Hi all,
Im looking at a 2006 Volvo FM 400 8x2 tag axle to replace an old Scania 93 6x4 bulk blower. The 6x4 is used to serve a lot of very tight farms, can anyone tell me if the 8x2 tag comes anywhere close for manouvrability? I’ve been told you can temporarily lift the rear axle when laden to allow for shunting in tight spots…is this correct?
Also the i-shift system… thumbs up or down? 
Could you not spec rear steer?
i-shift is almost as good as a manual box.
can’t speak for volvos, but in mans there are two lift axel switches, one to lift the axel when unladen and the other dumps the air in the lift axel suspension. it doesn’t lift the axel, but shifts the weight off it onto the drive axel, aiding maneuverability and traction. all the 8w trucks I’ve driven have been 8x4, and maneuverability on them suffers by comparison to the 6x4s a lot
Saaamon:
Could you not spec rear steer?i-shift is almost as good as a manual box.
Its a 2nd hand lorry Im looking at, and 8x2 tag is the best Ive found so far
The most important thing to remember is that no matter what you can do with an 8x2 with the tag raised, once it is lowered it has got the manoeuvrability as an 8x4.
I have only found a couple of places where I can’t get my 8x2 in where I used to be able to access with a loaded 6x2.
The thing to remember is that if you get in somewhere tricky when you are empty there is chance that you won’t get out again once you are laden with the tag axle lowered. If I’m doubtful about access I’ll drop the tag axle first and struggle on the way in, if it goes on it’ll come back out again.
I’m fairly sure that if the drive axle would be overloaded by raising the tag it won’t allow you to lift it, my Scania won’t allow it even sometimes when the dash weigher suggests that it would still be OK.
8 legger:
Is it this one that you’re looking at?
I like the way the rear window is a selling point, really handy with a bloody great box behind you.
With the tag up you’ve effectively got a Chinese Six; yes they are very manoeuverable but you won’t get the tag up till you’ve emptied at least the back box if they’re anything like the ones we use. There weren’t many farms you couldn’t send them to, but care had to be taken to load it in the right order if you did have a dodgy one. We don’t have any at Carmarthen now, all ours are 8x4 or artic excluding one old FM7 6-wheeler. Preston mill are currently trialling these new “Tridems” which look interesting.
With the axle up they’ll turn inside one of our 6x4’s.
8-wheels, if he’s doing similar work to me then he’ll be going into tight farms loaded, coming out with less on. The compartments are usually 4 ton at the front, then something like 4,4,8 (max payload’s usually between 18 and 19 tonnes) and what you normally do if you’ve got multiple drops is do the first one, then knock number 3 door open, tip up so the load spreads to the back box, then repeat at next drop etc.
I-shift is brilliant; only thing you’ll have to watch on farm lanes is make sure you knock it into manual if you’re going up a hairpin or suchlike cos they don’t always shift down quick enough in auto mode and can leave you hanging in mid-air so to speak.
That one looks in extremely good nick for a 56 plate; is it ex-NWF?
That is an ex nwf. motor, so will probably have been a one man well looked after truck.
8 legger:
Is it this one that you’re looking at?
Yeah that’s the one I found, looks like a tidy enough lorry, just want to do my homework before I make the trip over from N.I.!
gnasty gnome:
With the tag up you’ve effectively got a Chinese Six; yes they are very manoeuverable but you won’t get the tag up till you’ve emptied at least the back box if they’re anything like the ones BOCM use. There weren’t many farms you couldn’t send them to, but care had to be taken to load it in the right order if you did have a dodgy one. We don’t have any at Carmarthen now, all ours are 8x4 or artic excluding one old FM7 6-wheeler. Preston mill are currently trialling these new “Tridems” which look interesting.With the axle up they’ll turn inside one of our 6x4’s.
8-wheels, if he’s doing similar work to me then he’ll be going into tight farms loaded, coming out with less on. The compartments are usually 4 ton at the front, then something like 4,4,8 (max payload’s usually between 18 and 19 tonnes) and what you normally do if you’ve got multiple drops is do the first one, then knock number 3 door open, tip up so the load spreads to the back box, then repeat at next drop etc.
I-shift is brilliant; only thing you’ll have to watch on farm lanes is make sure you knock it into manual if you’re going up a hairpin or suchlike cos they don’t always shift down quick enough in auto mode and can leave you hanging in mid-air so to speak.
That one looks in extremely good nick for a 56 plate; is it ex-NWF?
In most occasions we could order the load in such a way as to be doing the tighter calls last anyway. If she’ll turn tighter than a 6x4 with the axle up then it should be fine
Are any of you guys familiar with how the easy sheet is rolled over on this lorry? On any lorry Ive owned has had a ladder behind the cab and a walkway over the ram to give you access to the front of the cover.
http://www.walkermovements.co.uk/spec_sheet.asp?UnitID=6962
I assume it’s wound using a long bar from behind?
gwmckay:
Are any of you guys familiar with how the easy sheet is rolled over on this lorry? On any lorry Ive owned has had a ladder behind the cab and a walkway over the ram to give you access to the front of the cover.http://www.walkermovements.co.uk/spec_sheet.asp?UnitID=6962
I assume it’s wound using a long bar from behind?
That’s right. The bar should be under the pipe rack if it’s still with the truck; looks like a long starting handle with a swivel joint about a foot from the business end.
Most mills have one available, or I daresay Pridens sell 'em; BTW don’t go forgetting it’s there when you pull your sheet back! 
looks very tidy.
as for manuverability , a few extra shunts may be needed, but even with the axle raised it wont turn as tight as your 6wheeler , we send our 8x6 lifts into best part of all our farms , some recieve severe damage & others do it scratch fee, but thats down to the drivers
at least it’s got a decent steering lock compared to scania & DAF we have one driver reckons the daf & scania need extra shunts compared to his old FM.
i-shift ? if you let it do it’s thing & go with the flow you’ll get the hang of it really quickly , within the week you’ll love it . it’s the only automated gearbox you can actually have full control with on the throttle in confined areas, the others like the DAF & scania are pretty much all or nothing
MolePower:
at least it’s got a decent steering lock compared to scania & DAF we have one driver reckons the daf & scania need extra shunts compared to his old FM.
Do you find, as I do, that older FM 8-leggers seem to have a better lock than the latest ones?
gnasty gnome:
MolePower:
at least it’s got a decent steering lock compared to scania & DAF we have one driver reckons the daf & scania need extra shunts compared to his old FM.Do you find, as I do, that older FM 8-leggers seem to have a better lock than the latest ones?
to be honest i found the original FM’s were a better drive than the facelift ones full stop ! 
yes i do think they had a slightly better lock than the newer ones, my last regular FM was a construction chassis steelride 52plate 8x4 & it wasnt great for turning although i used to take it into the same farms as the 8x2 lifts no problem
like for like my old 8x4 FM had a better turning circle than our equivilent 8x4 DAF or our 8x4 114 scania.