ERF-NGC-European:
In order of preference: Fuller Roadranger 9-speed (slick, bullet-proof and a stick-change for every gear); Fuller Roadranger 13-speed, Eaton Twin-splitter – all constant-mesh ‘boxes.
gotta agree with you there , and in exactly the order I’d put them TJ
My favourite synchro-boxes were the 10-speed (five-over-five and a stick-change for every gear) in the 2 and 3-series Scanias (much nicer to use in the LHD ones); and the ZF 16-speed ‘box (four-over-four) but only as installed in DAF 95s / 95XFs. Didn’t like any of the slap-across range-change versions of the ZF.
never really liked scania boxes , I liked the 5 speed plus splitter in the 80 and 110 better than the 10 speed range change in the 2 and 3 series , the dog leg 1st and 6th wasn’t a good idea in RHD no doubt worked better in LHD, and the manuals in the new ones the gate just seems to close, perhaps its just me. ZF slap across were just awful, had a pre production eurocargo 18 tonne on swifts that managed to jam itself between ranges. TJ
Never liked any of the semi-auto / auto boxes.
I liked the SAMT twin splitter and the Leyland epycyclic 5 speed plus splitter semi auto ( in a scammell handyman) TJ
Worse ‘box ever: Merc EPS. Robert
you could be right there, but a ZF 6 speed that continually broke the mounting bolts in my Atkinson was one never forgotten (plentiful supply of bolts and a funny shaped spanner in the motor at all times)TJ
Anything by Fuller/Eaton was decent to use, my personal favourite being the Twin Splitter but I found the “slap-across” ZF synchro really nice in the Daf. Providing you were fairly gentle with it!
Funnily enough I liked the ZF ecosplit in the 3300 DAF but couldn’t get on with it in the 95.
At the same time I was driving a Sudden Accident with a ■■■■■■■ and T/S which I preferred
Being one of the younger element on here I haven’t used many gearboxes. Apart from the Foden 9/12 speed 'boxes I have only used Eaton/Fuller 9 and 13 speeders in Sed Ak’s and Fodens and found them all OK. I did do just one local load with a Sed Ak demonstrator we briefly had on loan fitted with a ZF ‘slap over’ change but didn’t rate it one bit, however I guess I would have got used to it given time?
ERF-NGC-European:
In order of preference: Fuller Roadranger 9-speed (slick, bullet-proof and a stick-change for every gear); Fuller Roadranger 13-speed, Eaton Twin-splitter – all constant-mesh ‘boxes.
My favourite synchro-boxes were the 10-speed (five-over-five and a stick-change for every gear) in the 2 and 3-series Scanias (much nicer to use in the LHD ones); and the ZF 16-speed ‘box (four-over-four) but only as installed in DAF 95s / 95XFs. Didn’t like any of the slap-across range-change versions of the ZF.
Never liked any of the semi-auto / auto boxes.
Worse ‘box ever: Merc EPS. Robert
At my depot we had a different unit every day, got thrown the keys one day of a hired in unit…Mercedes with the EPS…spent most of the day in neutral (poxy thing)…and we had one sed/ak with a back to front fuller box, took a bit of getting used too
Hey,
My opinion is: (but have never driven an English box, only the bus and coach AEC and Leyland semi-automatics)
The best are Fuller’s and the old Volvo 16 speeds.
The Italians did well too.
Scania could I live with, but with a hurry up driver, a lot of problems, and the were never up to date for the the Scania hose power engines. Anecdote the first 140 had the box which was first used in the 255hp 76 model, you can think what happend with 100 hp more before it.
Could live and loved it even a bit, the ZF 6 speed with splitter, mesh or syncro.
The most hated was the ZF 16 speed, and the push through instead of the 4 over 4 system, which Daf used for a while on Fullers. ZF is called here and (even in Germany) a cassett gearbox which means a box for Wally drivers.
