New Acco only with an Allison

im guessing the torque convertor will offer a bit more torque at lower speeds which is great ... wish i had that option the other day :-X

Jist like a slipin clutch
a waste of fuel compared to manual
no good overall step B tween gears ( unless U have a joey box B Hind auto)
when the auto oil overheats ..... u're stuffd
if U gear fast u miss the lo cogs then it will overheat
if U gear for the lo slugg n gearing u miss have a good top speed

Butt

WaddaeyeKno


LOL
cya

so your saying they are as good as "angel gear" [smiley=engel017.gif] ( when your going downhill) im happy with my 10sp RR & 2 speed stiff

When the convertor locks the Allison is power shift no slip all fuel burnt moves the load no idle burn better economy. No free wheeling till under 2nd gear so full engine braking even while down changing so that's better than a manual no braking when changing gears!

News flash, they have stopped fitting 2 strokes to new trucks ????

News flash, they have stopped fitting 2 strokes to new trucks ????

Does that mean the Aussie Victa engine may have a lifeline ? ( they even make key start 2 strokes now ! )

KW looking for more engines to fit but may need 50 gears

Given the option of driving an Allison or an automated Roadranger, I'd take the Allison.
Those Automated Roadrangers go through every gear in the box, there's a bit of fuel efficiency for you (as a bonus you sound like a bit of a wanker going through every gear in the box).
The automated ZF is about the same.
The only ones who've got an automated manual sorted out is Volvo. Man, you can put your foot flat to the floor in a Volvo and it'll skip shift about 4 gears and use the exhaust brake to pull the revs down between changes. You sound like a number 1 cowboy driving one, and they accelerate as good a car, better than some in fact.

Reality is, there will come a time when driving a manual will be a rare thing, and it isn't to far away.

Maybe ZF have improved a bit too - test drove volvo and man (this has the ZF right?) a couple of weeks ago and the volvo sure felt better but the man did skip gears if you floored it. Generally wanted to take off in 3rd too, although the volvo wanted 4th mostly. Volvo changes just felt nicer though.

Wedgy and Cam and all, I know this topic hasn't been active for a while, but on the off chance, I want to get in a cheer for the 18 speed autoshift Road Ranger. The first version of the autoshift that I drove was a ten speed about eight years old, and it didn't impress. They were finicky, and there were only a few mechanics across a pretty big fleet who could tune them right. Out on the road they were okay, but at low speeds in town and when maneuvering or backing in in tight quarters, they'd have you talking to yourself. I bitched until they put me back in a truck with a manual.

I was not best pleased when I was routed into the home terminal one day on special dispatch (I had been set up for a load to take me back to the ranch for a few well-deserved days off.) I was even less happy when my boss told me that I'd been selected to drive one of four brand new Columbias, Series 60 475, all the bells and whistles, and best of all, says he, a Road Ranger 18 speed autoshift. I didn't really need the job, and I needed the aggro even less, and I told him so. I was about to load my gear into a rental car and head for the house, but he was a nice guy and I'm basically polite, so I listened to his sales pitch. Was I ever glad I did!

I cut my teeth on 13 and 15 speed RRs, Mack twin sticks, Spicer four by fours, you name it. Like most drivers, I prided myself on fast, smooth and appropriate shifting. But that 18 speed made me feel I'd died and gone to heaven. It did NOT use every gear in the box, it picked the correct starting gear, skipped gears just where I would have and did it faster than I ever could have when I was young and lightning fast. Even when I had the Jake switched off, it kicked it on for a millisecond to make a skip upshift, not even long enough for a cop to hear it in a NO ENGINE BRAKE zone. You could set it for calm or aggressive or any point in between. On a downgrade, 95 percent of the time it would downshift without waiting for the override, and when I did hit the paddle for a downshift, it happened right then, no waiting. The gearing was great. The low end would get you out of the bog with barely any throttle, and in OD it chuffed along about 70 mph with the needle sitting on 1350 revs. The fleet paid a nice bonus every quarter if you hit your fuel target, and I didn't miss once. Felt like cheating.

The only thing better than that truck was a new one. After ten months and 115,000 miles in the Columbia, they gave me a new Coronado to "evaluate". Same powertrain with the addition of cross-lock differentials. Did even better on fuel mileage and had an auxiliary power unit to keep the cab warm or cool and supplied with 110AC. Even had a built in fridge.

I didn't miss the shifting. I occasionally nowadays fill in here and there for friends, just around local (still got my CDLA, doubles, triples and tank, but gave up the HAZMAT), and I don't have any trouble with the manuals (and I can still ride my bicycle). But I used to think to myself, ya know, if you'd had this transmission when you were starting out, ya wouldn't have needed a rotator cuff operation on your right shoulder when you hit your 60s. And the kids starting out now, why do they need them if they're working for a fleet that only specs Allisons or autoshifts? I could start an engine with a crank when I was coming up, but if I never do it again, it'll be too damn soon. Not long from now, it'll be just us grumpy ol' farts at the antique truck shows, drinkin' beer and tellin' lies about wood spoke wheels and chain drives.

There's my rant for the day, guys.

Everbuddy nedes sumpin' ta beleeve in, an I beleeve I gonna hav anudder beer.

All the best,

Mark