MB trucks indeed had large steering wheels like the Berliet, at least the NG and SK series, many of which I drove. I can also tell you that when the power steering fails, turning the wheel when manoeuvering quickly turns into a nightmare, unless you attend daily bodybuilding training courses! I experienced it several times on a Volvo FL 10 6x4.
Froggy55:
MB trucks indeed had large steering wheels like the Berliet, at least the NG and SK series, many of which I drove. I can also tell you that when the power steering fails, turning the wheel when manoeuvering quickly turns into a nightmare, unless you attend daily bodybuilding training courses! I experienced it several times on a Volvo FL 10 6x4.
When I was a mechanic in the 1970’s I steered a fully loaded Foden S80 eight wheeler tanker with a dead engine on a straight bar from Dunstable to our quarry north of Ashbourne, it caused muscle strains in my shoulders that have never really gone away. I think the driver of the towing vehicle forgot that I couldn’t steer as fast as he could when negotiating the junctions in Derby and Ashbourne! If it had been a S39 with the larger wheel it would possibly have been a lot easier.
Pete.
Readers of this thread may be interested in this photograph which I took about 20 years ago, (possibly longer).
I’m pretty sure that it was taken in Belgium.
Berliet GBC 8 nicknamed “Gazelle”
The GLR 8M3 received its power steering in late 1964, the GLC a bit later and was optional.
Here the famous “5 cylinders” GLR 8M3 from 1964.
If you want to know more about the GLR, I wrote this book last year for the 70 th birthday of the model, éditons Cany on the web.
Froggy55:
Berliet GBC 8 nicknamed “Gazelle”
Thank you Froggy.
Have you any idea which country’s military it had belonged to ?
France, of course! Their engine (125 bhp 7.6 litres 5-cylinders) was designed to run with any type of fuel: petrol, diesel, various oils, provided minor adjustments were proceeded.
Spardo:
Froggy55:
Berliet started fitting air-operated power steering standard on the heavy models (19 tonnes and more) in 1950 with the GLM 10. Only the smaller GLC (12 tonnes) and GLR (16 tonnes) had to wait the M2 version in 1961 to get an hydraulic steering. More surprising, Renault’s heavy range (15 tonnes and over) had air-operated power steering from 1934. Just think trucks like the standard Mack B61 6x4 were basicly offered with elbow-grease steering as late as 1966… I even think that some British 8-wheelers or long-distance tractors had it optional in the late sixties too.My B61 Mack in Australia in the 60s certainly didn’t have power steering,
so I don’t have to just think about it.
Also, although I am not sure of the truck or time,
but it was much later than that that I first encountered power steering
on anything at all British built.
I think the units that were used for more “heavy” work were fitted with power steering Spardo, the Scammell Constructor had air operated power steering, I’m not sure what the Antar or Rotinoff were equipped with, but they must have had it too. It was the daily bread and butter stuff that lacked the help of power steering I reckon…?
Froggy55:
MB trucks indeed had large steering wheels like the Berliet, at least the NG and SK series, many of which I drove. I can also tell you that when the power steering fails, turning the wheel when manoeuvering quickly turns into a nightmare, unless you attend daily bodybuilding training courses! I experienced it several times on a Volvo FL 10 6x4.
The MAN F2000 which I drove had that same size of steering wheel, and that was classed as a modern truck! The mk1 version of the TGA still had a large steering wheel too IIRC.
pv83:
Froggy55:
MB trucks indeed had large steering wheels like the Berliet, at least the NG and SK series, many of which I drove. I can also tell you that when the power steering fails, turning the wheel when manoeuvering quickly turns into a nightmare, unless you attend daily bodybuilding training courses! I experienced it several times on a Volvo FL 10 6x4.The MAN F2000 which I drove had that same size of steering wheel, and that was classed as a modern truck! The mk1 version of the TGA still had a large steering wheel too IIRC.
My steering wheel in a 2018 TGX XL
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
GR 200
blue estate:
pv83:
Froggy55:
MB trucks indeed had large steering wheels like the Berliet, at least the NG and SK series, many of which I drove. I can also tell you that when the power steering fails, turning the wheel when manoeuvering quickly turns into a nightmare, unless you attend daily bodybuilding training courses! I experienced it several times on a Volvo FL 10 6x4.The MAN F2000 which I drove had that same size of steering wheel, and that was classed as a modern truck! The mk1 version of the TGA still had a large steering wheel too IIRC.
My steering wheel in a 2018 TGX XL
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Looks like still a fair size, doesn’t it?
pv83:
blue estate:
pv83:
Froggy55:
MB trucks indeed had large steering wheels like the Berliet, at least the NG and SK series, many of which I drove. I can also tell you that when the power steering fails, turning the wheel when manoeuvering quickly turns into a nightmare, unless you attend daily bodybuilding training courses! I experienced it several times on a Volvo FL 10 6x4.The MAN F2000 which I drove had that same size of steering wheel, and that was classed as a modern truck! The mk1 version of the TGA still had a large steering wheel too IIRC.
My steering wheel in a 2018 TGX XL
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Looks like still a fair size, doesn’t it?
Horrible steering wheel on those mans so easy to knock the cc and alter your settings
German steering wheels on lorries were among the last to remain big because IIRC their version of construction and use regs demanded that a lorry should be able to limp to a garage or home by using ‘armstrong’ manpower (or worker-state womanpower in East Germany). In fact I once did this with an F8-cabbed MAN with failed power-assistance and limped home from Belgium no probs. This rule was eventually relaxed and I place the time at about the period when the Actros came in because it had a steering wheel with a smaller diameter. That was about 20 years ago.
From what I remember, the same rule applied to window winders. The passenger window could be electric but the driver’s window had to be manual in case of power failure. Ro
Debeaux, from Livron (near Valence, France) operated many models of Berliet. Here’s a batch of TR 250 (produced until 1975) . Then, they switched to the TR 280
Some other TR 250s, a special order from state transport company of Bulgaria; they have a higher roof to accomodate two bunks.
An earlier GPRK 10. Powered by a 180 bhp 6-cylinder engine; many were given a second life by fun fair owners, like this one.
