The one I drove was F reg 68 Robert, two years old when I had it, only thing I didn,t like was the cramped cab, only a Tk cab on a bigger chassis, but at 16 ton gross a good cheap lorry for the Boss.
Dave the Renegade:
With the Bedford KM I used to go from high 4th to low fifth and definatly gained on some of the other lorries on the lesser gradients. You may not believe me Robert, but I could put one over on the boys that used to scalp me when I was on a Dodge K series with a perkins 6354. Perhaps I didn,t know how to drive the Dodge. Ha Ha.
Hi Dave, I discovered that same gear change on a Ford D800 back in the very early 60’s and as you say although the power wasn’t up to much, you could gain a bit of ground.
I also had an Eaton 2 speed in an old rounded cab ERF with a Perkins 354.
Lost count the number of times that I had the cover off the splitter housing !!
I drove a Ford D series 6 wheeler with a two speed also aThames trader occasionally, never had no trouble, neither did the other drivers from memory. As a couple of you say some gave trouble and you had to resort to the bit of wood. I much prefered a two speed axle to just a straight four or five speed gearbox. Fourteen sixteen gears unheard of then.
Anyone got any memories of these,just thought give this one a go again.
Hi boys
Dave I think I may have told this before somwhere on here but here go’s. My father had a Commer 2 stroke 6 wheel tipper with a unipower back end with two 2 speed axles. It had a habit of one of the axles not changing so no problem drop in cross diff lock, keep going then after a few mile the offending axle would drop in, diff lock out no problem.One day coming out of Minera quarry he lost drive, dropped in diff lock as usual, there was a car behind him that kept flashing his lights. After a couple of mile he stopped to find he had lost wheels, drum,hub and half shaft.He jacked the axle up and put a chain around it.Went back and picked up the pieces unforturnetly when the half shaft came out it split the end of the axle casing. He ran that truck with the axle chained up for three weeks till he could get another. No VOSA in those days…
Regards Keith
Hi Keith,
Its amazing what you used to see a length of chain holding together years ago. I can remember,when I drove for Brisbanes at Knighton,you would see someone or other coming in with a chain holding it in place.
Cheers Dave.
Dave the Renegade:
Anyone got any memories of these,just thought give this one a go again.
Hi Dave the finest motor we had with an Eaton 2 speed was a new Atki Borderer ( OJM480L ) I stepped it up because the Atki we got afew months prior was just a little bit low geared. However when we put the 2 speed motor onto the diff we couldn’t get up into top ( 20th ) so we had to change the crown wheel & Pinion . But once we had done this what a motor !!! The Atki could out pace 8LXB’s F88’s( before F88 290/16 speeds came out) no problem !! Because it was fitted with a Fuller 610 it had 20 gears so you could just keep dropping a quarter gear on the drags ----- it didn’t half used to sicken them off when the 220 ■■■■■■■ just kept on tramping past !! Cheers Bewick.
Hi Bewick,
A mate of mine and I were talking about two speeds recently,we can’t understand why they don’t use them now,unless its the electronics on the modern vehicles. I’m not a mechanic,but he is,and for many years ran his own lorries.
Cheers Dave.
Dave the Renegade:
Hi Bewick,
A mate of mine and I were talking about two speeds recently,we can’t understand why they don’t use them now,unless its the electronics on the modern vehicles. I’m not a mechanic,but he is,and for many years ran his own lorries.
Cheers Dave.
Hi Dave all my first motors had Eaton 2 speed axles – Thames Trader, D1000, 26 Ton Mastiff, 28Ton Mastiff except a new Bedford KE we got for my young brother when he turned 17 ( under 3 ton ULW) and we even had a 5 speed O/D box fitted to this !! Cheers Bewick
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
Hi Bewick,
A mate of mine and I were talking about two speeds recently,we can’t understand why they don’t use them now,unless its the electronics on the modern vehicles. I’m not a mechanic,but he is,and for many years ran his own lorries.
Cheers Dave.Hi Dave all my first motors had Eaton 2 speed axles – Thames Trader, D1000, 26 Ton Mastiff, 28Ton Mastiff except a new Bedford KE we got for my young brother when he turned 17 ( under 3 ton ULW) and we even had a 5 speed O/D box fitted to this !! Cheers Bewick
Dave the Renegade:
Two speed axles are something younger drivers know nothing about. They made a vast difference to lorries in the fifties to the seventies.
