Two speed axles

Dave the Renegade:
Two speed axles are something younger drivers know nothing about.

And in some instances something some of us would rather forget about

My longest experience was in the early 90s with an early 80s Isuzu Forward JCR500. Like this:
nqtruckwreckers.com/truck-wr … /480/pg:11

I won’t dwell on how foul these things are or we’ll be here all day (imagine the worst aspects of an early TK and an early D-series rolled into one, then add in spine-shattering ride, rust, an engine that couldn’t pull you out of bed and brakes that were slower than the engine and you’ll be part there). Rated at 14 ton gross you could get these with 4 and a half speed boxes or the same thing with a 2-speed axle, air-operated on these via a button on the front of the gear lever (so if you went for 4L from 3H you smashed your fingers into the metal dash panel - nice )

I think they were made by Isuzu which was then part owned by GM, but if you can, imagine 70s Jap truck “development” (think 60s cheap Jap car design and work backwards) teams being let loose on on the driveline. I never met anyone who drove them or had driven them who said a good word about them. The one I drove regularly failed and every time it came out of the workshop “fixed” it would break again within 2 days. An absolute nightmare of a thing.

I liked the 2-speed axle. Drove a 1963 LAD cabbed Leyland Comet (5781 TJ) with a 5-speed box and Eaton 2-speed axle. Originally a 4-wheeler it was an excellent lorry, then it was converted to a 6-wheeler with a Primrose third axle, and became hard work when fully freighted. I then drove a 1968 Dodge 4-wheeler (RTJ 464G) with Perkins 6.354, 5-speed box and 2-speed axle, and then another Dodge 4-wheler (ATF 799J), same as the other but with a 6-speed box. This would top 70 mph but needed a long stretch of motorway to get up to that speed.

I came across two speed axles very early in my career as the ‘spare’ bonneted Bedford I drove was fitted with one, and on a four speed tipper it made a big difference. My regular Bedford was just a straight four speed so I used to find any excuse to have it in the workshop for the day so I could blag the spare. When I worked for Soverign Distribution (United Carriers) many years later we had two speeds fitted to the Gardener engined ERFs and they had the odd ratios as mentioned earlier 4th low - 5th low - 4th high - (and if you were lucky) 5th high. But mostly on Soverign I drove A frame drawbars and became depot trainer on them.

MrJake:
I came across two speed axles very early in my career as the ‘spare’ bonneted Bedford I drove was fitted with one, and on a four speed tipper it made a big difference. My regular Bedford was just a straight four speed so I used to find any excuse to have it in the workshop for the day so I could blag the spare. When I worked for Soverign Distribution (United Carriers) many years later we had two speeds fitted to the Gardener engined ERFs and they had the odd ratios as mentioned earlier 4th low - 5th low - 4th high - (and if you were lucky) 5th high. But mostly on Soverign I drove A frame drawbars and became depot trainer on them.

IIRC Bedfords had their own version of the 2 speed axle,I’m not sure wether Eaton had any input into though.I was a great fan of the Eaton two speed as well as the single speed Eaton axle.I even had an Eaton 2 speed on one of the Bewick Borderers c/w a Fuller 610 gearbox,and it could pull like a train as well as catch pidgeons.Its reg no was OJM 480L and there are a few shots of it on the Bewick thread and,of course,the South Wales thread !! Cheers Bewick.

This sticker was stuck on the inside of a cupboard in our workshop when i started there 27 years ago and had been there sometime, i have no idea what truck it refers to but looks like it explains gear changing and operating a two speed axle. Would love to know what truck cab it should have been stuck in.

That looks like the one fitted to Guy Big J’s with the Gardner 8 LXB engine and Fuller transmission…

Pete.

windrush:
That looks like the one fitted to Guy Big J’s with the Gardner 8 LXB engine and Fuller transmission…

Pete.

Cheers for that Pete, there’s just no hiding place from the mythical Guy Big J 8 LXB is there!!

Tamworth1:
This sticker was stuck on the inside of a cupboard in our workshop when i started there 27 years ago and had been there sometime, i have no idea what truck it refers to but looks like it explains gear changing and operating a two speed axle. Would love to know what truck cab it should have been stuck in.
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Great picture, sadly about 25 years too late in my case.

