LHD Foden 4000-series

[zb_anorak]

robert1952:
…
Just a note on the Kenworth connection: that S10 cab was placed on Fodens following an extensive 2.5 years development period conducted at the Kenworth Technical Centre in Seattle and at Sandbach…

Robert

According to the “Truck in Service” article in Commercial Motor, the S10 was prone to cracking in the floorpan. IIRC, the cracks appeared near the mountings. You may care to look for the article Perhaps the development work would have been better conducted at Eindhoven.

[robert1952]

[zb]
anorak:

robert1952:
…
Just a note on the Kenworth connection: that S10 cab was placed on Fodens following an extensive 2.5 years development period conducted at the Kenworth Technical Centre in Seattle and at Sandbach…

Robert

According to the “Truck in Service” article in Commercial Motor, the S10 was prone to cracking in the floorpan. IIRC, the cracks appeared near the mountings. You may care to look for the article Perhaps the development work would have been better conducted at Eindhoven.

Ah, yes! Funnily enough, this was the only model of Foden I ever drove (RHD of course). It was OK to drive (14-litre ■■■■■■■ / 9-speed Fuller) but I wasn’t impressed with that curious circular movement of the gearstick resulting from the cable-change. Also, the wipers came on in Dover docks and wouldn’t cancel until I pulled the fuse! Happy days, eh. I’ll look at the article. Robert

[windrush]

robert1952:
Ah, yes! Funnily enough, this was the only model of Foden I ever drove (RHD of course). It was OK to drive (14-litre ■■■■■■■ / 9-speed Fuller) but I wasn’t impressed with that curious circular movement of the gearstick resulting from the cable-change. Also, the wipers came on in Dover docks and wouldn’t cancel until I pulled the fuse! Happy days, eh. I’ll look at the article. Robert

I can assure you that after 16 years you get used to it Robert.

Pete.

[robert1952]

windrush:

robert1952:
Ah, yes! Funnily enough, this was the only model of Foden I ever drove (RHD of course). It was OK to drive (14-litre ■■■■■■■ / 9-speed Fuller) but I wasn’t impressed with that curious circular movement of the gearstick resulting from the cable-change. Also, the wipers came on in Dover docks and wouldn’t cancel until I pulled the fuse! Happy days, eh. I’ll look at the article. Robert

I can assure you that after 16 years you get used to it Robert.

Pete.

I’m sure I’d make the effort to do it in 16 minutes nowadays, given half the chance! Robert

[robert1952]

A French registered LHD Foden 4000 with S10 cab. Looks like a publicity pic, or perhaps a press photo. Robert

[robert1952]

One of Friderici’s Fodens: apparently all CAT (mostly 450s) fitted with 13-speed Fullers. Robert

[robert1952]

There certainly seems to be a Kenworth connection here! Note LHD Foden. Robert

[robert1952]

Here’s another Swiss. Robert

[robert1952]

And some more Friderici Fodens. Robert

[robert1952]

[leyland_marathon2]

another swiss. Rene

[leyland_marathon2]

[leyland_marathon2]

[robert1952]

Superb ‘finds’, Rene! That last one looks as if it has two trailers - presumably for Mongolia. Robert

[robert1952]

Still in pursuit of the 9-speed Fuller question, I remembered that Wobbe Reitsma in Holland was writing a book on Foden exports so I contacted him again. He was able to help me with a few queries, as follows:

1. He could find no evidence of any LHD 9-speed Foden 4000, and thought it highly unlikely, even though it was offered in theory

2. The Belgian CDB brochure (Foden 4000 / KW) that provided that theory was produced in 1991, as I had thought

3. The export of Foden 4000-series did not go well in Europe with only one in Holland, 12 in Belgium, 10 in France, c10 in Spain (including Canaries). 32 went to Federici in Switzerland, all of which had CAT C3406-425 engines with Fuller RTO15613A gearboxes.

4. The Dutch logger (pictured earlier) had a ■■■■■■■ N410 with an Eaton TSO15612 (Twins-splitter)

Robert

[rolfkerkhof]

robert1952:
Still in pursuit of the 9-speed Fuller question, I remembered that Wobbe Reitsma in Holland was writing a book on Foden exports so I contacted him again. He was able to help me with a few queries, as follows:

1. He could find no evidence of any LHD 9-speed Foden 4000, and thought it highly unlikely, even though it was offered in theory

2. The Belgian CDB brochure (Foden 4000 / KW) that provided that theory was produced in 1991, as I had thought

3. The export of Foden 4000-series did not go well in Europe with only one in Holland, 12 in Belgium, 10 in France, c10 in Spain (including Canaries). 32 went to Federici in Switzerland, all of which had CAT C3406-425 engines with Fuller RTO15613A gearboxes.