I drove several lorries withh two speed axles, and a few without.
The two speed gave you that half a gear that made all the difference.
I think Pete359 Knows something about Bewick OJM480L but he is reluctant to say !!!
Bewick:
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
Hi Bewick,
A mate of mine and I were talking about two speeds recently,we can’t understand why they don’t use them now,unless its the electronics on the modern vehicles. I’m not a mechanic,but he is,and for many years ran his own lorries.
Cheers Dave.Hi Dave all my first motors had Eaton 2 speed axles – Thames Trader, D1000, 26 Ton Mastiff, 28Ton Mastiff except a new Bedford KE we got for my young brother when he turned 17 ( under 3 ton ULW) and we even had a 5 speed O/D box fitted to this !! Cheers Bewick
Dave the Renegade:
Two speed axles are something younger drivers know nothing about. They made a vast difference to lorries in the fifties to the seventies.
I drove several lorries withh two speed axles, and a few without.
The two speed gave you that half a gear that made all the difference.I think Pete359 Knows something about Bewick OJM480L but he is reluctant to say !!!
Andrew please spill the beans about this moter OJM480L we all want to know.
Cheers Dave.
The mechanic:
If you view LK44 in the photo forum you will see the ERF that Iowned and restored.This had an eaton two speed and you could split change,but as in the mastiff it was 4th low 5th low 4th high and then 5th high.Most of changes worked out about half a gear but 4th high only gave you 2-3 mph more than 5th low. Changing down you were better going from 5th high to 4th high and then split change downwards.
The D1000 I ran had the same changing pattern --High 5th,high 4th,low 5th, low 4th ect. ect.some drivers couldn’t be bothered though so the Eaton was of no advantage to these jerks !! Bewick
I think the only one that I used was in one of these.
Was it a 2 speed axle in an ERF with a David Brown? 
Wheel Nut:
I think the only one that I used was in one of these.
Was it a 2 speed axle in an ERF with a David Brown?
Yea classic spec —Gardner 180LXB/DB 6spd/Eaton 2spd axle until they fitted a Fuller 9/509 which was a better match for the Gardner in my opinion . Bewick
Only two-speed axle I ever had was in a Fiat 130,the first truck I drove after passing my test.
I think it was plated for 24t and looked silly with a tilt behind it,and it used to vibrate so much that the two-speed axle button on the side of the gearlever used to slip down and you’d suddenly find yourself in neutral!
When tramping for Smith of Maddiston,I drove,amongst others, a ■■■■■■■ powered Big J Guy throughout the UK,the best thing about the Engine Gearbox combination was that it was a Fuller with an air powered splitter,didnt use the clutch,providing you got the revs just right,use of the gear lever OR splitter didnt need the clutch,it was bit like soup stirring until you got used to it,but on the open road,no clutch required,except the first gear,otherwise it jumped a bit with 20 tons of rubber on!
Oh happy days,are you kidding■■?!!! 
Hi a chap nr Leek was running a Atkinson Borderer with a ■■■■■■■■ Fuller/ Kirkstall axle. One night the Atki only just got home Ron Rogers (owner)
worked all night and the Atki was up and running the next day ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ Eaton 2 speed.you dont need 20 gears but is what happens in a panic.
Good old days no need for chassis no just make it fit.
John
I drove an ERF LV 4 wheeler for Mitchells of York, it had a Gardner 5LW and David Brown 5 speed gearbox. The back axle was an Eaton with a 2 speed air/electric shift, and it gave that old girl a combination of 10 equal gear steps when used as a splitter. She never was a motor to be hurried but would have been a whole lot slower without that 2 speed axle to help her along. I drove GBT309L for 3 years at Mitchells and when the company closed down at the end of 1991 I bought her from the old man Bill Mitchell for preservation. I fitted her with a box van body after removing her platform body and converted it into a caravan inside for weekends away on the rally field. I had to sell her in 1995 because of a loss of storage space and that was a big wrench I can tell you because I used to get a real “buzz” out of driving her to and from shows and road runs and using that old 2 speed axle! GBT still survives today I am pleased to say and has since I sold her has been fitted with a different box body!
regards doublereduction.
Time to get this topic back on the front page,and see what some of the later members recall.
Why did Eaton stop making them. They were great, I drove several wagons that had them Atkis,ERF ,Dodge ,Commer. & if the TK I drove hadnt had one I would have refused to drive it. Look at what drivers have now Automatics of all things Regards Larry.