I know many rave (and argue) about the merits of constant mesh boxes and I daresay their devotees may be right - that a good constant mesh box eats a synchromesh box any day.
However, for those who never got to try their (left) hand at a Fuller or a Spicer (or those who tried them and didn’t like them or even those who’ve used both):
which synchro box was your favourite and why,
what wagon was it in and
your least favourite.
Never drove a truck with a synchro box, apart from a few D series Fords and TK’s when I was a fitter back in the early 1970’s, so cannot pass judgement either way.
Pete.
best syncro-zf 16 speed fitted to a daf cf,great installation,easy to use,very positive action.
the eight speeds in the cf’s are quite pleasant to use aswell.
worst -same box but in a hino-cable linkage,so like stirring a bag of spanners,very heavy shift,and a bloody slap across range change.truly awful.
however i would much prefer a 13 speed fuller over any gearbox.love them
Worst was the 18 speed Renault in a 290 GT … (What did GT stand for ) it was a cheap and nasty affair and a very noisey one at that
I liked the 3 speed Scania with splitter and range change in sevreral Scanias i`ve driven and the 16 speed zf in my old Daf was good too
I always wanted to try the 6 speed constant mesh Aec box but never got the chance. 13 and 9 speed Fullers were good
Agreed the DAF 16 speed ZF was cracking - loved the collar range change / splitter on the earlier versions. Absolutely hated the Renault B-18 though, everything was far too heavy in it.
13 speed fuller in an iveco 360
twin splitter in an iveco 380
both brilliant engines and even better gearboxes
I think a Volvo FL10 was probably the best synchro box, the driving position and lever were just like driving a car
Hey, left ■■■■■■ or right hand drive,My experience, no-one could beat a Fuller and still (surely no auto’s) 13 speed overdrive RTO.
I drive only auto’s as mecanic,and the best moment is, if I get out the truck,and take the old Daf 95 RTO14613 as a yard dog 
.
As syncro good ones.
The best is a Volvo 16 speed box,second the Scannies 10 speed (110-141-142-143)
but Volvo has became a bit troublesome with cable change, Scania on the other hand is still nice to drive.
ZF’s old 12 speed box in the Merc 1926 or Daf 2800.
The very old fiat-Om-Unic 8 speed syncro,but you had to chose an overdrive for speed or a reduction for heavy loads,so most artic’s could only do 50mph.
Hated ones.
Everything with a ZF 16 or 18 speed box and even worse the push through one’s a collar range change was better as Daf’s 95.
Scania’s old 10 speed box (76-110-140)with the splitter,you got only 9 different speeds out it,and the gap was big between highest and second highest.
An anecdote years ago if they said you have to drive a Daf,the only I asked is there a Fuller in,reply no why,than you can drive it by yourself good luck( I 
the boss 
.
Sorry for those who like the ZF 16 speed younger most have never known something else.
Cheers Eric,
tiptop495:
Hey, left ■■■■■■ or right hand drive,
Sorry Eric, that was just a turn of phrase, not meant to exclude anyone who drove a left ■■■■■■ or drives “on the wrong side of the road”
ParkRoyal2100:
tiptop495:
Hey, left ■■■■■■ or right hand drive,Sorry Eric, that was just a turn of phrase, not meant to exclude anyone who drove a left ■■■■■■ or drives “on the wrong side of the road”
hey don’t worry ,
Bye Eric,
My worst so far - a ZF fitted to a Hino FG (way back in the early 90s) that had a horrible notchy gate, rubbery and long throw. And much more recently a ZF 8-speed range change in a newish Hino 1728 (stiff, notchy, vague across the gates) - is there a pattern emerging?
Best synchro? Toss-up between the Volvo F88 and the ZF “slap across” in a Daf. Worst one was a 5-speed Turner in a Ford coach I was once unfortunate enough to drive for a while.
But I really do prefer a decent constant mesh jobbie like the old 6-speed AEC or the Eaton Twin Splitter.
