Had the twin splitter in a 360 MAN about twenty years ago …I loved it !
Only used the clutch to pull away and stop .
It worked well in the MANs and if im being honest that was probably one of the best trucks I had .
Someone mention above about the noise issues with them and Im certain that is one of the main reasons they were discontinued .
Best gearbox iv’e driven, can’t be doing with autos but do like the actros eps with 3 pedals
Happy New Year Ade
They deffo sorted the men out from the boys 
, I, as some have said, preferred the 13speed Fuller, I got to the stage where I never used the clutch after setting off 
, the Spicer needed to get the revs spot on otherwise it crunched 
, but the worst I thought, although I did eventually 
get it, was the David Brown crash box. In those days actual skills were needed to drive a truck, where as today a monkey can drive one …in fact when you see some " driving" displays today I reckon SOME DO!!
cruisin comet:
Best setup in a truck with a twin splitter was the Ford Cargo 2838 but as has been said, the Fuller Roadranger 9 speed was one of the best boxes, fitted into a Leyland Bison I had.
No other box had that “sweetness” when you got it right.Like driving a racing car but as with all things worth doing it took time and practise. And coupled into a 290 big cam ■■■■■■■ I used to leave those F12 boys for dead.Will never forget the sound of that range button air shift.Music to my ears.
Jesus im going all soft and weepy eyed forgive me gentelmen .sob
How many of you buggers on here remember when it was legal for a gearbox shift to exhaust in to the cab? Please say a lot or I am going to feel older than I do already.
Happy bloody new year.
The first time I drove a truck with an Eaton Twin splitter was in 1992, in a new ERF EC10. The first couple of days were as nightmare as like many others no one showed me how to use it, I dont think anyone knew anyway. Once i got used to it though I loved it. We still have a truck in Gibraltar with a twin splitter in and ocasionally I get a chance to drive it - i still love them.
when i worked at panic link i got to go with lots of different drivers as a drivers m8. Some drivers were ace, others not so. Ive never driven a truck with the twin split on the road, had loads of goes round the depot, which was fun. Hell of a gear box. Barry Gilson was the best at it by far!!! 
Bking:
Do you mean the twin splitter? Never really got on with those too “faffy” but the 9 or 13 speed Eaton fuller gearbox with the square box change was a joy to drive.Could outshift any crap syncroed unit once you got the feel of it.Another good box was the Spicer with overdrive but they tended to chip teeth if you were a bit rough with them…Use to love repairing them nearly as much as driving them.Real truck gearboxes even the old crouts used to fit them in MANs rather than the usual ZF rubbish.
Main reason they died out was that there is no way you can link them into an electronic or semi automatic shift system.Like a motorbike you have to match engine speed with road speed and no super dooper ECU can beat a human being at that.Even the split had to be timed right never mind the range.But you could beat any syncro box truck off the line because you actualy shifted the gears not the syncro hubs.Memories!
Remember I once rebuilt a Spicer and got the counter shaft timing wrong.Started the old sedack up all was fine went to get a brew while it was ticking over on the pit,came back and a very strange noise but just was not quick enough to turn the motor off before the gearbox exploded. [zb] Awesum like putting a grenade in a biscuit tin.All that was left was a bit fastened to the prop and the front of the box and bell housing.OH [zb]
If I may be allowed to jog the memory a bit- Eaton DID actually bring out a semi-automatic box using the twin splitter as a base. They had a working mock-up at a Commercial Motor Show in the 1980s and both my workmate and I had a go on it. As long-time users of the Roadranger series, we found the semi-auto box a brilliant piece of kit to use, although I believe it never got into production due to cost and weight. Eaton also had a mock-up of a semi-auto version of the Roadranger 9-speed, but I assume that went the same way, for the same reasons.
To return to the original question, I thought the twin splitter (or more correctly, the twin countershaft) gearbox was, and still is, the best thing since sliced bread. But then, I was brought up on “decent” gearboxes without namby-pamby things like synchromesh or electronics.
Marty B7:
Had the twin splitter in a 360 MAN about twenty years ago …I loved it !
Only used the clutch to pull away and stop .
It worked well in the MANs and if im being honest that was probably one of the best trucks I had .Someone mention above about the noise issues with them and Im certain that is one of the main reasons they were discontinued .
yes i agree 100%. i also had a e reg 362 and the only way that combination could have been improved in my opinion is with the roadhaus cab. oh happy days.
Not a twin split, but eaton 13 spd in a 48 iveco, fantastic box, and solo, would pi$$ over anything from a standstill, only did this if there was a hurry up car around,porsche,bmw etc… I did prefer it to the twin split.
Retired Old ■■■■:
Bking:
Do you mean the twin splitter? Never really got on with those too “faffy” but the 9 or 13 speed Eaton fuller gearbox with the square box change was a joy to drive.Could outshift any crap syncroed unit once you got the feel of it.Another good box was the Spicer with overdrive but they tended to chip teeth if you were a bit rough with them…Use to love repairing them nearly as much as driving them.Real truck gearboxes even the old crouts used to fit them in MANs rather than the usual ZF rubbish.
Main reason they died out was that there is no way you can link them into an electronic or semi automatic shift system.Like a motorbike you have to match engine speed with road speed and no super dooper ECU can beat a human being at that.Even the split had to be timed right never mind the range.But you could beat any syncro box truck off the line because you actualy shifted the gears not the syncro hubs.Memories!
