Lorries with 9-speed Fuller Roadranger 'boxes

[carryfast]

kr79:
Not a clue but it’s definitely a gear and was handy at times.as.it.saved dropping back in to low range

I think the factory would probably have been worried about the torque applied between crawler and the high range gear train.I didn’t even bother because I thought that the factory had locked it out in high anyway.While it would be interesting to find out what the exact actual ratio step that high range crawler would have provided between 3rd and 4th.It’s my guess that the step provided wouldn’t have been worth the aggravation of what seemed to be being described of going from 3rd into high range crawler then back into low range again for fourth even without the possible excessive torque applied to the high range gear train issues.

[big_bear]

Lance Biscomb:
As any proper driver of a 9 speed Fuller will tell you, they were all 10 speeds. 1st , 2nd , 3rd split range change into high and put gear stick into crawler, then split back into low and into 4th. This gives you a 10 speed box. I hope I haven’t upset anybody thinking they have been driving all those years and did not know the ins and outs of a 9 speed Fuller. If anybody out there has one in an old truck try it for yourself. When I was young and driving a Sed Atk 400 with a 180 Gardner and a Fuller box you needed all the gears you could find to row it along.

This mystery gear was also present in the 13 speed fuller as well. The ERF E series had the best installation of the 9 speed fuller.

[bewick]

Carryfast:

Bewick:

Lance Biscomb:
looks like the man in the youtube clip can’t drive a Fuller either

Neither can “CF” and he was the geezer doing the commentary

By the way Bewick what was the actual ratio provided by high range crawler v 3 rd in a 9 speed box.

^!>>%*((-=+ crunch,crunch,bag of neutrals $ £££££ cash no bill !! Bewick.

[rigsby]

any driver who can’t handle a fuller 9 speed , a foden 12 speed and a scammel gate change hasn’t had enough experience , mind you you have to be quite old to know about such things .

[windrush]

Carryfast:

kr79:
Not a clue but it’s definitely a gear and was handy at times.as.it.saved dropping back in to low range

I think the factory would probably have been worried about the torque applied between crawler and the high range gear train.I didn’t even bother because I thought that the factory had locked it out in high anyway.While it would be interesting to find out what the exact actual ratio step that high range crawler would have provided between 3rd and 4th.It’s my guess that the step provided wouldn’t have been worth the aggravation of what seemed to be being described of going from 3rd into high range crawler then back into low range again for fourth even without the possible excessive torque applied to the high range gear train issues.

There wasn’t a big difference but it was handy on long drags in the Peaks with the Gardner! I didn’t use it a lot with the Rolls 265 or the ■■■■■■■ L10’s in the Foden six wheelers as they had better power, it came in handy when empty though as you could go straight from crawler high to fith without using low range.

Pete.

[8lxbv8brian]

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[lance_biscomb]

Windrush you are right you only really need a10 speed fuller with a Gardner or 9 speed

[carryfast]

Bewick:

Carryfast:

Bewick:

Lance Biscomb:
looks like the man in the youtube clip can’t drive a Fuller either

Neither can “CF” and he was the geezer doing the commentary

By the way Bewick what was the actual ratio provided by high range crawler v 3 rd in a 9 speed box.

^!>>%*((-=+ crunch,crunch,bag of neutrals $ £££££ cash no bill !! Bewick.

That’s probably what that Fuller video meant but just saved time by saying don’t use crawler in high range.

[jimbo47]

the Mack 12 speed is the same wae a hidden gear in the high range (crawler in low box) slot

[aussietruckie]

Hey, Now there, is a great box, I’ve used a few of them in the past 35 years. 350 Mack with 12 spd, pulling 3, 40’ fridges from Perth, to Port Hedland and Karratha and back ( about 4000 km).(2 from Perth, pick up the 3rd trailer from Carnarvon). But cut my 1st teeth on a Mack Quad box, (4x5) cabover Mack at the age of 14. Both with a low, low reverse good for backing 2 onto the 3rd to make the triple., the 12spd is the best box. But these days I use an 18 spd 'ranger with twice the horsepower. The old 9 spd (flatlander box), are ok for the flats…single trailer stuff. we have our share of hills downunder too.

[newmercman]

Robert is right about needing the clutch to split the early 13spd Fullers, I think FIAT were the last to adopt clutchless splits. Pat Kennet did an article about the various boxes and I remember the bit about the clutch being in there too, so that confirms it.

My own experience of the 9spd has been in a Transcon, 400 Sed Ak, C series ERF (range change was a switch on top of the gearknob like an overdrive on a Triumph or Rover) a DKSE Daf and I’m sure the Berliet TR305 had a 9 in it, but it may have been a Roadranger, it was a long time ago.

On my 18spd high range high split crawler was a taller gear then low split 4th, can’t see how it could cause any damage using it, the shafts are the same, just a few more teeth on the cogs, although gearboxes are not my specialist subject, so I may have that wrong

[robert1952]

newmercman:
Robert is right about needing the clutch to split the early 13spd Fullers, I think FIAT were the last to adopt clutchless splits. Pat Kennet did an article about the various boxes and I remember the bit about the clutch being in there too, so that confirms it.

My own experience of the 9spd has been in a Transcon, 400 Sed Ak, C series ERF (range change was a switch on top of the gearknob like an overdrive on a Triumph or Rover) a DKSE Daf and I’m sure the Berliet TR305 had a 9 in it, but it may have been a Roadranger, it was a long time ago.

