RCIADTEST
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FODEN 4350
Perkins to offer a high-pressure, slidinggate exhaust brake for the first time and it works very well, whether check braking at motorway speeds or controlling overrun on steep downgrades.
• SUSPENSION
Environmentally friendly suspension has two meanings when applied to a tipper: it has to be road friendly and, where the road is less than friendly to the vehicle, it needs to minimise the rattles and clanking generated by empty bodywork and tipping gear.
One of the benefits of being a relatively small company within a much larger group is that Foden gets to share in technical developments made elsewhere in the organisation.
Air-Trac suspension, which is fitted to the 4350's rear bogie, is a product of Paccar's North American Peterbilt division. It's fourbag design, incorporating a trailing arm, ensures a constant frame height whether running loaded or empty.
A single valve controls the air pressure, ranging between 0.3Bar (5psi) and 4.5Bar (65psi); in the event of a failure an internal support prevents the bag from collapsing.
Anti-roll bars are not fitted to the front parabolic steel springs or the rear air suspension, but the ride is very stable with little side roll.
The 4000 Series cab takes a while to pump up but tilts more than most to give excellent access to the Tx Eagle engine.
On our test vehicle the pump is situated on the offside, but Foden says it can be fitted wherever the operator wants it. We think it would be safer on the nearside, but in any case most day-to-day servicing requirements are satisfied by lifting the front grille to uncover items such as the clutch fluid reservoir, starter pilot, radiator, air filter indicator and oil filler/dipstick.
One of the advantages of a modern engine is extended service intervals. The efficiency of the Eagle Tx's centrifuge oil filter has allowed oil change intervals to be doubled to 40,000km. Another nice touch is that the engine is designed to be leak free: self-corn