the design stage the merging of Daf and Leyland was reflected in the blending of the 80 Series: face-lifted day and sleeper cabbed chassis were ostensibly Roadtrain in origin while much of the driveline came from the Dutch camp.
Two versions of Daf's six-cylinder WS 11.6litre engine with its crossflow head (paradoxically originally developed from the Leyland 500 unit) were offered at 302 and 329hp in models designated the FT80.300 and .330. Out went the Spicer 10-speed box, to be replaced by an equally difficult, to the uninitiated, 12speed Eaton TwinSplitter box or an easier-touse 16-speed ZF synchromesh transmission.
Parabolic springs and Category 1 ABS braking were included to update ride and safety, while the whining hub reduction axle gave way to a quieter and more reliable Daf 13tonne drive axle. The light cab offered only the basics but a night heater was made standard from April 1992
The development of the 85 Series, which was ultimately the cause of so much of Daf's later financial problems, owed much to previous design and development work carried out at both Leyland and Eindhoven. In May 1993, after a production run of less than three years, the 80 Series was replaced by the 85 Series which, with longer wheelbase options, a roomier cab and air suspension has since become a popular choice for many of the larger UK fleets.
• OPERATORS
Ken Mabbett started with the Post Office 32 years ago; today he is head of distribution for Parcel Force, From the company's HQ in Milton Keynes he oversees the operation of some 8,000 cars, vans and trucks. The fleet includes about 600 tractive units of which 80% are Leyland Dafs including a large number of 80 Series. Other marques include ERF, Iveco, Scania, Seddon Atkinson and Mercedes-Benz. After running 80 Series for the past four years he is in the process of replacing them with the 85 Series.
"They operate between our 18 major depots overnight and, during the day," says Mabbett. "The same vehicles, used on two to three shifts, work locally, averaging about 85,000 miles a year. We dispose of them after about 360,000 miles. In their early life they were used on the longer runs, covering 100,000 miles plus in each of the first two years, before being put to work closer to home. I think its true of all vehicles that they become less reliable the older they get.
"Our purchasing decisions are made on whole-life costs," he adds, "and we liked the Leyland Daf package. The front-end price was attractive, we have a very good parts arrangement with Leyland Daf and the 80 Series has been good on fuel. Although we maintain inhouse through workshops at 16 of our main centres we expect the dealers to stock the parts we need, so good back-up is essential.
"They're downplated to 28 tonnes and the big 11.6-litre engine does not have to work hard," he says. "Being rated at 300hp and specified with a sleeper cab makes them easier to sell on to smaller operators. The driveline with Eaton TwinSplitter box and Daf drive axle is tried and tested, there have been no major problems and any faults have been niggling ones, such as headlight bulbs which kept breaking (we never did get to the bottom of that). We don't necessarily run at the full 28 tonnes but often carry return loads. At 10.0mpg fuel consumption is a strong point "Our policy is to sell through nominated dealers and the 80 Series has given us the return that we expected but just recently prices generally have become more depressed," Mabbett concludes. "The 80 Series is a step up from the Roadtrain, so drivers and maintenance staff like them, and they became popular as a good workhorse with low operating costs."
Armitage Shanks has been making sanitary wear since 1817. Its main manufacturing plant is still at Armitage, Staffs, but it has eight other factories around the country. David Wilcox has been distribution manager for the past four years and controls the company's centralised transport fleet of 20 Leyland Daf and ERF tractive units, 15 17-tonne rigids and 70 trailers. Most of the artics run at a downplated 28 tonnes, giving a 14-tonne payload, while a few longer-wheelbased units with 13.6m semis run at 31 tonnes.
Wilcox explains: "We cube out before we weigh out. A wash basin or toilet bowl may seem heavy but they have a lot of air inside and when palletised take up a lot of space. We run two 80 Series; the company had been a long-term user of Roadtrains before I arrived and the first 80.330 came as a demonstrator in 1991 with a 3.2m wheelbase. We ran it for six months and then bought it. That was followed by a 3.8m long-wheelbase version in March 1992. The Eaton TwinSplitter box was used on earlier Roadtrains and we didn't see a need for a 16-speed box here, so specified it again.
"Early in 1992 we had a gearbox lock up," he recalls. "There was a problem with snap rings on the main shaft which could have destroyed the box. The local dealer did the work free of charge and gave us enough thicker snap rings for the rest of the fleet, which we then fitted in house. We've had no other problems—it's a good gearbox and stands up to the work well" The trucks' annual mileage is not generally high and Wilcox operates a planned replacement cycle of eight years. "The oldest 80.330 covers 90,000km a year and returns 9.9mpg," he says. "The later one doesn't appear to do quite so well at 9.75mpg, but it is used on night trunking with a maximum length trailer and covers 1,000km a day. It's well on top of the job, which for a five-year-old truck says something for the maintenance—we have an excellent group of fitters in our workshop. The tucks are refurbished after four years and the older ones are well sought after locally by those who know them."