Wheel Nut:
I think a Volvo FL10 was probably the best synchro box, the driving position and lever were just like driving a car
Have to agree with that & it was a very good fleet motor IMO.
Best?? ZF air assisted change, no doubt, it was effortlesss, I used one in an Atki 8 legger, it was a long time ago but I still remember it. Worst?? lots to choose from, I didn’t like the Ford D1000
Best syncro? for me was the 16 speed zf in a Daf, worst was an 8 speed zf with an across the gate range change (that quite often didn’t 
)
Of course neither were never in the same class as the constant mesh fuller or eaton twin split in operation or reliability.
This ‘slap-over’ or ‘knock-over’ range change design still persists. I remember it very well from 80s Mercs (1617 for example) so it surprised me a bit when I first got into an 8yo Merc 2328 just recently to find the same arrangement. I’ve no idea why it has this since the same wagon had a 6-sp splitter before about 2004 and even the nasty (but much newer) Hino I mentioned earlier has a switch on the lever. After a day or two in the Merc your left elbow starts to complain and it spoils what is otherwise a decent wagon - the one I’m driving runs rings round the Hinos even though the Merc has had a hard life the last 8 years and the Jap truck is almost new.
Going back a bit… as well as 1617 Mercs I drove DAFs a fair bit and liked the 6sp splitter, they went a fair way to make up for the lack of oomph, though why 5H was almost the same as 6L I have no idea. Bedford TMs with the 500 and a straight 6 were geologically slow and I thought at the time it was the lack of a splitter or range change that made it so, until I drove a MAN 10-tonner demo which could go uphill and down dale in the top 2 ratios without breaking sweat. But the worst (in my past) have all been Jap trucks - Isuzu, Mitsubishi and especially Hino (which is odd since they’re owned by Toyota), though I reserve a special place in hell for Isuzu JCRs with a 5-speed box and 2-speed axle.
ParkRoyal2100:
This ‘slap-over’ or ‘knock-over’ range change design still persists. I remember it very well from 80s Mercs (1617 for example) so it surprised me a bit when I first got into an 8yo Merc 2328 just recently to find the same arrangement. I’ve no idea why it has this since the same wagon had a 6-sp splitter before about 2004 and even the nasty (but much newer) Hino I mentioned earlier has a switch on the lever. After a day or two in the Merc your left elbow starts to complain and it spoils what is otherwise a decent wagon - the one I’m driving runs rings round the Hinos even though the Merc has had a hard life the last 8 years and the Jap truck is almost new.Going back a bit… as well as 1617 Mercs I drove DAFs a fair bit and liked the 6sp splitter, they went a fair way to make up for the lack of oomph, though why 5H was almost the same as 6L I have no idea. Bedford TMs with the 500 and a straight 6 were geologically slow and I thought at the time it was the lack of a splitter or range change that made it so, until I drove a MAN 10-tonner demo which could go uphill and down dale in the top 2 ratios without breaking sweat. But the worst (in my past) have all been Jap trucks - Isuzu, Mitsubishi and especially Hino (which is odd since they’re owned by Toyota), though I reserve a special place in hell for Isuzu JCRs with a 5-speed box and 2-speed axle.
I drove a brand new Merc a short while ago with that awful slap across 8 speed (which was really tight) but also only having auto’s for the last 10yrs I forgot the clutch once or twice 
ParkRoyal2100:
But the worst (in my past) have all been Jap trucks - Isuzu, Mitsubishi and especially Hino (which is odd since they’re owned by Toyota), though I reserve a special place in hell for Isuzu JCRs with a 5-speed box and 2-speed axle.
Why can’t the Japs make lorries? They do everything else to a high standard, but the best thing you hear on this forum about them is “basic but it works”.
Hey, we had here the Fuller at Daf with the slap across lever and it wasted the whole truck,luckly Daf fast moved away from the slap across system. The worst things invented ever are slap across gear levers and auto boxes. And who found it out Berliet was the first with the slap across.
Cheers Eric,
i also had a 113 scania with the eight speed range change,it was about ten years old at the time,and was almost effortless to drive.loved it and would have another tomorrow!!