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DODGE return to home p•sav. market
Page 64
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ANEW bus chassis which is to be offered to operators in this country marks the return of Dodge Brothers (Britain), Ltd., to the home p.s.v. market. Export passenger models have been built in appreciable numbers at the company's Kew works for some years, but not since 1939 has a model specifically intended for bus or coach work been offered as a standard product for the home market.
The new model, which is being displayed on the Dodge stand at the Commercial Motor Show, differs appreciably from other Dodge models, whether passenger or goods, however. Perhaps its most important feature is the fact that the front axle has been set back to permit the provision of a front entrance. Within an overall length of 30 ft. 9 in., a standard bus body built by MetropolitanCammell-Weymann, Ltd., provides 42 seats, The wheelbase is 15 ft. 10 in. and the turning circle swept out by the front corner of the bodywork is 65 ft.
Designed for Rural Routes
The aim has been to produce a practical bus particularly suited to one-man operation on rural routes, of rugged construction, yet appreciably cheaper than comparable underfloor-engined chassis. The Leyland 0.370 engine of the new model is mounted conventionally at the front, but its moderate external dimensions leave adequate room for ease of passenger entry. The vehicle is rated for a gross laden weight of 20,600 lb. (9.2 tons).
The 6.07-litre engine, of the PowerPlus series with cross-flow cylinder head, develops 110 b.h.p. (net) at 2,400 r.p.m. and produces a maximum torque of 272 lb.-ft. (net) at 1,600 r.p.m. The injection pump is of the in-line type with mechanical governor. A four-point engine mounting incorporates rubber-inshear units.
Drive is transmitted via a 14-in.-dia. clutch to a David Brown five-speed overdrive synchromesh gearbox, The ratios
are 5.62., 3.36, 1.83, 1.00 and 0.82 to 1 forward and 5.63 to 1 reverse. The propeller shaft is of the three-piece type with two rubber-mounted intermediate bearings.
The rear axle is a single-reduction spiral-bevel unit, with ratio of 6.16 to 1. Standard tyre equipment is 9.00-20 (12-ply) on all wheels, with twins at the rear.
An air-over-hydraulic system is used for the actuation of the brakes, which have a lining area of 614 sq. in. Power assistance is also provided for the cam and lever steering gear, made by Cam Gears, which has a ratio of 20 to I, Suspension is conventional with semielliptic springs for both axles. The dualrate rear springs are 3 in. wide and 60 in, long, the front ones measuring 3m, wide arid 56 in. long. A very substantial chassis frame incorporates side-members 10 in. deep, 0.3125 in. thick and with 3-in. wide flanges. Nine cross-members are employed.
The standard M.C.W. body for the Dodge bus chassis is of steel-framed construction and the 20 s.w.g. exterior panels, also of steel, are riveted its place. A jackknife folding entrance door is provided and this is controlled by the driver through electric operating gear. A separate.door on the off-side is provided for the driver, who is separated from the passenger compartment by a full-height partition. The emergency. door is also on the off-side, towards the rear.
The seats are built on lightweight tubular frames, have moulded rubber cushions and are trimmed in moquette and PVC. Two recirculatory heaters are provided in the passenger compartment as well as a heater and demister unit operating on both sides of the windscreen.
Goods Model Developments' In addition to the new passenger model, Dodge are also making some changes to their goods vehicle range for 1963. The Leyland 0.370 engine is replacing the 0.350 and 0.375 units, the power output figures being as given for the passenger chassis. The new high-rated version of the Perkins 6.354 is to be used in place of the current unit, increasing the output by 8 b.h.p. to 120 b.h.p. at the same governed speed of 2,800 r.p.m.
The Dodge tractive unit range is being extended upwards by the addition of a I4-ton model. This has the A.E.C. AV410 6.75-litre engine and is a development of the 9-ton load-carrying models. It has a gross train weight of 45,000 lb., or just over 20 tons, and an overdrive gearbox is available.
Of the existing tractive unit range only the 12-ton models remain in production. Versions with the Perkins 6.354 engine are available with either fifth-wheel or automatic coupling gear, and these have gross train weights of 40,500 lb., just over 18 tons. A fifth-wheel-coupling model with Leyland 0.370 engine is also offered.
Rigid six-wheelers are available with Perkins 6.354, Leyland 0.370 or A.E.C. AV410 engines. On the single-drive models with the two smaller engines there is now a choice of Eaton 16802 or 18802 Mk. II two-speed axles. With the AV410 engine the 18802 Mk. II axle is mandatory. A new 6 x 4 model with the AV410 unit was briefly described in The Commercial Wtor of August 3, and this is now available with overdrive gearbox.