"Parts prices seem to have risen since Leyland became associated with Daf," he adds. "ERFs are better and Foden prices are good, so perhaps Leyland Daf might become a bit keener now that Paccar is involved. Earlier this year we fitted a modified clutch on both 80 Series to give a lighter action and smoother engagement running at light weight the brakes are prone to grabbing so we use a slightly less efficient grade of lining to take the edge off them. We've been experimenting with different types of oil as well. Using a higher grade oil costing 54p a litre instead of 40p a litre has extended our drain periods from 25,0001un to 35,000km, but we keep a check on what's happening with oil sampling A fully synthetic oil used in the engine, gearbox and back axle, costing eight times more, did not live up to the claims for improved fuel consumption though.
"We had to replace a couple of transducers sensing oil pressure but otherwise the maintenance history for both vehicles is remarkably boring," he adds. "Don't tar the 80 Series with the same brush as the Roadtrain; overall running costs are reasonably low. We're happy with the 11.6-litre engine and the Eaton transmission which we have continued to specify in our latest 85 Series tractive unit."
As a parcel carrier Lynx carries a lot of air so it plates its tractor fleet at 28 tonnes and generally grosses at about 24 tonnes. "We bought 80 Series just over five years ago when the UK manufacturing costs were a bit lower than on the Continent," says company engineer David Mitchell, who is responsible for more than 1,000 vehicles ranging from vans to artics. The fleet includes 700 trailers and 180 tractive units, 50 of which are Leyland Daf 80 Series units equipped with Eaton's 12-speed constantmesh Twin-Splitter transmission. "I expect that the drivers might prefer something a little more exotic but Leyland Daf was offering the large fleets some very attractive discounts at that time," recalls Mitchell, "Though they were cheaper than the equivalent Volvo or Scania the low power version we specify is not what is generally wanted by the secondhand market to run at 38 tonnes. At the weight we run them at they're not worked hard and we don't expect them to give a lot of trouble. We plan to change them after four years as they cover about 120,000 miles a yPAr, but due to a ban on capital expenditure within the company we have now run them for more than five years.
"The fuel consumption is still good at about 8.8mpg," he says, "but at 500,000 miles-plus you have to expect a percentage of major component failures and that has increased our maintenance costs dramatically".
• DEALERS
Chris Hodge, the independent dealer based at Blackwell Lane, Greenwich, London, carries a large stock of up to 500 trucks of 7.5 tonnes and above. So it not surprising that he usually has a selection of 80 Series to choose from.
"Generally it was the larger fleets that pur chased them originally," he says. "Most of them have been well looked after and are still pretty fresh. A lot are plated at 28 tonnes, so they really haven't had a hard life, but it no trouble for us to replate and put them back to 38 tonnes. They tend to be 4x2 chassis but we can convert them to 6x2s and because of the small cab they make good drawbar outfits. They're mainly sought after by the smaller fleet and own-account operations. Some that I supplied last year are running 24 hours a day on three shifts at 38 tonnes with one customer.
"They're simple and robust," says Hodge. "The driveline is a known quantity and if looked after is probably good for a million kilometres. The cab is fairly basic but it's strong—it's better than the Roadtrain. After 1988 they were galvanised so they are not prone to the same rust problems and they look OK with an air kit. They're good value; the higher hp is preferred but you should get a '91 H-reg for about £9,500 and expect to pay £12,500 for a K-reg with about 380,000km on the clock."
Peter Blake, sales manager for franchised LD dealer Harris Commercials at West Thurrock, Essex, keeps a stock of about 20 used Leyland Daf vehicles and as part of the LL) Used Truck Scheme he can always get hold of particular models for customers.
''There are some 80 Series about; they aren't difficult to come by," he says. "The 330 with the TwinSplitter transmission is the one to go for. The later ones tend to have a longer wheel base of 3.5 or 3.8m. They are underrated by the trade, mainly because of the size of the cab, but they have a very good drivcline. We don't sell them for long-distance work; it's mostly local distribution work that they are used for. Operators want more room in the cab for long haul.
"Top book price for a J-reg 330 sleeper with 650.000km is given as £14,250," says Blake, "but we would have difficulty getting that much. You'd pay about £2,000 Ia.'s for the equivalent 300 model.
The 80 Series would be first choice for few long haul operations because of the cab's small dimensions and basic spec. However its light weight and strong driveline, do make it suitable for more localised distribution work. Many, originally owned by the large fleets, are downplated to 28 tonnes and so have not been worked hard and in the main have been well maintained before entering the used truck sector. Unless modified the clutch and brakes are inclined to grab.
There were few complaints about the truck's overall reliability but, as one operator put it, you must expect to spend out on some of the major components after 500,000 miles.
With hindsight Leyland Dot admits to being pleasantly surprised by the 80 Series' success during its brief career. But judging by what operators think of it, the 80 Series was clearly more than a mere stop-gap.
1— by Bill Brock