Truck Shite

[simmo]

 

Super-Sized Beer Bowser

[gordonbennet]

If ever there was a lorry that needed triple wipers, the Bedford TK / KM was it.

4 series Scania too, 2 wipers leave a bloody great section unswept beside the drivers side A pillar, wonder if they've sorted that on the new one, my MAN helpfully* leaves the front down mirror viewing area unswept.

[CreepingJesus]

4th and 5th gen Scannys were bad for popping their washer hoses off too iirc. Once the already tight hose age hardened a bit, it would be washing the radiator grille. Easy fixed, but the point at which I realised the accountants had taken over: an extra 2" of better quality hose wouldn't break the budget would it?

[gordonbennet]

4th and 5th gen Scannys were bad for popping their washer hoses off too iirc. Once the already tight hose age hardened a bit, it would be washing the radiator grille. Easy fixed, but the point at which I realised the accountants had taken over: an extra 2" of better quality hose wouldn't break the budget would it?

Yep, had that, and didn't early 4 series heater cables seize up and pop off at the valve end, it was case of stopping lifting the bonnet and adjusting the valve by hand till you could get a new cable fitted, had several fitted on me car transporter cabs.

Spoiling a basically good ship for a few pence worth of what would still be cheap items makes no sense.

 

I'm due a new motor around Feb/March when my current 62 plate MAN goes back, i shall be sorry to see it go, better lorry than many say just wrong engine specced for perma 44 ton pulling, i've requested a Scania already because there's a danger otherwise it could a fuckin DAF with Arsetronic (dear Lord no), and i'm not sure i could stand seeing me last 4 years out before retiring with another shit gearbox, the request met with a positive response at the time but we'll see what actually happens when the time comes, hoping for the new model 5 series cos according to the Scanny techs they've fitted a brake to the layshaft now which will speed up gearchanges, again we'll see.

[bigstraight6]

I get a new unit tomorrow, well I say new but it's a 14 plate MAN that's direct from MAN having been refurbished and I can't say I'm looking forward to it as the last batch of these that arrived about a year ago are dreadful things.

 

The worst issue is the gearbox, hopeless when you need slow speed control like when reversing onto a loading bay where you gently apply the throttle and the thing suddenly lurches, makes it look like you can't drive. They also suffer from lack of traction in most situations. These are 62 plate machines so I'm hoping the 14 plate might be an improvement, on the plus side it's a 480 where the last batch are 440's.

 

I fear the worse and will be missing my Merc Actros before the week is over!

[gordonbennet]

You'll be fine with the 480, its the 440 egr with the waterworks problems.

 

I'd plump for another MAN if given the chance but apparently we're not having any more, had they specced correctly at the time with an engine big enough for our weight and 364 days a year day and night operation they would have been fine.

 

Agree with you about the gearbox, its shit to drive, i drive it manual all the time which helps my sanity a bit, and being a 6x2 soon as i need some traction i dump the mid lift air which makes life better and also depending on surface turn ASR off too, that makes the difference between getting into one particular blind side uphill gateway in reverse fully freighted, cos we've had Scania clutches destroyed there when drivers haven't dumped either the air or switched off TC, also turning those off helps when pulling out at junctions and on any tight turns, handily MAN's raise the mid lift completely even fully loaded after about 20 seconds, helps no end with maneuvers.

 

You mention the clutch judder when maneuvering, have yours done around 500k?, if so get someone to check the clutch release bearings, ours failed one after another around that time 450 to 550k leaving you with no drive whatseover, i asked the dealer to look at my clutch about 3 months before my release bearing failed, judder was excessive, obviously that inspection was clinical in its ignoring.

[Guest Hooli]

I dunno what company as I can't remember but I saw a R730 on the M18 last week, it had some massive custom chrome exhaust with right 6 or 8" pipes in a vee & a 2ft square V8 sign in the middle. Sounded bloody nice.

 

Oh & it was mostly blue.

[CreepingJesus]

My feelings about ArseTronic are well recorded, and not positive. I tend to use manual mode as much as possible, but some of the latest XFs with the eco mode, have no kickdown and manual mode reverts after 30 seconds of inactivity. No foot switch for the exhaust brake either, which always annoys me.

Dunno if your 480 MAN will be one of the old 13L types or one of the newer 10L with 500lbs of boost types. 14 plate's borderline I think. The old engine was goo d to use, the newer one's ok but lacks the serious grunt round 1000rpm. That super duper engine brake the newer ones have is a good tool though.

