Automatics have been in use in commercial applications for years.
Martin
Martin
CK5
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So lets beat a dead horse. Nv4500 or 4l80
- Thread starter blazinzuk
- Start date
In addition one big hurdle was getting everything to talk to each other. Engine from cat trans from Allison. Most companies aren't to sharing with their stuff. But I read a bit ago that several drivetrains companies signed agreements to share all that so the engine and trans work together no matter the brand.
Autos in OTR trucks are coming fast.
Autos in OTR trucks are coming fast.
OTR have been using automatics for years. Mostly in fleet trucks.
Martin
Martin
But they have had limitations cause not everything worked super well together.
Every passing year there are more and more computer controlled items. Not all the trans communicated well with all the engines. That will not be the case anymore and should help the automatic transmission in class 8 rigs more attractive.
Every passing year there are more and more computer controlled items. Not all the trans communicated well with all the engines. That will not be the case anymore and should help the automatic transmission in class 8 rigs more attractive.
I get what Martin is saying. Garbage trucks are different than OTR rigs. We've been in the trucking business for decades, and most drivers think it's a crime against humanity to remove your ability to "grab gears" in a semi. They are slow, and annoying. Give me an Allison.... I have extensive experience with them and own a few of them. They are where it's at. The "cool" guys that like to "grab gears" won't even be in high range when an Allison truck is already made it to 50mph from a dead stop...
Those same truck drivers also think they need 379 Petes.
Martin
Martin
I don't like them. Small uncomfortable cab, and can't see shit.
Martin
Martin
With a 3406E, 18spd, and 8" open stacks. They shift 87 times just trying to get out of the yard..... I just don't get why thats "cool." I'd rather drop it in "D" and drink my coffee and yap on the phone.
I am a sucker for the 359/79 cabs though, especially when sitting on top 60" rice and canes. Shameless Pic Whore moment.
I know of one company that is getting rid of all their 13 and 18 speed
Road Rangers and going to autos for fuel economy. Little differences in
fuel economy add up when you have a large fleet.
Gus
First 379s are beautiful. Second my wife has a wrangler Rubicon with a manual. I suggested it when we were looking and she went for it. It was a hard month getting it down but now she thinks its great. When we crawl I prefer a manual. I just stick it in low low on the steep decents and let the engine do the work where the auto guys try to push the brake pedal through the floor. I think a diesel crawling would be awesome because you could just stick it in first and let the low speed governor do the work leaving your feel on the floor.
For towing I will tell you my 6.2+hx35 & sm465 experience. Towing any weight with my NA 6.2+465 has fairly horrible. It would do it but it took lots and lots of 100 mph down a hill for 45 up. Winter of '13 I installed a banks manifold/crossover and a hx35. It made a big jump in power and did pull better. Though if pulling hard some times on the 3-4 shift I would have to hold my foot steady on the fuel while the turbo caught up. It was annoying. I discussed it with a kid in Engineer school tuning his own Cummins with EFI live and he told me to try retarding the pump timing. It was slightly advanced from the factory marks so I just lined them up. I couldn't believe the difference. It was nearly instant spool and had little problem with the 3-4 shift anymore. The only new problem is the hx35 wastegated much higher than I think a 6.2 needs at over 18psi and the 4th gear boost pressure is 5-8psi. I am thinking with the nv4500 I am installing it will work really nice towing.
My point was from a durability standpoint, if it will survive what we do to them it should survive anything.
It's pretty rare my truck isn't in the ideal gear for whatever I'm doing, even descending hills loaded. For truck in the refuse industry Auto's have been gaining "market share" steadily for the last 25 years. 25 years ago you'd find a 9 speed in a truck like mine. Then most front end trucks went auto in the early 90's, and the world didn't end...but the roll off trucks were all stick still. Now about half our roll off trucks are auto too.
I dunno about faster though. We don't exactly get the big power...I think my truck is about 320 hp.
Horsepower doesn't matter. An Allison equipped truck will walk away from the same truck with a RR 13/18/9 spd, from dead stop to 50mph.
I've had plenty of times where I'm next to a dirt truck at a red light. Racing something slow is kinda fun, and I'm apparently not the only person that thinks so. I regularly get smoked by most everything...lol. I usually get the holeshot, and then it's usually over by the third shift I hear them make. Most of the dirt trucks here run bigger power, and don't weigh 37,400 lbs empty like I do. Our roll off trucks kick my ass too. That doesn't really annoy me as much as the speed limiter on my truck. 63 mph and it just falls on it's face. It's only doing 1700 rpm. 70 mph would be more reasonable.
You guys are doing the apples vs. oranges thing....... Two IDENTICAL trucks with the same engine and HP in a drag race on the ROAD! The Allison truck will walk away from the stick trans truck.