ERF-NGC-European:
In order of preference: Fuller Roadranger 9-speed (slick, bullet-proof and a stick-change for every gear); Fuller Roadranger 13-speed, Eaton Twin-splitter – all constant-mesh ‘boxes.
My favourite synchro-boxes were the 10-speed (five-over-five and a stick-change for every gear) in the 2 and 3-series Scanias (much nicer to use in the LHD ones); and the ZF 16-speed ‘box (four-over-four) but only as installed in DAF 95s / 95XFs. Didn’t like any of the slap-across range-change versions of the ZF.
Never liked any of the semi-auto / auto boxes.
Worse ‘box ever: Merc EPS. Robert
At my depot we had a different unit every day, got thrown the keys one day of a hired in unit…Mercedes with the EPS…spent most of the day in neutral (poxy thing)…and we had one sed/ak with a back to front fuller box, took a bit of getting used too
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
I forgot about the Seddon Atki with the weird Fuller installation. Was it 1324 in an H pattern
I love the Twin Splitter but the cable change in a Foden was er “different”
ERF-NGC-European:
In order of preference: Fuller Roadranger 9-speed (slick, bullet-proof and a stick-change for every gear); Fuller Roadranger 13-speed, Eaton Twin-splitter – all constant-mesh ‘boxes.
My favourite synchro-boxes were the 10-speed (five-over-five and a stick-change for every gear) in the 2 and 3-series Scanias (much nicer to use in the LHD ones); and the ZF 16-speed ‘box (four-over-four) but only as installed in DAF 95s / 95XFs. Didn’t like any of the slap-across range-change versions of the ZF.
Never liked any of the semi-auto / auto boxes.
Worse ‘box ever: Merc EPS. Robert
At my depot we had a different unit every day, got thrown the keys one day of a hired in unit…Mercedes with the EPS…spent most of the day in neutral (poxy thing)…and we had one sed/ak with a back to front fuller box, took a bit of getting used too
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
Made me laugh and reminded me of when I had to pick up a brand nee Metc with the EPS box. I was 21 and keen to have a go. Took 10 mins to find riverse. Got it out the yard then “N”. Start again shift carefully. Still a few “Ns”. Out on the mile end road “N”. Was solo so tried to skip a few cogs “N”. And so it was all the way to kings cross. N N N etccc Rubbish. Best for me was the 9 speed fuller (Leyland) 16 ZF (Merc) and BMC 4 speed (Austin).
ERF-NGC-European:
In order of preference: Fuller Roadranger 9-speed (slick, bullet-proof and a stick-change for every gear); Fuller Roadranger 13-speed, Eaton Twin-splitter – all constant-mesh ‘boxes.
My favourite synchro-boxes were the 10-speed (five-over-five and a stick-change for every gear) in the 2 and 3-series Scanias (much nicer to use in the LHD ones); and the ZF 16-speed ‘box (four-over-four) but only as installed in DAF 95s / 95XFs. Didn’t like any of the slap-across range-change versions of the ZF.
Never liked any of the semi-auto / auto boxes.
Worse ‘box ever: Merc EPS. Robert
At my depot we had a different unit every day, got thrown the keys one day of a hired in unit…Mercedes with the EPS…spent most of the day in neutral (poxy thing)…and we had one sed/ak with a back to front fuller box, took a bit of getting used too
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
I forgot about the Seddon Atki with the weird Fuller installation. Was it 1324 in an H pattern
I love the Twin Splitter but the cable change in a Foden was er “different”
The gearbox installation in the Seddon Atkinson was in the “H” sequence 3rd and 4th were the wrong way round
So 1 2 4 3
There was a modification for the gearbox linkage to make it a standard
4 over 4 “H” sequence
I 'm having a good old chuckle myself about the EPS. Was used to mainly Fullers and Volvos so started doing some night work out of Teesport for a company first night given a new demo 2435 Mercedes with EPS fully loaded for Ferrymasters over to Fleetwood docks managed to get out of docks and onto main dual carriageway heading for A19 come to roundabout and stopped, well tried pulling away and banged it into gear and N keeps coming up banged it again started pulling away banged it into next gear and N up again now across roundabout and blocking traffic bang it again N and again N managed to finally pull away and started to think right what the hell am I doing wrong!! Learnt quickly that you couldn’t rush change it’s not a Fuller and found that when got used to them I quite liked them!
