Shop Talk

[Joey Mack]

I believe that,  when I test drive them, I feel like it would be easy to drive like im in my wifes truck, a comfy automatic,,  that wieghs 5000 lbs..  not 80,000...  

[mowerman]

Man that video is horrible thanks for posting I never saw it and yes pretty good explanation of the automatic they don’t really help you a whole lot on icy roads but you can put it in direct manual mode whatever you want on some of them and yes . Stupidity kills a lot of people nowadays and hardly anybody runs a CB anymore I don’t even bother reporting shit these days most of the time nobody answers …. Bob

Edited March 29, 2022 by mowerman
Misspell

[mowerman]

But I run days now on a wide open highway and you can see stuff coming up way before you get there anyway not much point shouting out a report anyway they will see it themselves… Bob

[Onyx610]

Stupidity at its finest was the guy getting out and standing next to his Chevy Cruz. If your gonna get out  make sure it’s safe to do so and get as far away as possible quickly. 

[tjc transport]

eaton ultrashift is a manual trans with an automatic clutch. step on throttle releases clutch. step on brake applies clutch. 

allison trans is just like a car trans, except the torque converter locks solid around 10 mph. 

my 2020 kenworth 565 hp X15 cummins with 6 speed allison with engine rake on high will downshift just as good if not better than the C13 cat with eaton 8ll trans. 

loaded at 80k lbs i can go from 65 to 10 mph just faster than the older manual trans truck, and only need the brakes under 10-15 mph. 

my truck has 63,000 miles on it and it has only had 3 brake adjustments because i do not need to use the brakes.

and as Joey said, 99% of fault for these accidents is due to excessive speed and driver inattention. 

[mowerman]

Yes my Kenworth is the same way it seems to break faster with the automatic and a Jake brake works amazing this thing holds better than anything I’ve ever driven with two trailers three trailers it doesn’t really do a whole lot ha ha but I guess with 100,000 pounds you can’t expect miracles but yes I really like the automatic I didn’t think I was going to like them at all but they’re really handy especially in heavy stop and go traffic you can sit there and eat snacks and drink coffee and don’t have to keep screwing with the shifter  bob

[mowerman]

But all in all like Joey says I did feel better with a stick with slippery weather…. Bob

[67RModel]

The automatics (automated manuals) seem like they brake better because they do. They have a microprocessor controlling them that can analyze several hundred parameters several times a second and is integrated with the engine's ECM to achieve maximum possible braking power possible - something a human could never do. They never miss a gear and are not distracted or paying attention to something else. They do however attract less skilled drivers because they are easy to drive. What I can't understand from the video is why they trucks (or 4 wheelers for that matter) are even travelling in those conditions anyway. You can barely see the closest two lanes from the shoulder, which tells me the visibility is maybe 20-30'. Like how could anyone with a straight face sit there and say they weren't travelling too fast for conditions?  

[mechohaulic]

19 minutes ago, 67RModel said:

What I can't understand from the video is why they trucks (or 4 wheelers for that matter) are even travelling in those conditions anyway. You can barely see the closest two lanes from the shoulder, which tells me the visibility is maybe 20-30'. Like how could anyone with a straight face sit there and say they weren't travelling too fast for conditions

seems  so many are in a hurry for no reason. weather channel has the highway through hell show, i know it's hiped up for tv , yet watch the vehicles traveling fast by a wreck with no concern of the responders working the wreck. challenge is going passed a wreck when the people have to slow down to "see what's going on" hoping the one's speeding behind you pay enough attention as to not crash into you. 

[mechohaulic]

1 hour ago, mowerman said:

But I run days now on a wide open highway and you can see stuff coming up way before you get there anyway not much point shouting out a report anyway they will see it themselves… Bob

not to easy for many to see what's coming up when they have their face looking down at their cell phones. sad state of affairs  on the highways today. 

[67RModel]

10 minutes ago, mechohaulic said:

seems  so many are in a hurry for no reason.

I agree. Its pure insanity out there anymore even when there is no adverse weather. Modern vehicles are so powerful and "smooth" its so easy to pick up speed. Not to mention so many people are in one way or another distracted with some form of technological gadgetry. It seems like the norm is 10 or more over the speed limit no matter where you are. My daily commuter is a small sedan with a 5 speed manual that is underpowered by todays standards. When I pull away from a red light and shift from 1st to 2nd gear the car behind me dam near rear ends me every time. Then they whip around me at mach 3 and give me a dirty look like I'm the idiot. 

