18-speed Quad Box Help

[ragman069]

I'M RUNNING A 1967 DM-800 10 WHEEL DUMP. IT HAS A 237HP ENGINE, 18 SPEED QUAD BOX , 5.XX REAR GEARS(ABOUT 50 MPH TOP SPEED), 20,000#,58,000# AXLES, TALL RUBBER, AND POWER STEERING. I UNDERSTAND HOW THE TRANNY WORKS AND CAN SHIFT IT FAIRLY WELL. THE PROBLEM I HAVE IS UPSHIFTING ON HILLS WHEN THE TRUCK IS HEAVILY LOADED. I CAN'T GO FROM 2 HI TO 3 LO FAST ENOUGH, FOR EXAMPLE. I LOSE ALL MY ROAD SPEED. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY TIPS OR ADVICE ON HOW TO DO THIS QUICKLY? OR DO I JUST NEED ALOT MORE PRACTICE? ALSO WHEN LUGGING UPHILL, I USUALLY DROP THE MAIN BOX A FULL GEAR WHEN I HAVE TO DOWNSHIFT. I CAN'T SHIFT THE TWO STICKS FAST ENOUGH IF I HAVE TO DO A COMPUND SHIFT. ANY HELPFULL TIPS WILL BE APPRECIATED.

[Packer]

Try skipping a gear; 3 lo to 2 direct, for example.

This gives you a 300 RPM range to find the hole.

Another option is to start the shift at 2000 RPM instead of 1900 Rpm.

And if the hill is steep, it won't make a nickles worth of differance if you split both boxes or take a full gear in the main.

Bottom line is do what it takes to keep the wheels rolling and not have to start on a hill. That's very hard on drive trains.

Packer

[Freightrain]

Yup, need to start skipping gears like Packer mentioned. I rarely get myself in that problem, but have a few times in the past and it gets to be a real scramble to get a gear to keep some kind of speed. It will catch you off guard as a hill will just start increasing grade without you realizing it.

In the past, with my triplex, I'll dowshift the compound to Under, as I run out of speed, I'll upshift the compound to Direct, then downshift the main. Then if that runs out too quick, you can at least drop one more in the compound quickly. That's the "fun" of two sticks LOL!! ya, right.

Just yesterday for the first time in 5 yrs I got both sticks in Neutral and couldn't for the life of me get one back in. All the trying in the world left me powerless. I finally gave up and pulled over(lucky no traffic and 4 lane road). The few times I've done this I have always got one back in and continued, but for some reason I was just off enough to not catch it. I had just about stopped for a red light when it changed, and had already pulled the compound out to downshift and I popped the main out too....oops! Rollin along with no gears at home LOL! I was only running maybe 20 mph.

[Packer]

Another thought - - - anticipate and stay ahead of the truck/transmission/road.

If it looks like you need one more gear, you might already be too late!

Packer

[theakerstwo]

Another thought - - - anticipate and stay ahead of the truck/transmission/road.

If it looks like you need one more gear, you might already be too late!

Packer

if you have jake brakes it is simple to slow engine down to shift. glenn

[HK Trucking]

I'M RUNNING A 1967 DM-800 10 WHEEL DUMP. IT HAS A 237HP ENGINE, 18 SPEED QUAD BOX , 5.XX REAR GEARS(ABOUT 50 MPH TOP SPEED), 20,000#,58,000# AXLES, TALL RUBBER, AND POWER STEERING. I UNDERSTAND HOW THE TRANNY WORKS AND CAN SHIFT IT FAIRLY WELL. THE PROBLEM I HAVE IS UPSHIFTING ON HILLS WHEN THE TRUCK IS HEAVILY LOADED. I CAN'T GO FROM 2 HI TO 3 LO FAST ENOUGH, FOR EXAMPLE. I LOSE ALL MY ROAD SPEED. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY TIPS OR ADVICE ON HOW TO DO THIS QUICKLY? OR DO I JUST NEED ALOT MORE PRACTICE? ALSO WHEN LUGGING UPHILL, I USUALLY DROP THE MAIN BOX A FULL GEAR WHEN I HAVE TO DOWNSHIFT. I CAN'T SHIFT THE TWO STICKS FAST ENOUGH IF I HAVE TO DO A COMPUND SHIFT. ANY HELPFULL TIPS WILL BE APPRECIATED.

I used to (when loaded) start out in 1st lo split, shift compound to hi split, take both sticks out of gear (with 2 hands)go to 2nd lo split, then go to direct, then hi split.

To shift out of 2 hi on a gradual grade (not a steep hill) , when engine is against the governor in 2 hi, pull both sticks into neutral, put compound into direct then main into 3rd.

Downshifting under pressure on a hill: For example lets say you've got the truck rolling pretty good in 4th hi. When tach touches 1500 or so, pull compound out of hi, put throttle to floor, and compound should slide in to lo split. When tach again touches 1500 pull both sticks out of gear, put throttle to floor and both sticks should slide in to 3rd direct. When tach again touches 1500, pull both sticks out of gear, put throttle to floor and both sticks should slide into 2nd hi split. when tach again touches 1500, pull compound out of gear, put throttle to floor and compound should slide into lo split.

Once you're in 2nd lo split, if you don't think that's gonna be a low enough gear for the hill, better just get the main into 1st while you've got the chance!

These tricks were the way I did it in the hills of CT and NY with B models and early DM's with quad boxes.

Just about every 2 hand split involved both sticks being in neutral simultaneously, but once you get some practice, it can be done as smoothly as an automatic.

5.XX REAR GEARS(ABOUT 50 MPH TOP SPEED),

If your truck is on 24" rubber and your top speed with a quad box in 5th hi is in the lower 50 mph range, I'd bet it has 8.24 rear axle ratio.

[Elephant ears]

On 6/18/2007 at 11:06 AM, Freightrain said:

Yup, need to start skipping gears like Packer mentioned. I rarely get myself in that problem, but have a few times in the past and it gets to be a real scramble to get a gear to keep some kind of speed. It will catch you off guard as a hill will just start increasing grade without you realizing it.

In the past, with my triplex, I'll dowshift the compound to Under, as I run out of speed, I'll upshift the compound to Direct, then downshift the main. Then if that runs out too quick, you can at least drop one more in the compound quickly. That's the "fun" of two sticks LOL!! ya, right.

Just yesterday for the first time in 5 yrs I got both sticks in Neutral and couldn't for the life of me get one back in. All the trying in the world left me powerless. I finally gave up and pulled over(lucky no traffic and 4 lane road). The few times I've done this I have always got one back in and continued, but for some reason I was just off enough to not catch it. I had just about stopped for a red light when it changed, and had already pulled the compound out to downshift and I popped the main out too....oops! Rollin along with no gears at home LOL! I was only running maybe 20 mph.

Double nothing start over