[CreepingJesus]

I dunno what company as I can't remember but I saw a R730 on the M18 last week, it had some massive custom chrome exhaust with right 6 or 8" pipes in a vee & a 2ft square V8 sign in the middle. Sounded bloody nice.

 

Oh & it was mostly blue.

People do like to spend a bit on those things. All the bits: alloys, pipes, paint, lightbars, markers...the list is huge.

There's a firm up in Perth - Bryce Transport - have a 58 plate R620, that to the best of my knowledge has no silencers worth the title. Just a length of matt black 4" pipe exiting before the centre axle each side. Noisy. Very noisy.

[Guest Hooli]

I dunno what company as I can't remember but I saw a R730 on the M18 last week, it had some massive custom chrome exhaust with right 6 or 8" pipes in a vee & a 2ft square V8 sign in the middle. Sounded bloody nice.

 

Oh & it was mostly blue.

 

 

It looked like this, but the '8' was also chrome & the truck was blue.

 

[CreepingJesus]

Holy fuck! Sure there must be something in C+U about exhausts not exiting at head height! Probably weighs a bit too.

[Guest Hooli]

No idea, but with a load on it sounded sweet as hell pulling up the M18 near J2 away from the A1 towards the M1.

[scruff]

Put the old XF up for sale today. Looking about I think it's priced OK for what it is, hopefully go to someone wanting to shift a steam engine or similar rather than an exporter. 

[CreepingJesus]

What's the asking price?

[scruff]

5500... does this bring back memories...

 

 

825850kms, MoT to November...

 

 

[mrcitroen]

This just sounds lovely.

 

[CreepingJesus]

That dashboard takes me back too, Scruff! Liked those, the rev counter's where I like it: more in my line of sight than the speedo.

 

I like this one: rare-ish V8 Renault plus Fuller that's giving no quarter to someone trying to work it like a synchro! He gets there though.

 

[gordonbennet]

That clip of the geezer driving the Foden is great, its been years since i've had the pleasure of a proper engine and gearbox, give me eye teeth to have summat like that to see me working days out.

 

The bloke driving the S21 Two Stroke Foden bottom right of that screen is very good, my first lorry gearbox that 12 speed with the unequal 3 range changer up on the right of what's loosely called the dash/steering column, that box bites back, go on get yersen a two stroke fix.

[CreepingJesus]

That would be 'Smaylefication', I think I've got him followed. Some of those vids are fantastic, and he gives that stroker Foden the heavy boot.

There's the series on coal shifting he's got too, that were taken from the cab of an E14 in 1988 iirc.

[worldofceri]

Anyone recognise this AWD 'advertising hoarding'? A virtual half pint of bitter shandy and a packet of Scampi Fries to the first to identify where I was today!

 

[Pillock]

I know

[twosmoke300]

So do I - on the a30 between Devon and cornwall .

Possibly okehampton area

[Slappy]

I think I do too.....

 

Edit.... yeah same as 2smoke

[worldofceri]

Of course it is. The actual prize is the rest of the photos I took of it...

 

 

 

 

[Pillock]

I cheated, I looked at the photo data to get the lat/long of where you were stood when you took it.

And then I was so ashamed with myself I went and sat in the corner.

[CreepingJesus]

There's something about organic meat/dead meat/returning to Mother Earth in there, but I'm too knacked to make the link.

Smashing spot tho', can't be many AWDs left.

[Vantman]

[Pillock]

Truxx Factor

 

 

Full Autoshite Livery

[Pillock]

And the ones who hadn't spent all morning drinking (it's a weekend-long show, don't panic - but most of the drivers were sloshing by lunchtime) got to squeeze their trucks under the gantry and go racing.

 

These chaps were running about 21-22 seconds - the same as a "warm hatch".

 

And then the big boys came out to play

 

The chap closest to the camera here got right into it, rolling burnouts and everything by the end of the day. This pair were running 18 seconds or so

 

This was a Formula 1 truck, so quicker - into the 16s (the same as something like a Civic Type R). Sadly something popped on the last run of the day.

[CreepingJesus]

Back in the early days of truck racing's rise across Europe, some of the manufacturers got a bit naughty with what constituted a 'road' truck that was available to buy from a dealer, as per the ethic of the thing at the time. Merc's factory entry was a 'fire engine' chassis: special lightweight frame rails, carbon fibre cab and twin turbo'd V8 poking out something like 900 horse in road trim...!