Ready for the roug
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by Bill Brock 111 Iveco Ford plans to bring its heavy off/on road EuroTrakker six and eight-wheel tipper chassis into the UK by September.
Their heavy specification is aimed at off-road, quarry and construction work where they can be loaded well above the 26 and 32-tonne GVW on-road limits. There is a three-axled model with a nine-tonne front axle, rated at 38 tonnes; and a fouraxled 40-tonner.
Other models from the EuroTrakker range, including three-axle tractive units and 6x6 and 4x4 rigids, are not expected to be offered in the UK.
A lighter on/off road eightwheeler—a replacement for the air-cooled Maggie—will emerge from the Eurotech range early in 1994 with front-axle disc brakes and similar power options: 9.5litre 257kW (345hp) and 13.6-litre 276kW (370hp).
A six-wheeler with rubber suspension has already been produced out of the Super Cargo range with lveco 5.9-litre and 7.7litre engines rated at 167kW (227hp) and 198kW (266hp).
Most operators would consider EuroTrakker to be too heavy for on-road application, but Iveco expects to sell about 30 units a year for specialist quarry work. CM was able to put a six-wheeler through its paces on such work.
No doubt the short Turbotech day cab will prove more popular than either the long or long/highroof versions.
With an air stack fitted tigh-:to the rear panel, it is mounted reasonably low on the chassis so that the articulated stirrup type step, set 350mm high, is easily reached without compromising the 25° approach angle.
Two more steps and a grab handle either side of the door ensure easy cab entry. The int LI. ior specification is higher than we would expect, with high-backed, hard-wearing, cloth upholstered seats. The driver's seat is air suspended which adds to the oomfort of the four-point cab suspension.
For anyone who doubts the necessity of a suspension seat, HSE statistics say that 3.6 million working days were lost in one year due to back injuries and those most at risk work in construction Fascia and door trim with
pockets are made from easyto-wipe S material and the foot wells are covered with sturdy rubber mats. The ventilation sysTem has a good fan and ample outlets, but for dusty el v iron
ments the optional air conditioning will help to keep the cab cool and clean. All the switches are clearly marked and the instruments are easy to read.
The steering column adjusts for height and rake but three steering column stalks is perhaps one too many. Steering angles have been improved to 52° to give a tighter turning circle.
Good feel Drum brakes all round have a good feel but in the lower gears the exhaust brake can handle most of the speed control, even on quite steep down gradients. The 16-speed ZF transmission fitted to the test vehicle made light work of all uphill climbs, but the unused top half of the box remained in reserve for onmad driving on this occasion. Eaton's Twin Split-ter gearboxes are offered as an option. P1-0 and differential locks are con
trolled from a console in t tre of the cab.
Euro-1 engines are buti and clean, providing high at low engine revs, ii through the adoption of a gate valve in the turboc Electronically activated mostats reduce initial when starting up from colt
Hub-reduction axles mE ground clearance at the r withstand the high loadir slightly shallower but thickness chassis memb■ made of 20% stronger mat Parabolic or semi-el springs, taken from Eurot( stiffened up for off-road match the type of appl Stabilizers—fitted as stan the front—limit roll even high centre of gravity.
Servicing intervals ha% doubled to 20,000Iun for ( use and increased from 3( 50,000 onroad.