robert1952:
Carryfast:
Firstly didn’t you yourself ask the question previously why wasn’t the 370 NTA offered in the NGC ?.The question remains why would NTC only be offered but not the NTA.Bearing in mind that the NTC range stopped at the lightly after cooled 350 with 370 - 400 being NTA because you won’t get more than 350 out of a small cam,nor probably big cam,■■■■■■■ without significant after cooling.While there is no information anywhere which suggests that even the 350 NTC let alone 370-400 NTA was ever offered as a factory fit for the NGC.Only seemingly the non after cooled 290 or 335 NTC ?.
Nor do I remember reading anything anywhere which said that ■■■■■■■ wouldn’t supply the NTA range for use here ?.
Yes we know that ERF listed the NGC with the combination of low final drive and direct top box which is the issue.However there is no confirmation anywhere that at least the RTO box was even an option for those who knew better than to gear a turbo ■■■■■■■ at max engine speed at 60 mph let alone 90 kmh.
As for the type approval issue.What was ERF-Continental referring to above in that case ?. Regarding what seems to be a case of customers having to fit the right Hendrickson kit for example after market.Because of what seems to be a case of type approval issues resulting in ERF supplying under spec kit as standard ?.
Unless I’ve got it wrong and what ERF-Continental was actually saying is that they were throwing out factory fit Hendrickson double drive bogies because type approval regs wouldn’t allow them and fitting something else after market ?.
Unlikely being that the NGC seems to have been offered as 4x2 only ?.Thereby limiting its options even more which might therefore explain the need for after market 6x4 customer conversion. One way or another type approval obviously having been raised in that example obviously not by me.
As for the question why was the F89 sold here but not the NGC.Going by references to F89’s being driven at reasonable UK type speeds,if not silly ones,it’s a reasonable bet that the reason was that the F89 could be found with the right gearing.As opposed to a turbo ■■■■■■■ being speed limited to around 55 mph by way of catastrophic under gearing with fuel consumption to match. Making it fine as a heavy haulage tractor although again hampered by the choices made by its manufacturer regarding it being 4x2 only.Thereby requiring the aforementioned double drive conversion ?.While also no good for running distance motorway work at around 32-38 t gross without some serious after market driveline changes.
I think the 6x4 / Hendrickson issue is a red herring. You’re right in think that only 4x2 NGCs came off the production line. There was no need to make 6x4 NGCs because that market was already well covered by ERF’s 5MW-cabbed 6x4. As for NGCs with 350s: ERF was already experimenting with the big-cam 290 in NGCs, but by the time that engine was on stream the NGC production was being wound up to make way for LHD B-series ERFs with big-cam 350s and 6x4. ERF was developing this stuff but clearly didn’t want to waste further funding on a model they were about to ditch. Robert