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All-round Imp .nts in Comn -cwt. Van

6th November 1953
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Page 40, 6th November 1953 — All-round Imp .nts in Comn -cwt. Van
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All-steel Body with Sliding Doors, Syncromesh Gearbox, Hydraulic Dampers at Front and Rear and Lengthened Wheelbase are Features of Latest Model

By Laurence J. Cotton, M.r.R.T.E.

MECHANICAL improvements in the chassis; and change to an all-steel body have made the Commer 25-cwt. forward-control van a modern-styled vehicle of high performance. Drivers of light vans are generally employed for other reasons than mechanical ability and the change to a syncromesh gearbox should make driving easier and possibly help to reduce maintenance.

Wide, flush-fitting, sliding doors coupled with front wheel-arches of

modest size, assist the driver in getting in and out, and the " slam " catches of the rear doors save time at every call in.a day's work.

Chromium-plated cylinder bores are valuable in a local delivery van, because frequent starts from cold promote wear caused by acid formation, and chromium is practically resistant to acid.

The four-cylindered side-valve engine develops 50 b.h.p. and 104 lb.ft. torque. Sparking plugs, distributor, carburetter and oil dip stick are reached through panels at the to and side of the engine cover, whic are secured by Dzuz fasteners. Th four-speed syncromesh gearbox new, and the only other majc mechanical change is to fit loni stroke, direct acting hydraul dampers at both axles. The ridir characteristics under all conditions ( load are excellent, one of the reasot being the increase of 3 in. in whee base.

The petrol tank has been reinow from below the scat to the side he chassis, and the battery has be placed under the cab floor, with large trap above, which again is fixt by Dzuz fasteners. Tyres of 7.5

6-in., eight-ply rating, are fitted 11 6.00G semi-drop-centre rims. The change to an all-metal cab nd body brings the Commer van in ne with the remainder of the range, ut the 25-cwt. chassis is available ith a front structure and side lights N. operators who require special odywork. The welded body isembly is .conventional, having tannel-section: underframe crossearers joined by gussets to the skirt ad sides. The upper and lower side ands are joined at waist level, and re braced on the inside by vertical eel channel supports, the lower mels being further protected by ingitudinal slats.

Two pressed-steel sections supported on lateral channel ,pressings with felt insulation form the roof. Floorboards are laid in top-hat-section,. prissings, and clamped by fulllength steel strips, which also serve as skid runners.

Flat-topped steel wheel-arches and a lined recess for the sliding doors Provide fiat surfaces for stacking parcels, and in capacity the all-steel body, is slightly larger than, the farmer structure. Other body features include full-length rear doors with offset hinges for a clear

opening, and clips on the body sides to hold the doors open.

During my spell of driving, I noted such points as the adjustable driving seat with comfortable latex filling, conveniently placed instruments and controls, and remotely mounted windscreen-wiper motor which is installed in a corner near -the cab roof where it does not impede vision.

The van has a registration weight c5

of I ton 161 cwt. in basic form without the optional. extras, such as a passenger seat, heater, rear bumper bar or partition between the cab and body. Its kerb weight is 1 ton 8 cwt., and bags of sand were added to bring the gross weight to 3+ tons,

including the crew.

As a start, the van was driven through Luton to assess its suitability for local work. Past acceleration and a good steering lock are two essentials, which are found in the Commer, and the fitting of traffic indicators as standard is another good point. Traffic indicators are an optional extra when the Commer is supplied as a chassis with front panels. The driving position is well placed for giving manual signals, whether the doors are open or closed.

Without following battery-electric practice of placing the driver ahead of.the front axle, it is difficult for the designer to produce a local-delivery van which combines stylish appearance with an accessible driving posi tiotrand allows the driver to see small Children immediately in front, or to extricate his van from a closely parked line of vehicles.

The driver can certainly get in and out easily and the styling is clean, but it would be difficult to see a small child at close quarters or the most projecting part of the near-side front corner, which is obscured from the driving seat. Only a severe squarestyled front and a more forward driving position, as in a battery-electric chassis, would provide the complete answer to side and front vision.

Carrying a full payload, the van . steered easily, and I liked the easychange gearbox. There is plenty of space between the gear lever an hand brake and surrounding 'parts t prevent barked knuckles, yet the con trots are not too far removed fror the steering wheel. The instrumer panel is put part-way down th steering-column tube to avoi obstructing forward vision, but th large dials are readily 'seen.

" My opinion' that fhe van was nc lacking in power or braking Was cor firmed in tests made in a less car gested area than Luton town. Wit over 60 sq. in. of brake friction fa< ing per ton gross weight when bade to maximum capacity, there.is amp] reserve for emergency applications, i which all wheels can be locked wifi out resorting to high pedal pressur.

Adjustment for wear or renew; of facings should rarely be necessar: Emergency braking brought. tt vehicle to rest in 171 ft. frot 20 m.p.h., and 44 ft. from 30 m.p.h corresponding to a retardation rai of 22-24 ft. per sec. per sec., or aboi 0.79. Tapley meter readings range

an between 92-100 per cent., quite isfactory results.

In acceleration, the van is on par :h the faster of its contemporaries, under 17 sec. were needed to Lch 30 m.p.h. from a standing start.

r the information of the lazier ver, the engine does not resent king up on full throttle from about m.p.h. in top gear, and will reach m.p.h. from that speed in 26.5 sec. [he consumption rate was good der all conditions, the fuel trials nprising straight running, one stop mile and four stops per mile with load, and local running with part.d. in straight running over an !rage give-and-take course, which s slightly more favourable in one ection than the other, the fuel urn was 21.5 m.p.g. on the sevenle outward trip and 18.6 m.p.g. en travelling back to the starting int. The average for the course s 20.05 m.p.g. at 28.3 m.p.h.

n the next test, 15-sec. stops were de at every mile, again over the mile course, and this work affected• fuel consumption rate by about per cent.; a return of 18.15 m.p.g. ii .the third trial with full load, en stopping at 440-yd. intervals, syncrptnesh gearbox was particu larly useful. Users may wonder why so many stops were made on test, but if should be realized that in retail delivery there are many halts at traffic lights and elsewhere, in addition to calls at houses. On this type of work and carrying a 25-cwt. pay load, the Commer afforded a fuel return of slightly under 121 m.p.g.

It is unlikely that the maximum load would always be carried, so I staged further tests of one and four stops per mile with payloads of 15 cwt. and 5 cwt. From the results, which are shown in an accompanying table, operators should be able to assess the probable fuel-consumption rate, assuming, for example, that the van was carrying full load on an outward journey and returning to base with 5 cwt. of empty boxes.

There is unfortunately no cubby hole or rack in the cab for books and papers which are generally carried by driver-salesmen. Another detail which might require consideration in models for export is the provision of sturdier windscreen-wiper arms and blades. Although heaters are to be fitted as standard in the Commer 25-cwt. vans supplied to Canada, and the lower door runners will he enclosed in snowshoes, die present windscreen-wiping equipment would not stand up to snow-clearing.

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