Remember I once rebuilt a Spicer and got the counter shaft timing wrong.Started the old sedack up all was fine went to get a brew while it was ticking over on the pit,came back and a very strange noise but just was not quick enough to turn the motor off before the gearbox exploded. [zb] Awesum like putting a grenade in a biscuit tin.All that was left was a bit fastened to the prop and the front of the box and bell housing.OH [zb]If I may be allowed to jog the memory a bit- Eaton DID actually bring out a semi-automatic box using the twin splitter as a base. They had a working mock-up at a Commercial Motor Show in the 1980s and both my workmate and I had a go on it. As long-time users of the Roadranger series, we found the semi-auto box a brilliant piece of kit to use, although I believe it never got into production due to cost and weight. Eaton also had a mock-up of a semi-auto version of the Roadranger 9-speed, but I assume that went the same way, for the same reasons.
To return to the original question, I thought the twin splitter (or more correctly, the twin countershaft) gearbox was, and still is, the best thing since sliced bread. But then, I was brought up on “decent” gearboxes without namby-pamby things like synchromesh or electronics.
ALL Eaton heavy transmissions are twin counter shaft,single input dual output.Only real difference between the twin split and the fuller was 2 torque springs and a logic box.The twin split was really the begining of the end for the crash box.It sowed the seeds of its own destruction.
Nice box once you got used to it… I learned to drive in a C-series ERF with a Spicer that was nearly the same age as me!! A Foden 4380 with a twin splitter was the first tractor unit I ever drove… Now that’s what you call driver training…
Best gearbox ever made, first of the semi autos for those of us that could drive them, I sold an ERF to a guy here and had to spend 2 days trying to teach him how to change gear 
When I started on the agency in the 90s all of Blake’s fleet were EC10s and 11s with twin splitters. I was lucky that someone had showed me how to get the best from them and took pleasure in getting it right.
As many have said, fantastic box with very slick and very quick changes once you found the “sweet spot”. Box was that good that once I set off on a Monday in my old Stratos and the clutch went, I never bothered going into an outside garage to get it fixed, I just stayed out as normal all week and got it repaired by our fitters when I returned on Saturday!
Bking:
Retired Old ■■■■:
Bking:
Do you mean the twin splitter? Never really got on with those too “faffy” but the 9 or 13 speed Eaton fuller gearbox with the square box change was a joy to drive.Could outshift any crap syncroed unit once you got the feel of it.Another good box was the Spicer with overdrive but they tended to chip teeth if you were a bit rough with them…Use to love repairing them nearly as much as driving them.Real truck gearboxes even the old crouts used to fit them in MANs rather than the usual ZF rubbish.
Main reason they died out was that there is no way you can link them into an electronic or semi automatic shift system.Like a motorbike you have to match engine speed with road speed and no super dooper ECU can beat a human being at that.Even the split had to be timed right never mind the range.But you could beat any syncro box truck off the line because you actualy shifted the gears not the syncro hubs.Memories!
Remember I once rebuilt a Spicer and got the counter shaft timing wrong.Started the old sedack up all was fine went to get a brew while it was ticking over on the pit,came back and a very strange noise but just was not quick enough to turn the motor off before the gearbox exploded. [zb] Awesum like putting a grenade in a biscuit tin.All that was left was a bit fastened to the prop and the front of the box and bell housing.OH [zb]If I may be allowed to jog the memory a bit- Eaton DID actually bring out a semi-automatic box using the twin splitter as a base. They had a working mock-up at a Commercial Motor Show in the 1980s and both my workmate and I had a go on it. As long-time users of the Roadranger series, we found the semi-auto box a brilliant piece of kit to use, although I believe it never got into production due to cost and weight. Eaton also had a mock-up of a semi-auto version of the Roadranger 9-speed, but I assume that went the same way, for the same reasons.
To return to the original question, I thought the twin splitter (or more correctly, the twin countershaft) gearbox was, and still is, the best thing since sliced bread. But then, I was brought up on “decent” gearboxes without namby-pamby things like synchromesh or electronics.ALL Eaton heavy transmissions are twin counter shaft,single input dual output.Only real difference between the twin split and the fuller was 2 torque springs and a logic box.The twin split was really the begining of the end for the crash box.It sowed the seeds of its own destruction.
There was a automated version of it offered called SAMT someone here had a thread going on here about it I think they done an article about the early automated boxes for a magazine. Newmercman had an Iveco fitted with it. Was quite troublesome so was retrofitted with a standard twin splitter
My first long term truck was a Seddon Atkinson Strato (with the DAF cab) 325. Its reg was K602 VNA and had a twin split Eaton gearbox. It took me a day to get used to it but at the time it was ok. The best thing of all was that on a rare occasion somebody else would have to drive it they wouldn’t be able to ! The Eaton twin split has to be one of the best anti theft devices on any vehicle ever !
I think Alan Firmin had one of the 1st SAMT ERF’s, it was in one of the magazines in the early 90’s
Loved it in the ERF but not to good in the Foden
Had a few fodens at Hardstaffs in the 90,s with the twin splitter box. Loved it but it would tell you very quickly if you got it wrong 
If i,m honest, best box i ever used until i shift i got now
damoq:
With regards to an earlier post about noise, I found ERFs with the twin splitter used to have a loud whining noise from the gearbox, compared to the ones with syncro boxes in them. So maybe it was a noise issue that helped kill the twin splitter off.
I had one in my ERF EC14 L925 RDT that I totalled in 2000.
The noise that I got told about, was because a lot of people used to thump them in from a standing start, and you would see the chassis move. If you pressed the clutch all the way to the floor, they had a clutch brake which eliminated it and the whirring noise you mention, and the gear selection while standing was about as smooth as a modern day box.
What I do find noisy though, are modern Scania auto boxes. They seem to make a loud CLACK, when changing up or down. How anyone could say that the twin split was noisy, is beyond me when these make the sound that they do.
Would I have another twin split if given the choice in a modern truck?
Absolutely. But as I’m getting older, I’m also getting lazier, and do like auto boxes.
Ken.