Hi Ramone, the Marshal 8 was introduced at the request of a North East tipper operator at a time when the GVW of a 6-wheeler was 22 tons and the GVW of the Mammoth Major 8 was 24 tons or 26 tons (longer wheelbase). The logic behind the Marshal 8 was the extra steering axle gave 24 tons GVW but the lighter axles and driveline gave it the same payload as a 26 tons GVW Mammoth Major 8, but at a lower cost price than a Mammoth Major. Most of them went to the operator who originally suggested the idea, at a time when AEC was still able to respond to its customers’ requests and suggestions. I believe that they were reasonably successful and made money for the operator.
Adding the two speed gearbox to the back of the large D203 made it into a mighty big lump of ironmongery. The smaller D197 was a delight to work on. It did not like drivers using third gear to pull away when empty, resulting in short bearing life and the odd broken tooth. Apart from that and the selector grubscrews coming loose, its main occasional failing was a seizure of second gear bush, which was replaced with needle rollers in the later boxes.
DEANB the diesel tank on the right would suggest a V8, but an enterprising British haulier could well have added an extra fuel tank to give a longer range so I wouldn’t bet on that being a V8 without seeing it from the other side.
Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
The front track would suggest a 760 straight six
Hi Ramone , I was not getting at you ,i t was those compairing a 1954 Volvo engine to a 1990 whatever , The Marathon cab was cobbled up for the new big truck , already was the T45 being thought of , you have to understand that British makers did not care much about drivers , it was only a reaction to the Importers that made them think .
I’m fairly certain that there weren’t any Marshal Eights here in NZ. To try and over come the lack of power and make them a bit more flexible they were fitted with the 12 speed splitter box. I don’t think that any were fitted with Fullers from new here.
Definitely a MM6 with a 13 speed would have been a better option,but it would have cost a lot more than a Marshal.
MM6’s and MM8’s were also specd with the large Maudsley rear hub reductions on six rod rear suspensions as were fitted to some Crusaders. From what I’ve been told and seen these were NZ ‘Specials’ and were not fitted to other export AECs. These are a different large hub than those fitted to Leyland Hippos and heavy Octopus’ .
gingerfold:
Hi Ramone, the Marshal 8 was introduced at the request of a North East tipper operator at a time when the GVW of a 6-wheeler was 22 tons and the GVW of the Mammoth Major 8 was 24 tons or 26 tons (longer wheelbase). The logic behind the Marshal 8 was the extra steering axle gave 24 tons GVW but the lighter axles and driveline gave it the same payload as a 26 tons GVW Mammoth Major 8, but at a lower cost price than a Mammoth Major. Most of them went to the operator who originally suggested the idea, at a time when AEC was still able to respond to its customers’ requests and suggestions. I believe that they were reasonably successful and made money for the operator.
I didnt realise that Graham ,i thought theyd just released a lightweight 8 wheeler , having said that didnt the weights increase around the late 60s for 6 and 8 wheelers to 24 and 30 tons respectively ?
Lilladan:
Hi Ramone , I was not getting at you ,i t was those compairing a 1954 Volvo engine to a 1990 whatever , The Marathon cab wascobbledup for the new big truck , already was the T45 being thought of , you have to understand that British makers did not care much about drivers , it was only a reaction to the Importers that made them think .
I don`t think they went far enough with the Roadtrain version of the T45 , it could have been so much better taking into account the length of time it took to develop
ramone:
gingerfold:
Hi Ramone, the Marshal 8 was introduced at the request of a North East tipper operator at a time when the GVW of a 6-wheeler was 22 tons and the GVW of the Mammoth Major 8 was 24 tons or 26 tons (longer wheelbase). The logic behind the Marshal 8 was the extra steering axle gave 24 tons GVW but the lighter axles and driveline gave it the same payload as a 26 tons GVW Mammoth Major 8, but at a lower cost price than a Mammoth Major. Most of them went to the operator who originally suggested the idea, at a time when AEC was still able to respond to its customers’ requests and suggestions. I believe that they were reasonably successful and made money for the operator.I didn
t realise that Graham ,i thought theyd just released a lightweight 8 wheeler , having said that didnt the weights increase around the late 60s for 6 and 8 wheelers to 24 and 30 tons respectively ?
The increase in GVW was 1971/72. The Marshal 8 was introduced in 1968 IIRC
The Maudslay hub reduction axle was offered in the UK as an option for the Mercury 4x2 tractor unit, as, according to the w/shop manual, was a lightweight double reduction diff with the primary reduction ahead-of, rather than on-top-of the ‘banjo’ ; although I have never seen a vehicle fitted with the latter.
cav551:
The Maudslay hub reduction axle was offered in the UK as an option for the Mercury 4x2 tractor unit, as, according to the w/shop manual, was a lightweight double reduction diff with the primary reduction ahead-of, rather than on-top-of the ‘banjo’ ; although I have never seen a vehicle fitted with the latter.
Good one,were there many Mercury’s fitted with these in the UK?
I’m assuming the latter type of diff would be worm drive?
Mercury’s here and I think all export Mecury’s were called Monachs due to Ford having the trademark for the Mercury name.
All tractor units and rigids were fitted with the Maudsley hub reduction axle as standard. There were not known for there fast performance as per UK based Mercury’s most probably because they wouldn’t have been operated at 16 tonne for a rigid or 24 tonne for an artic. Added to that NZ still doesn’t have the extensive motorway system the UK has.
cav551:
The Maudslay hub reduction axle was offered in the UK as an option for the Mercury 4x2 tractor unit, as, according to the w/shop manual, was a lightweight double reduction diff with the primary reduction ahead-of, rather than on-top-of the ‘banjo’ ; although I have never seen a vehicle fitted with the latter.
It was also fitted as standard in the Mercury tractor units rated at 24 and 26 tons gvw, and also in the 6x2 Marshal. From about 1972 onwards Mercury tractor units were fitted with a Leyland Group hub reduction axle that was a cheaper unit than the Maudslay design.
AEC Heavyweight two spring bogie with double drive, double reduction spiral bevel and double helical drive diffs.
Was the hub reduction axle used in the Big J a Maudsley manufactured one ? The 6 speed box in the Big J was a Maudsley one. Cheers Bewick.
No, it was the “Group Hub Reduction Axle”, presumably made at Albion?
gingerfold:
ramone:
gingerfold:
Hi Ramone, the Marshal 8 was introduced at the request of a North East tipper operator at a time when the GVW of a 6-wheeler was 22 tons and the GVW of the Mammoth Major 8 was 24 tons or 26 tons (longer wheelbase). The logic behind the Marshal 8 was the extra steering axle gave 24 tons GVW but the lighter axles and driveline gave it the same payload as a 26 tons GVW Mammoth Major 8, but at a lower cost price than a Mammoth Major. Most of them went to the operator who originally suggested the idea, at a time when AEC was still able to respond to its customers’ requests and suggestions. I believe that they were reasonably successful and made money for the operator.I didn
t realise that Graham ,i thought theyd just released a lightweight 8 wheeler , having said that didnt the weights increase around the late 60s for 6 and 8 wheelers to 24 and 30 tons respectively ?The increase in GVW was 1971/72. The Marshal 8 was introduced in 1968 IIRC
And if anyone fancies a big but surely worthy project then this Marshal 8 still survives!
The Wynns’ Mammoth Majors (2 of them I believe) were AV760 engines, 6-speed overdrive gearbox with 2-speed auxiliary box. One of them was converted into a Holmes equipped wrecker and used by Frank Ratcliffe & Son of Conington, on the A1 near Peterborough for many years.