I liked the Sed Ak 400 installation myself, some of our Fodens used the same Fuller box but the opposite way around with 3rd closest to the driver and 4th forward. However the Sed ak 200 series set up I did find very strange at first though but didn’t drive one long enough to get used to it.
when the eaton RTX 8 speed fell apart in the c series ERF I drove for davis in corby , it was swapped for an older fuller roadranger 8 speed plus crawler , did cause a bit of confusion for anybody else jumping into mine to use it, as the RTX had the gear pattern in the usual 1 2 3 4 into high range back to 1st position for 5th and so on , think that was called the square patter- as did the rest of the ERF’s in the fleet but in mine the roadranger had the ‘round the corner’ older pattern 1st 2nd then forward round and back for 3rd straight forward for 4th back round and forward for 5th etc and that box really suited the L10 250 better than the RTX.
Scania GRS900 , the strongest and fastest synchrobox there have been. Later GRSO905 and 925 have had their problems because of stupid design of casing.
Volvos I-■■■■ best automated box only if they could take the torque of big 16 liters.
Was chuffed about the ZF “Slap over” or “knock over” 16 speed 'box that was fitted in the MAN F2000 I once drove, always reckoned the gear change was faster then with the 4 over 4 with the switches fitted on the lever.
Having said that though I quite liked the ZF 16 speed 'box with such an 4 over 4 that was fitted in the DAF’s I drove over the years, only missed a crawler gear from time to time.
The 12 speed ’ boxes fitted in the Volvo FH series were a cracker as well, the later series had cables though instead of connecting rods, due to wear and tear those cables made smooth gearchanges a bit difficult…
Only drove a wagon fitted with a torque converter on two occasions, first one was a modified Scanny, the original 12 speed 'box was replaced by a 16 speed 'box made by ZF as well if I’m not mistaken, second time was in a MAN TGA, where the converter was coupled to a AS-tronic, normally the worst gearbox there is, but fitted with a torque converter it works very well. Can’t beat a manual though in my opinion.
As for the auto 'boxes, I’ve had a go in all the first series, didn’t like any of them.
Drove a Volvo FH13 until last December fitted with an I-Shift, hated it with a vengeance, to much ECO ■■■■■ software on it.
Worst of the lot must have been the first Scanny auto ’ box and that Merc EPS, gearchanges were being measured in days…
Would love to have a go in one of the new Merc’s with a Voith Turbo Clutch…
Drove a few different motors with Fuller 9speed , don’t know the designation or numbers of any but usually liked them. A lot depended on the linkage I found , as always a rigid linkage as opposed to cable , was much better.
Bedford TM with Detroit , brilliant , short stick lovely mover.
ERF 8w withCummins rigid linkage but a bit vague .
Foden 8w with any lump , cable linkage , ok when cable new , crap as soon as it got worn.
Volvo F88 home made installation , 290 lump well suited.
Leyland Buffullo 8w rigid crap wagon but superb linkage and change.
If I think of any more I will let you know .
Jim
V8Lenny:
Volvos I-■■■■ best automated box only if they could take the torque of big 16 liters.
They all seem to rely on some sort of torque output reduction in certain gears under certain conditions.But it’s difficult to see how,what seems to be a helical single counter shaft design,can stay with let alone trump Fuller’s straight cut twin countershaft design.
Apart from the Foden 9/12 speed 'boxes I have only used Eaton/Fuller 9 and 13 speeders in Sed Ak’s and Fodens and found them all OK. I did do just one local load with a Sed Ak demonstrator we briefly had on loan fitted with a ZF ‘slap over’ change but didn’t rate it one bit, however I guess I would have got used to it given time?