4. The Dutch logger (pictured earlier) had a ■■■■■■■ N410 with an Eaton TSO15612 (Twins-splitter)

Robert

Hi Robert,

I do not recall to have seen any 9 speeds in lhd Fodens. The 18 speed was offered to me, but I preferred the Twin splitter. In retro respect I would have been better of with the 18 speed though. But the Ts was oa you on highway work. Mind you the 15612 version was a bit slower to shift then the s maller and more common 11612.

You say the 425 Cat’s from Frederick where using RTO 15613 boxes. Which might be right, but on highway Fodens where more common fitted with RTO 11613. The torque output of older 14 l ■■■■■■■ engines being general within its capacity.

Frederici 6x4 wagon and drags, like the Globetrucker one, where on a much lighter driveshaft and Eaton bogie as opposed to our hefty Rockwell bogie and Spicer drive shaft with 1800 nm torque capacity. (At least the examples I spotted at the N57 bordercrossing into CH) They might have the 15613 box because of the torque rating of the Cat. I do not know.

Regards

ROLF

[robert1952]

rolfkerkhof:

robert1952:
Still in pursuit of the 9-speed Fuller question, I remembered that Wobbe Reitsma in Holland was writing a book on Foden exports so I contacted him again. He was able to help me with a few queries, as follows:

1. He could find no evidence of any LHD 9-speed Foden 4000, and thought it highly unlikely, even though it was offered in theory

2. The Belgian CDB brochure (Foden 4000 / KW) that provided that theory was produced in 1991, as I had thought

3. The export of Foden 4000-series did not go well in Europe with only one in Holland, 12 in Belgium, 10 in France, c10 in Spain (including Canaries). 32 went to Federici in Switzerland, all of which had CAT C3406-425 engines with Fuller RTO15613A gearboxes.

4. The Dutch logger (pictured earlier) had a ■■■■■■■ N410 with an Eaton TSO15612 (Twins-splitter)

Robert

Hi Robert,

I do not recall to have seen any 9 speeds in lhd Fodens. The 18 speed was offered to me, but I preferred the Twin splitter. In retro respect I would have been better of with the 18 speed though. But the Ts was oa you on highway work. Mind you the 15612 version was a bit slower to shift then the s maller and more common 11612.

You say the 425 Cat’s from Frederick where using RTO 15613 boxes. Which might be right, but on highway Fodens where more common fitted with RTO 11613. The torque output of older 14 l ■■■■■■■ engines being general within its capacity.

Frederici 6x4 wagon and drags, like the Globetrucker one, where on a much lighter driveshaft and Eaton bogie as opposed to our hefty Rockwell bogie and Spicer drive shaft with 1800 nm torque capacity. (At least the examples I spotted at the N57 bordercrossing into CH) They might have the 15613 box because of the torque rating of the Cat. I do not know.

Regards

ROLF

Thank you for those observations, Rolf! I must say that I too, was surprised to see that Friderici employed a uniform drive-line for its entire range of Foden 4000s even though they included rigid-eights, draw-bar outfits and artics.

The 18-speed Fuller was certainly supplied to UK operators in RHD form, for those who wanted them.

As for matching torque to the other gearboxes: I am aware that 13-speed Fullers had already been beefed-up to cope with higher power plants with higher torque outputs and that around that time the Eaton Twin-splitter was also being strengthened accordingly. We are talking early '90s here, but certainly by the mid-'90s there were Twin-splitters that could handle the Iveco 520 bhp lump! Thank you for posting. Robert

[robert1952]

Earlier in the thread there is a brochure for an export LHD '70s Foden with an NTC 335 in and a 12-speed Foden 'box. It looks like a Haulmaster but the brochure bears no name (and at those weights it’s more likely to be the heavier Fleetmaster). Does anyone know if other 'boxes were fitted to LHD Haulmasters of that spec? Meanwhile, I’ve found more pics (below)! Robert

[robert1952]

And these LHD Fodens beg a few questions too. Robert

[macadam-woman]

According to my husband, a frequent visitor of European-exhibtions, the line-up
of total 5 Foden-chassis was in Geneva and organised bi-annually. He’s however
not sure if in that particular year it was indeed in the old Palexpo-hall.