So our bin wagons (and presumably most) are all fitted with a six speed autobox, which seems to give lovely smooth changes even when fully loaded.
Got me thinking though do any big rigs have them fitted at all or is it even considered an option with any brand??
Mid '80’s there was an option with Volvo for an Allison gearbox.
I was withdrawn by the end of the '80’s though.
Volvo called it Powertronic. Lovely bit of kit. In a 8 wheeler with a 320 I think. Went like stick, pulled really well up hills cos no gear change as such. Downside was diesel tank was NEVER big enough, it drank the stuff 
djt1881:
So our bin wagons (and presumably most) are all fitted with a six speed autobox, which seems to give lovely smooth changes even when fully loaded.Got me thinking though do any big rigs have them fitted at all or is it even considered an option with any brand??
Birmingham city council had a large batch of E reg Foden 8 wheeler Ro Ro’s with them fitted .
There used to be plenty of 'em out here in the 80’s and 90’s. The Golden Circle cannery had some in 8 wheeled Westerns, or was it Leaders. Anyway, they were a good box and quick off the mark too.
Many moons ago, I remember an old Atkinson Borderer tractor unit with an Allinson box mated to a Gardner 180; two pedals with 5 or 6 speed box and two speed axle. Gear chosen by driver via stubby air selecter by steering wheel. Pretty sure buses and some fire engines had similar set up. That would have been made 1970-ish.
Smooth but thirsty.
Have seen them on AWD type tractor units that go on landfill sites in the not too distant past.
peterm:
There used to be plenty of 'em out here in the 80’s and 90’s. The Golden Circle cannery had some in 8 wheeled Westerns, or was it Leaders. Anyway, they were a good box and quick off the mark too.
They were Leader A308s, Cat 3208 powered with an Allison auto box.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leader_Trucks
Franglais:
Many moons ago, I remember an old Atkinson Borderer tractor unit with an Allinson box mated to a Gardner 180; two pedals with 5 or 6 speed box and two speed axle. Gear chosen by driver via stubby air selecter by steering wheel. Pretty sure buses and some fire engines had similar set up. That would have been made 1970-ish.
Smooth but thirsty.
That sounds more like SCG (Self Changing Gears (Coventry)), than Allison.
It’s a torque converter setup, smooth yes but very inefficient fuel wise and can take ages to build momentum on heavier vehicles. Generally used on vehicles that don’t do big distances like bin wagons and double deckers (have you seen how slow they are) but are also used in wheeled diggers, tele handlers and some farm machinery too.
Star down under.:
Franglais:
Many moons ago, I remember an old Atkinson Borderer tractor unit with an Allinson box mated to a Gardner 180; two pedals with 5 or 6 speed box and two speed axle. Gear chosen by driver via stubby air selecter by steering wheel. Pretty sure buses and some fire engines had similar set up. That would have been made 1970-ish.
Smooth but thirsty.That sounds more like SCG (Self Changing Gears (Coventry)), than Allison.
I could well be mistaken. I remember being told it was an Allison, but couldn’t say for sure it was.
when i was as at salvesen in northampton we had a new DAF 55 18tonner fitted with an allison (hv02uuz i think), DAF weren’t that interested as i recall , especially not on rigids,and it was a very expensive fit , we were doing a test programme of automation on all the vehicles . anyway we got it and for urban work it was really good , albeit at the cost of a bit of extra fuel , i put it mostly on coventry and leicester, but what a motor, wasn’t anything could touch it for acceleration when you floored it, kick down was tremendous.
shame one of our night men demolished it up the rear end of 44 tonner on the hard shoulder of the motorway, still thats another story. i do have an allison transmissions jacket though.
tony
Got one in my firms FL6, torque converter auto like in a car. Fuel consumption in single figures if you lump it around in town, pretty shocking really for a 14 tonner.
I have a 5 speed Allison in my 1989 fire truck. Very quick off the line but very quick to empty the fuel tank although very easy to drive. It’s not a tractor unit but does have 11 litre engine and is more powerful than a lot of units I have driven.
Star down under.:
peterm:
There used to be plenty of 'em out here in the 80’s and 90’s. The Golden Circle cannery had some in 8 wheeled Westerns, or was it Leaders. Anyway, they were a good box and quick off the mark too.They were Leader A308s, Cat 3208 powered with an Allison auto box.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leader_Trucks
Thanks. I knew it was one or the other.
Think outside of specialist vehicles autos in tractor units is a US thing.
While the eastern end of the M62 was being built I drove a dump truck called a Haulamatic. It had an Allison auto box driven by a Perkins engine. It was mainly used by the site fitters to carry gas bottles and batteries for the plant. I used it to go and get the sandwiches or fish and chips.
Ex Pickfords Atkinson with an Allison box Back from the auction? | This ex Pickfords Atkinson Viewline… | Flickr
Star down under.:
Franglais:
Many moons ago, I remember an old Atkinson Borderer tractor unit with an Allinson box mated to a Gardner 180; two pedals with 5 or 6 speed box and two speed axle. Gear chosen by driver via stubby air selecter by steering wheel. Pretty sure buses and some fire engines had similar set up. That would have been made 1970-ish.
Smooth but thirsty.That sounds more like SCG (Self Changing Gears (Coventry)), than Allison.
Allison did a semi auto ( manual shift only ) option for its boxes we had them on our fire trucks and the Scammell Commander at least used a similar set up on its Allison box.Just like you could fit a manual shift valve kit on any of the usual car types like GM400 or MOPAR Torqueflite.
As in all cases the torque converter throws away loads of power giving the usual engine screaming its nuts off and vehicle going nowhere characteristic with fuel consumption to match.Also in our case at least with the V16 Detroit the shift quality was awful from memory something to do with caught between torque capacity specs meaning the box that had to be used was over capacity in its torque input rating meaning that instead of slurring its shifts in the usual way each one was a bit like a bomb going off.
whisperingsmith:
Ex Pickfords Atkinson with an Allison box Back from the auction? | This ex Pickfords Atkinson Viewline… | Flickr
That was fitted with a Self Changing Gears gearbox behind a 220 Cunmins, one of a batch of 9