Hello , having driven different eight wheel tippers over the years I have noticed only this week a higher percentage of volvo Fm-12s getting stuck as opposed to other trucks. I have driven one of these tippers and although having never got stuck I did think it was harder to get traction on damp or wet ground than anything else I had ever driven in a muck tip .
One wet/damp day this week at Viola’s tip in Rainham Essex I saw four FM 12s needing a push up the hill when Scanias , Foden’s and even an old ERF drove around the Volvo’s to get to the top of the hill . All these Volvos where from different companies so let’s assume they were not all bad drivers. These trucks were not sunk to the gunnells just having trouble getting grip .
Are Volvo’s of this year 2005 to 2007 bad for traction/grip off road ?
Our FM12 is pretty good but our FEs are bad due to the low cab and small engine. We’re thinking of trying an FMX but have just bought 2 MAN autos…IMHO Fodens are amongst the best for tip work.
Just a thought, maybe down to drive tyre spec? When I was on tippers we did a lot of farm/quarry work, and our Renault units came with the standard ‘highway’ tyres, which were next to useless on anything other than ‘highways’. After getting some ‘knobblier’ drive tyres fitted it was like driving a different motor. Although that said, I wouldn’t have thought that 8-wheelers would come with ‘highway’ tread as standard.
Cheers fellas
Just spoken to a fitter who has worked only on fleets of tippers for years and he said it is a common complaint on Volvos on some ground . He said something about deflection and that Man and Iveco back ends work differently . Anyway it got too technical for me but seems there is a reason for what I have seen lately.
Thanks
They are awful on site, they seem to lose traction as soon as they see a bit of muck over the hedge never mind drive on it! Too heavy on the front and not enough weight on the back, just like the old Fodens with their lightweight rubber suspension - they were always getting stuck in my experience when things got mucky.