On my 18spd high range high split crawler was a taller gear then low split 4th, can’t see how it could cause any damage using it, the shafts are the same, just a few more teeth on the cogs, although gearboxes are not my specialist subject, so I may have that wrong

Hi Newmercman. As I understand it (but haven’t driven one) the 18 speed Fuller has split-shifts that are torque-sensitive (like they are in the Twin-splitter), so all the splits can be clutchless. Robert

[robert1952]

I must say, I knew about the mystery 10th but never tried it for fear of ending up with a lap full of hot cogs! Here are some more examples of ERFs known to have 9-speed Fullers. Robert

[saviem]

Morning Gentlemen, well its another deluge this morning, we are diversifying into the manufacture of “Arks”, (floating ones, not the ones for the little Piggies)! But at least we managed to spray some of the ■■■■ yesterday, and the flowers look strong, although the stems are a little weak…all the rain…

Robert, perhaps I am not alone in enjoying your never ending stream of photographs, what an album, what a record, and what memory jerkers. Thank you for sharing them, they are truly superb. I only wished that I, (and I suspect many of you), now wished that we had taken photographs on our travels.

Fuller 9 speeds… TRH350 Berliet, yes it was a fitted option, and the 13 speed was also available, as also in the “fake” Saviem PX range. Eaton`s St Nazaire people were quite pro active in getting into operators, and there were many retro fits, and of course the last real Saviem, the PS 30, had in its best version the 13 speed, (marketed as a 12 speed). Rather than our own synchro 10 speed.

Lance is quite correct about the “extra” gear in the 9…used it myself…same as when Foden created their 8 speed, but if you knew where to look 12 were there!

Personally I liked the Road Ranger 10 speed in the early Borderers with the 205 ■■■■■■■■ stonking big power motors in their day, and clutchless changes were obligatory, so heavy was the clutch!

My old friend Antoine Loheac used 9 speeders in his later “Ton Tons”, but would have preferred 5 speeds to save even more weight.

The Atkinson Venturer 75 tonner had as Robert says a 9 speed, and a big brass placque on the cab rear saying Special Types 75 tons, pity the windscreens fell out of the one I was demonstrating to AG Bird, it went to Rawcliffes in the end, then on to Bob Wilson Fairs.

Funny how gearboxes get the juices flowing, I loved Foden 12 speeds, Fullers were nearly but not quite as quick to use, and the Mack boxes … just like Macks, rough, crude, but dependable…and like the Foden ones, once learned, a real delight to use! And of course Mack used a lot of Fuller 9 speeds as standard…as they did ■■■■■■■■ CAT, and Detroit…but that is another story

Out into the Shropshire weather I go…now where shall I get bogged down today■■?

Cheerio for now.

[robert1952]

[newmercman]

Yes Robert, I only ever used the clutch to pull away, after that clutchless shifts all the way. Very easy to do with an 18spd if you use every gear as you’re effectively in neutral until the split goes through, time that to happen as you have moved the stick into the next slot and you guarantee a smooth shift. I used to block change mine and use 1lo, 2hi, 4lo, 5lo, 6lo, 7lo then 7hi, 8lo and then into top. The next lorry I got had a 13spd and it was nowhere near as user friendly, too big a step to jump two gears in low range and too close for sequential changes, it wasn’t easy to make smooth progress in the bottom half of the box.

[robert1952]

Saviem:
Morning Gentlemen, well its another deluge this morning, we are diversifying into the manufacture of “Arks”, (floating ones, not the ones for the little Piggies)! But at least we managed to spray some of the ■■■■ yesterday, and the flowers look strong, although the stems are a little weak…all the rain…

Robert, perhaps I am not alone in enjoying your never ending stream of photographs, what an album, what a record, and what memory jerkers. Thank you for sharing them, they are truly superb. I only wished that I, (and I suspect many of you), now wished that we had taken photographs on our travels.

Fuller 9 speeds… TRH350 Berliet, yes it was a fitted option, and the 13 speed was also available, as also in the “fake” Saviem PX range. Eaton`s St Nazaire people were quite pro active in getting into operators, and there were many retro fits, and of course the last real Saviem, the PS 30, had in its best version the 13 speed, (marketed as a 12 speed). Rather than our own synchro 10 speed.

Lance is quite correct about the “extra” gear in the 9…used it myself…same as when Foden created their 8 speed, but if you knew where to look 12 were there!

Personally I liked the Road Ranger 10 speed in the early Borderers with the 205 ■■■■■■■■ stonking big power motors in their day, and clutchless changes were obligatory, so heavy was the clutch!

My old friend Antoine Loheac used 9 speeders in his later “Ton Tons”, but would have preferred 5 speeds to save even more weight.

The Atkinson Venturer 75 tonner had as Robert says a 9 speed, and a big brass placque on the cab rear saying Special Types 75 tons, pity the windscreens fell out of the one I was demonstrating to AG Bird, it went to Rawcliffes in the end, then on to Bob Wilson Fairs.

Funny how gearboxes get the juices flowing, I loved Foden 12 speeds, Fullers were nearly but not quite as quick to use, and the Mack boxes … just like Macks, rough, crude, but dependable…and like the Foden ones, once learned, a real delight to use! And of course Mack used a lot of Fuller 9 speeds as standard…as they did ■■■■■■■■ CAT, and Detroit…but that is another story

Out into the Shropshire weather I go…now where shall I get bogged down today■■?

Cheerio for now.

Thanks for your entertaining illumination, Saviem! Yes, it’s funny how HGV transmissions bring that spark to the eyes. I think those of us who were fortunate enough to have experienced all those all constant-mesh 'boxes are undoubtedly the richer for it! Robert

[robert1952]

[robert1952]

Some Fodens with 9-speed Fullers coming up. Craig posted this first one on another thread, where it caused some interest. Apparently, it was one of 60 delivered as late as 1997. Robert

[robert1952]