[tjc transport]

2 hours ago, mowerman said:

I didn’t think I was going to like them at all but they’re really handy especially in heavy stop and go traffic you can sit there and eat snacks and drink coffee and don’t have to keep screwing with the shifter  bob

same here. i did not want it, but was forced into it because we sold my T-800.

one thing i do not like about the automatic is you have to pay attention and make sure you hold your foot on the brakes at a stop light otherwise you will run into the car in front of you. 

no more kicking it into neutral and sitting there when on flat road. 

i have not hit anyone yet, but came real close a couple times when it was new. 

[67RModel]

10 minutes ago, tjc transport said:

one thing i do not like about the automatic is you have to pay attention and make sure you hold your foot on the brakes at a stop light otherwise you will run into the car in front of you. 

no more kicking it into neutral and sitting there when on flat road. 

i have not hit anyone yet, but came real close a couple times when it was new.

It has been a long time since I drove the DT12 automated manual (air operated clutch) but I don't think it engages until you get onto the throttle. So you could do as you say and sit there on a level surface and not move while its in "Drive". I might be off on that but I think that's how I remember it. An Allison is a different animal and will move you due to the viscous coupling to the engine the torque converter provides.....just like a pickup.

[Onyx610]

Yea they def take a little to get used to. Have to keep a heavy brake application when sitting. 

[mowerman]

Some of our trucks have Hill holders for going up hill but they don’t always work and I don’t trust them.. Bob

[mowerman]

And yes I liked our T 800s a lot better I don’t care for the new one at all … bob

[mowerman]

I had a Peterbilt a while back I think it was a 579 model I got knocked out of it by seniority that truck was a lot more comfortable and had a bigger engine somebody with strap knock me out of it  I did like the Peterbilt a lot better.. Bob

[tjc transport]

46 minutes ago, 67RModel said:

It has been a long time since I drove the DT12 automated manual (air operated clutch) but I don't think it engages until you get onto the throttle. So you could do as you say and sit there on a level surface and not move while its in "Drive". I might be off on that but I think that's how I remember it. An Allison is a different animal and will move you due to the viscous coupling to the engine the torque converter provides.....just like a pickup.

there is no comparison between the allison trans and the auto shift or the ultra shift transmissions. 

auto shift and ultra shift are manual trans with automatic clutch assemblies. 

allison trans if a fully automatic trans just like a car or pickup has. they have a torque converter bolted to the flywheel instead of a clutch. 

[67RModel]

1 hour ago, mowerman said:

Some of our trucks have Hill holders for going up hill but they don’t always work and I don’t trust them

I think Mack calls their version of this nonsense "Grade Gripper". My manual transmission commuter car has it and I despise it. If you actually know how to start a manual transmission on an incline it actually makes it harder to start out with because your feet are faster than the electrical nanny holding you on the hill. By the time it releases you are all screwed up with your timing. Its hard to describe but basically it sucks lol.

[mowerman]

Yeah I know exactly what you’re talking about at least on our trucks it seems like it takes a couple seconds to release so you’re hitting the gas and it’s not doing anything but reving and burning the clutches I think haha

[mowerman]

At least nowadays you can just use 2 feet I used to use  Johnny bar or trolley valve now you don’t even have to you have enough feet to work both paddles…..

[tjc transport]

i fondly remember trying to start off on a grade at 214,000 lbs in the B-815.

325 hp V8 and quad box.  you needed 3 feet and 4 hands to take off and shift to get going. 

when the trans finally died with the owners son driving it, they installed a spare that was in the shed with short sticks to keep crap out of the trans. 

the knobs were only 3 inches off the towers, so i was able to shift it one handed after convincing them to leave them in instead of putting the big sticks in.

since we were the only two that drove the truck, the mechanic agreed to leave the short sticks in it. 

that ALMOST made that truck a pleasure to drive.

. 

[mrsmackpaul]

Dunno why you jokers are worried about auto or manuals, from what I read we are all gunna be driving self driving electric hydrogen jobbies shortly 🤔🤔

 

Hang on that makes no sense, how can you drive a self drive ?????

Interesting reading in this thread, sorry not a lot of anything much to add thats worth while or remotely interesting from my end 

 

Paul

 

 

Edited March 29, 2022 by mrsmackpaul

[mowerman]

Holy shit I expect with that situation you needed to use all the gears I have never heard of a B model with a V-8

[mowerman]

Yeah Paul my company ordered 20 of them a while back I haven’t heard anything new about them lately except they can’t stretch out long enough to finish the run I’m glad I am almost done… Bob