Thanks anyway Mr Jake

tamworth1 did B series ERF …EDH***V have 2 speed axle in it and a david brown 6 sp box if i rememer right …where was that sticker in one of the cuboards in the front garage ■■?

CRAIG-D:
tamworth1 did B series ERF …EDH***V have 2 speed axle in it and a david brown 6 sp box if i rememer right …where was that sticker in one of the cuboards in the front garage ■■?

Hi Craig, yes i had forgot about that one i think you are right EDH 865T had a 180 Gardner, David Brown gearbox and two speed axle, it was a six wheeler with a non live trailing axle. The sticker was in one of the two green cupboards in the front garage by the toilet on the right hand side looking down the garage from the roller shutter.

Prior to Eaton 2 speed axles falling out of favour because of the preferred spec of single speed axle/splitter gear boxes ect. this Atki and it’s like would be the pinnacle of the 2 speed axles rein!!! This particular Atki Borderer,seen here after refurbishment,having given many years of reliable service,was IMO the “creme de la creme” of British built motors.Apart from the fact that it was ordered with but not delivered with,Power steering,it was one hell of a motor,it had a Fuller 10 speed box and an Eaton 2 speed axle and it could ■■■■ all over the first F88’s and the 8LXB engined chassis no problem!!! As it had 20 forward gears it just kept tramping on,to make full use of it’s capabilities it did need a competent driver behind the wheel though,I have had F88 and 8LXB drivers run across a car park and look at the back of the cab,as they couldn’t understand why a ■■■■■■■ 220 had “walked” past them on the grades!! Honest,believe it or believe it not but it was a fact!!

hi, I know this is an old post but thought I would chip in. I loved the twin speed axle, but I think the secret was to be under power when you moved the button. did anyone remember the different speedo readings between high and low. ray.

Speedo would steady once the diff had done the change.
They did go a bit wild due to the speed compensating gearbox until the actual diff shift occurred.
Eaton, Fuller, Dana, the names just keep on changing.
Did you know your tandem drive two speed diff vehicle becomes a 3-speed unit by splitting only one diff and using the 3rd differential to compensate?
Not popular these days but there is a “How to” on it somewhere put out by Eaton.
Two speed diffs are still fitted to modern heavy vehicles but tend to be only used for their extra low ratio.

Hi all back in the early 70s I took my test in a Leyland round shape cab 26 ton 30ft single axle trailer down in Redruth, don’t remember what model truck it was but it had a two speed axle and if it was fitted you were expected to use it during your test, if you naffed the change up you had to go back and start all over again so you had to get it right on your test which thankfully I did. Should imagine this would be more of a problem when you got a bit tired on a long journey and the old concentration levels drop a bit, haven’t things moved on today cant think where the time has gone cheers Buzzer.

Started my two-speed axle adventure on a BMC with four-speed box & Eaton 2-speed. Brilliant. Next came a Bedford S-type with 330 engine and Bedford air operated 2 speed axle. Cr*p.
Later I became aquainted with more versions of the Eaton arrangement, first in an A-series ERF with 180 Gardner & 6-speed DB box and then in a D1000 Ford artic with Perkins V8 and the six speed “backwards-and-forwards” box.
As has been mentioned before, gearboxes with splitters or range changes (or both, if you were lucky) did for the two speed axle.

Used to drive a seddon 16 toner with international tractor engine, got overtaken by push bike up dinmore hill
Used to take potatoes around Wales to chip shops with it.

The first wagon I ever drove with the Eaton 2 speed was a 4 wheel Atki with a 4LK Gardner engine, Not a bad motor to drive DGR 822, 1954/5ish the 2 speed was a bonus of course, plus it was great on diesel, The brakes weren’t to good though, But of course I drove it with caution as I had been instructed by my Mentors, Regards Larry.

escortg3:
Used to drive a seddon 16 toner with international tractor engine, got overtaken by push bike up dinmore hill
Used to take potatoes around Wales to chip shops with it.

There’s a coincidence. I used to do the same job with an ex-Worcestershire Farmers Commer TS3. Ten tons of Pentland Crown, handball both ends with the bonus of having to carry the bags up the stairs into the store room above the chippy. Not forgetting keeping your eye on the temperature gauge going up Black Rock at a good ten mph.