I've always liked the simple, non-intrusive design of Scania's cabs. In Sweden, these machines are used like workhorses. Well, yes, a sun visor over the windshield with additional headlights mounted in it. Well, yes, protective grilles on the headlight unit. But these are, as it were, standard things in the complete set of Swedish dump trucks. The lifting mechanism of the cab is very well protected from dirt. The damper for supplying exhaust gases to the car body for heating it is well located. You can easily overlap it manually. The air filter cover has snaps, and not nuts or "wings", as on some domestically produced trucks. Moreover, the air filter housing is made of plastic, not metal. Will not corrode. Instead of the euro-couplings, a simpler version of the towbar with a locking pin is installed. Very interesting design of the rear drum brakes. The mechanism itself is original.
What I didn't like was the rubber pipe connecting the engine air pipes to the cab-mounted air intake. Not only does it interfere with replacing the air filter, it also does not fall into the groove when the cab is lowered. You have to insert it into place with your hands. Not a well thought-out design. But there is a free space above the filter casing, where the branch pipe could be installed. And fix its free end on the bracket so that it fits exactly into the groove of the air intake when the cab is closed.
A strange impression remains from the shelf for the driver's service of the windshield and windshield wipers. The shelf seems to be wide, it is convenient to stand on it. But it turns out from the reclining lower part of the radiator grill, and in order to perch on it, a person of average height has to lift up his leg so that the knee closes his ear. And for a person of small stature, it is generally problematic to stand on this shelf: you have to manage to rest your knee on it, and then it becomes completely full. And you can't get off the spit, just jump off. What, is it really impossible to make this step from two parts - folding, like a step. The width of the shelf is quite enough to make a ladder out of it. Rather, the stairs.
A dump platform without a tailgate and lifting equipment from HYVA are installed on the Scania P420 8x4 chassis. Hydraulics, respectively, are also from the same company. In principle, the tailgate of a mining dump truck is not needed, which means that maintenance (pulling and removing the awning) is also not necessary. Apparently so the builders of this body reasoned. So they welded steel rods into the outer "ribs" of the side boards instead of a full-fledged ladder with reclining lower steps. There is no such staircase, there is a domestic parody of it, where the first and second steps are the rear wheel of the car. And, as a result, it is inconvenient to get out the recoil "shoes", which are hung on the front side of the platform.
When you open the upper part of the front of the cab, you immediately notice a very well-designed front suspension. Not a support, but a cab suspension. Plus, the dipstick for checking the oil level in the engine and the filler neck are very well located. But, when you look for an expansion tank for the coolant with your eyes, you get into a stupor First: it is located high if a person is standing on the ground. If a person is standing on a folding step, then, all the same, it is necessary to lift the upper panel of the front of the cab all the way to the stop in order to get to him. This is the second thing. Thirdly: you cannot do without a funnel when pouring coolant. And in this matter, a much simpler solution could be found. For example, since the bottom of the tank cannot be reached, the driver could from the folding step through the funnel without lifting the top panel, fill in coolant. Provided that a niche for the expansion tank neck is cut out in this panel, and the neck itself is slightly lengthened. Therefore, if you need to replace the antifreeze, it is better to contact a truck service, such as TacomaTruckRepair(https://tacomatruck.repair/specials). And then you will not have to worry about a quality replacement of antifreeze.
But it is very convenient to lift the cabin. With the help of a special key and an extension of the lever, the cab is easily and quickly raised and just as quickly lowered. And it is fixed with very reliable hydraulic locks.
And under the cockpit ... Well, yes. Nothing special: a 12-liter 6-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine with 420 hp, Euro-3 economy. And a mechanical 9-speed gearbox. Once again - a manual transmission. But with an electronic gear shift drive. Oh, what a catch! Those. Robotic checkpoint.
Therefore, when I got behind the wheel of a dump truck, I noticed not two, but three control pedals. And during the presentation test drive in the summer at the NAMI auto-range of construction equipment Scania, I did not pay attention to this fact, the checkpoint worked very well in automatic mode. So, in order to get under way on the tested dump truck, you first had to depress the clutch pedal, turn on the first gear on the steering column switch ... No, not like that. Switch on the electronic gearshift drive and drive off. Further, the robot itself already changes gears, both up and down. However, neutral is engaged when the clutch pedal is depressed.
What are the advantages of a robotic gearbox on a dump truck? The first and not discussed advantage is clear gear shifting without losing the inertia of the acceleration dynamics. No matter how the driver presses the gas pedal, "to the floor" or slightly, the gear change will be the same: clear and fast. At the same time, the car does not lose acceleration in the previous gear. An automatic transmission, as a rule, shifts gears a little in slow motion - "thinks". This is suitable for long-haul vehicles, but not dump trucks. The manual transmission is even worse. As long as the driver changes gear, the car loses its acceleration dynamics. Especially loaded.
During the test, a Scania representative and I came up with an idea to load a dump truck with sand or gravel and make a small run with a full weight, since work on its reconstruction is underway on the Baltiya highway. True, it did not work to come to an agreement with the builders. However, we witnessed the loading of five dump trucks with sand: three Chinese-made 8x4 vehicles, one MAN and one Mercedes-Benz, both 6x4. And all cars with an explicit manual transmission.
The MAN dump truck turned out to be the fastest. Booting up quickly, the driver shifted gears without any problems during acceleration. The MV had minor overclocking problems, but apparently due to poor clutch adjustment. But the representatives of the Chinese car industry had enough problems with the acceleration of loaded cars: while the driver, during acceleration, shifted to a higher gear, the car lost the acceleration dynamics obtained in the previous gear. It was difficult for the guys. Plus increased wear of parts and assemblies.
On a robotic gearbox, there are no such problems: I turned on the gear and the gearbox quickly clicked on itself. You look, and the car, already in the last 9th gear, goes freely along the highway. And you just have to keep a close eye on the road, not being distracted by gear shifting. This is the second advantage of the checkpoint robot.
Somehow like this…
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