Dave K:
I drive an Eaton twin split and always use 2/1 if loaded and 2/2 if empty and only very rarely use 1st. This is how I was taught to drive a twin split, by a driver with over 40 years experience.
i pull away in 2/1(4th) with mine too, running at 43 ton. but the slightest incline means 1/3 (3rd to those who dont know. ) empty mine will pull away in 3/1 (7th) with no judder what so ever, and will leave most trucks for dead.
i guess now im back on an erf i had better change my avatar.
Mine does’nt like 3/1 for some reason and can feel the clutch judder, i also find it does’nt like to change from 2/3 to 3/1 and usually have to skip to 3/2 or 2/2 to 3/1 and skip 2/3 ( now that will be confusing to non twin split drivers )
Not trying to teach anyone to ■■■■ eggs here but with a twin splitter, you cannot preselect your next gear. the knack is to pass the main change through neutral as you then select the next ratio, low, intermediate or high, i ii or iii.
I think Lucy posted a brilliant piece about bunny hopping somewhere in the dim and distant past
That is how you can manage such a quick change as you are basically doing two things at once. I was with a driver who insisted on using the clutch on a twin splitter
On a ZF or a Spicer you can preselect because nothing will happen till you depress the clutch.
IMHO I think trying to set off in 7th is too high, but then again I wouldnt employ anyone ever again
Reading the thread, most of you would appear to know anyway, but thought it worth mentioning:
lorry clutches should never be slipped to move off like you are taught to drive a car. Instead, like a farm tractor, the clutch should be out or in with engine torque being used to get the vehicle & load moving. Therefor, its easy to find the highest acceptable gear… if its too high it will stall.
As for the guy always using 1st, how does he ever get out at busy round-a-bouts?
when at stobarts on their 124 420 scanias its alway 1st high as they have the 3 over 3gearbox with a splitter. thats loaded but empty its 2nd low.
on a volvo 4 over 4 its always 2nd. with a splitter 2nd high.
daf well daf can pull in any gear. but loaded set off in 2 nd high then straight to 4 high then 6th low , 7th low then depends on weight what next. but always end up on 8th low then 8 th high…
I would echo word for word what you have just said Jess’s Dad.
The 124/420 does not like 2nd fully freighted, its much more comfy with 1high for pulling away, you also have to be fairly free with the revs to block change on the way up too, which can make consumption suffer as your always on the high side of the band, I prefer to use the gears, keep the revs low in the band and let it lug.
I’ve always liked the FZ 16 on the Daf’s, 2/4 high, 6 low, 7 low then happily to 8 high. Empty 4 low, 5, 6, 8 high, no problem.
the mechanical sympathy of using 1st isn’t particularly good either, with the engine revving harder from cold, to achieve a slower speed.
the way I’ve been told is to start from the yard without a trailer, select each gear in turn from a standing start to see which it’ll move away in without labouring, with no gas applied at all, and not having to feather the clutch to prevent it stalling.
then try the same gear with the trailer when ready to go with the tiniest touch of throttle applied. chances are it’ll move away perfectly well, safely and with maximum mechanical sympathy.
besides, if it were best to move away in 1st no matter what, why do wagons with automatic boxes move away in 3rd on hills, 5th on the flat and sometimes 7th - in a 12 speed box? (talking about the MAN auto box here). the computer they use is perfectly well equiped as the manual box’s computer pings like mad if you move away in too high a gear, telling you to depress clutch and change down…
Just been flicking through an old copy of T & D and there is an article about the Widdowson group adapting there Scania’s fitted with Opticruise so they will only start in 1st gear
If it’s that bad, why is it OK to start in 3rd on your test?
surely what gear you use is totally dependant on what power you’ve got plus what weight your pulling? i was taught that a good driver should never pull away from a standing start once out on the road, i.e you should’ve slowed down enough that your actually driving upto a junction rather than stopping just in time,saves clutch, drive shafts n fuel although to be honest when i’m empty that often goes out the window, out of sheer laziness.
The I-Shift in my Volvo only ever selects first gear if the air suspension isn’t at normal ride height, when dropping a trailer for instance. The lowest I’ve ever seen it select to pull away was 2nd and that was on a steep incline. The rest of the time it is 3rd or 4th and unit only it can be 5th, 6th or 7th depending on the terrain.
jammymutt:
I drive a Volvo I-Shift and it pulls away in 4th when empty or not fully loaded if it is VERY heavy it will use 2nd i have never seen it go in to 1st gear.
Mine too jammy, i run heavy most of the time (up around 44 ton) and it never uses 1st
I loved all the replies and i did have a witness to what was said…the boss of RTB from evesham (richie) anyway when i see this guy on the ferry i`m gonna tell him to log onto T.N and see for himself how to drive a truck…
) empty mine will pull away in 3/1 (7th) with no judder what so ever, and will leave most trucks for dead.
