Many years ago, I was at the press do for the launch of the Renault Premium held at Millbrook Proving Ground. The press were invited to “take a spin” in one of the fully frieghted tractor units. Being younger (and a lot more stupid) I decided that it would be an experience to take it around the high speed bowl. Anyone who has been to Millbrook will be aware that on the Bowl, the lanes are marked with speed ratings - minimum 60/80/100 mph.
It seemed a good idea to see how fast I could get this Premium to go, so I made a brave attempt to get to the highest lane - and I succeeded. I do not know if I got it to the minimum 100mph since iirc, the tachograph showed a reading with the speed needle hard against the upper stop, but I dont know if the tacho was calibrated. What I am sure about was that I soon realised if something went wrong - burst tyre etc, I would be spread across a good sized area of Bedfordshire!! Needless to say, my attempts at excessive speed have been calmed down since then!
A couple of years ago for experimental purposes I let a well loaded motor roll down
Brighouse bank on the M62.
The speedo numbers read up to 75mph and the needle was well past. I guessed at least 85mph.
Once I got a motor that managed to do two and a half times the speed limit.
82mph on the hill just as you come out of Pencraig down to the roundabout at ross on wye, and also done 80ish on the hill from the m4/m5 split down to the m48 turn off, starts to get scary in an artic at them speeds. Coming down telegraph hill onto the a38 in a rigid at 70 is ■■■■■■■ bum clenching.
bubsy06:
82mph on the hill just as you come out of Pencraig down to the roundabout at ross on wye, and also done 80ish on the hill from the m4/m5 split down to the m48 turn off, starts to get scary in an artic at them speeds. Coming down telegraph hill onto the a38 in a rigid at 70 is [zb] bum clenching.
If you did that in one of terrys motor you have more balls than me,thought they would fall apart at them speeds
Don’t know what speed i was travelling at as the speedo needle was well past the last figures on the clock. The needle was round to the half full mark on the diesel gauge on a series 2 Fh12 i shift
80mph on a drum brakes old 815cargo… loaded…that was some powerful beasty as someone before me had upped the pump pressure and turbo boost pressure…stopping was intreasting
that was many years ago as well…but my old merc 817 would do 75mph no probs
bubsy06:
82mph on the hill just as you come out of Pencraig down to the roundabout at ross on wye, and also done 80ish on the hill from the m4/m5 split down to the m48 turn off, starts to get scary in an artic at them speeds. Coming down telegraph hill onto the a38 in a rigid at 70 is [zb] bum clenching.
If you did that in one of terrys motor you have more balls than me,thought they would fall apart at them speeds
Hahaha, he who dares wins Rodney, he who dares wins lol
edtheshark:
Many years ago, I was at the press do for the launch of the Renault Premium held at Millbrook Proving Ground. Ed
After a delivery there I went to the side of the bowl to take a few pics - light blue touch paper!! I swear I did not see the signs saying ‘no photography’. Whilst having my camera contents deleted by security it was pointed out to me the biggest mf sign you’ve seen at the entrance! In my defence, there was a double decker bus parked in front of the sign when I pulled in.
I was told once; " I`d rather have a driver who can sit at 60mph all day than one that goes on about doing 70mph for few minutes and stops for coffee every couple of hours"
pete 359:
the display on the trip computer on an fh16 660.max.speed 212 kmh.
This is a Garmin sat nav image. That speed is not relative to that vehicle. I have my old Garmin sat nav, it still has my highest speed recorded. From a Merc S500… Haven’t driven it since 2005.
Moose:
I was only just thinking not heard any of the coach diff tales yet!!
back in the day the sales of coach diffs must have been sky high as most firms seem to have had them!!, a lot of younger drivers who never drove pre speed limiter trucks seem unable to grasp that back in the 80s no end of trucks would sit at 75+ all day long as standard.
They would if you were running bobtail or an empty flat, but remember this was a stock day-cab unit, no airflow kit or the like, with a 290 Roller and 9-speed Fuller driveline.Anything approaching a decent gradient with a full load (and that was only 20 tonnes) soon had 'em down the box; how often these days d’you see a rig going up the Markfield bank in bottom range, used to be every time! These days my 6-wheeler rigid’s got more horses than that ERF!
gnasty gnome
you have a point there allthough round these parts some local firms such as derek barlow and sellers and kent had double drive fodens that would do 80+ and remember at 4.00 am they wernt hitting the bottom of markfield at 56 yes they might have been down the box a bit by the top!
I remember running back from essex to derby loaded and at the time i had a volvo f6 4 wheeler b reg so no limiter and my mate had a fh12 380 6 wheeler with limiter and allthough he passed me on the hills i was back in derby well before him
speed limiters have had a big impact on making trucks higher horsepower to keep trip times as short as possible
moose
Got nicked many years ago for doing 98 mph in a well tweaked ■■■■■■■ powerd kenworth solo on the a303 cop give me benefit of the doubt and called it 65 mph result
bigtruck:
A few aec mandators in the 60’s where known to have left the factory with a coach diff in them! it’s no fairytale.
A firm at Guisley near Leeds who used to deliver for Silver Cross prams had some big four wheelers
which were built on Bristol coach chassis. They were fast!
bigtruck:
A few aec mandators in the 60’s where known to have left the factory with a coach diff in them! it’s no fairytale.
A firm at Guisley near Leeds who used to deliver for Silver Cross prams had some big four wheelers
which were built on Bristol coach chassis. They were fast!
john.d.m:
I was told once; " I`d rather have a driver who can sit at 60mph all day than one that goes on about doing 70mph for few minutes and stops for coffee every couple of hours"
It was the drivers who could do 70mph all day that got the jobs though!
Moose:
I was only just thinking not heard any of the coach diff tales yet!!
back in the day the sales of coach diffs must have been sky high as most firms seem to have had them!!, a lot of younger drivers who never drove pre speed limiter trucks seem unable to grasp that back in the 80s no end of trucks would sit at 75+ all day long as standard.
back on topic i had my fh 460 off the clock a number of times on the downhill loaded without needing the silent overdrive so not sure how fast
moose
A truck fitted with a coach diff, would not have been able to pull your ■■■■■■■■ back, probably ok if you were on light work regularly, like silver cross or Izal bog rolls
it was pointed out to me the biggest mf sign you’ve seen at the entrance! In my defence, there was a double decker bus parked in front of the sign when I pulled in.
