selby newcomer:
Right I might get shot down for not knowing this, but if I don’t ask I will never know.
I have heard of diff lock, but how do I engage it and how do I turn it off■■?, is it just a switch on the dash??
Unit I drive is an 2009 merc actros 2544
It will be a switch on the dashboard showing an axle, it will be protected against accidental use by a locking tab, which you push downwards before engaging it. To turn it off, just move the switch back to its original position.
Thank you, I have seen the switch your talking about and have wondered what it’s for, I think on my unit there are 2 switches with axles on, would 1 be to turn it off and the other be to turn it off??
MADBAZ:
Unless the manual says you can dis/engage the difflock on the move, then only dis/engage when stationary. …
A lot of vehicles now use Traction Control rather than diff locks, it does the opposite thing by slowing the spinning wheel using the brakes. It may sometimes be called ASR.
Agreed, and this is the norm for most vehicles nowadays, and it’s a ■■■■■ to try and master, as most systems are too aggressive for snow & ice, especially so on diesel cars.
selby newcomer:
Thank you, I have seen the switch your talking about and have wondered what it’s for, I think on my unit there are 2 switches with axles on, would 1 be to turn it off and the other be to turn it off??
selby newcomer:
Right I might get shot down for not knowing this, but if I don’t ask I will never know.
I have heard of diff lock, but how do I engage it and how do I turn it off■■?, is it just a switch on the dash??
Unit I drive is an 2009 merc actros 2544
It will be a switch on the dashboard showing an axle, it will be protected against accidental use by a locking tab, which you push downwards before engaging it. To turn it off, just move the switch back to its original position.
Thank you, I have seen the switch your talking about and have wondered what it’s for, I think on my unit there are 2 switches with axles on, would 1 be to turn it off and the other be to turn it off??
Somebody with knowledge of that model is probably best to ask, but I would say it was unlikely. Is it a 6x2 unit? If so, it could be to operate the lift axle.
selby newcomer:
Thank you, I have seen the switch your talking about and have wondered what it’s for, I think on my unit there are 2 switches with axles on, would 1 be to turn it off and the other be to turn it off??
What unit? is it 4x2, 6x4 etc?
Do you know what, I honestly don’t know if it’s a 4x2 or a 6x4
selby newcomer:
Right I might get shot down for not knowing this, but if I don’t ask I will never know.
I have heard of diff lock, but how do I engage it and how do I turn it off■■?, is it just a switch on the dash??
Unit I drive is an 2009 merc actros 2544
It will be a switch on the dashboard showing an axle, it will be protected against accidental use by a locking tab, which you push downwards before engaging it. To turn it off, just move the switch back to its original position.
Thank you, I have seen the switch your talking about and have wondered what it’s for, I think on my unit there are 2 switches with axles on, would 1 be to turn it off and the other be to turn it off??
Somebody with knowledge of that model is probably best to ask, but I would say it was unlikely. Is it a 6x2 unit? If so, it could be to operate the lift axle.
Lift axle buttons just have up and down arrows with a pic of an axle on my unit. I will have a look in the handbook about the diff lock button when I go in tomorrow
selby newcomer:
Thank you, I have seen the switch your talking about and have wondered what it’s for, I think on my unit there are 2 switches with axles on, would 1 be to turn it off and the other be to turn it off??
What unit? is it 4x2, 6x4 etc?
Do you know what, I honestly don’t know if it’s a 4x2 or a 6x4
Is that bad, should I know stuff like that??
You should really… basically, a 6x2 means that it has six wheels, two of which are driven (being pedantic, a 6 wheel unit has 8 wheels as they are doubled up on the drive axle) a 4x2 has four wheels, two of which are driven. And of course, a four-wheel-drive car is a 4x4.
selby newcomer:
Thank you, I have seen the switch your talking about and have wondered what it’s for, I think on my unit there are 2 switches with axles on, would 1 be to turn it off and the other be to turn it off??
What unit? is it 4x2, 6x4 etc?
Do you know what, I honestly don’t know if it’s a 4x2 or a 6x4
Is that bad, should I know stuff like that??
You should really… basically, a 6x2 means that it has six wheels, two of which are driven (being pedantic, a 6 wheel unit has 8 wheels as they are doubled up on the drive axle) a 4x2 has four wheels, two of which are driven. And of course, a four-wheel-drive car is a 4x4.
Unit I drive has 8 wheels, driven by the 4 across the back, so would that be a 6x4■■
selby newcomer:
Thank you, I have seen the switch your talking about and have wondered what it’s for, I think on my unit there are 2 switches with axles on, would 1 be to turn it off and the other be to turn it off??
What unit? is it 4x2, 6x4 etc?
Do you know what, I honestly don’t know if it’s a 4x2 or a 6x4
Is that bad, should I know stuff like that??
You should really… basically, a 6x2 means that it has six wheels, two of which are driven (being pedantic, a 6 wheel unit has 8 wheels as they are doubled up on the drive axle) a 4x2 has four wheels, two of which are driven. And of course, a four-wheel-drive car is a 4x4.
Unit I drive has 8 wheels, driven by the 4 across the back, so would that be a 6x4■■
No, because you assume that the four wheels on the drive axle are only two wheels for the purposes of this.
A three axle tractor unit which is driven by one axle only is a 6x2. Some trucks have three axles but are driven by the two rearmost axles, that would be a 6x4. However, it’s impossible to imagine that you would be driving one of those without knowing it, and they are used mainly on heavy haulage, forestry etc where traction is important.
The rearmost axle is called the drive axle, the one up the front is the steer axle and the one in the middle is called the lift axle, as the name implies this axle can be lifted to temporarily provide more traction, or to save tyre wear when running empty.
Cheers Harry, it’s defo a 6x2 then as it’s only driven by the rear axle. Hope I ain’t coming across as thick, maybe should have knew all this, but am wiser after askin a few questions, thanks for putting me straight
selby newcomer:
Cheers Harry, it’s defo a 6x2 then as it’s only driven by the rear axle. Hope I ain’t coming across as thick, maybe should have knew all this, but am wiser after askin a few questions, thanks for putting me straight
easy mistake to make, dont count the tyres, for some reason each tyre on the ground does not count as a wheel
selby newcomer:
Cheers Harry, it’s defo a 6x2 then as it’s only driven by the rear axle. Hope I ain’t coming across as thick, maybe should have knew all this, but am wiser after askin a few questions, thanks for putting me straight
Good God, no, nobody is born knowing how truck axles are configured, anything you don’t know, just ask, either on here or ask another driver when out and about.
Harry Monk:
No, because you assume that the four wheels on the drive axle are only two wheels for the purposes of this.
A three axle tractor unit which is driven by one axle only is a 6x2. Some trucks have three axles but are driven by the two rearmost axles, that would be a 6x4. However, it’s impossible to imagine that you would be driving one of those without knowing it, and they are used mainly on heavy haulage, forestry etc where traction is important.
The rearmost axle is called the drive axle, the one up the front is the steer axle and the one in the middle is called the lift axle, as the name implies this axle can be lifted to temporarily provide more traction, or to save tyre wear when running empty.
How many wheels does this trailer have?
Harry
Can I use that assumption if I get nicked for a slightly bald tyre. After all there is tread across 75% of the “wheel.”
Yes, tricky isn’t it. That would appear to have ten wheels but I would describe it as a three axle combination, a 4x2 tractor unit with a single axle trailer.
