Chinese Six

I know how it feels to find what was an 8 wheeler cut down to a Chinese Six!!!!
I still like my Ergo Beaver as it is, but it will never look right to me, as I remember it new as an 8 legger.
Mike

Mike, if it was built as an 8 wheeler it is an Octopus, and still is even tho it has had it's tenticles cut off. If you are desperate there is an Ergo Octopus tipper that could be bought near here. Is non runner.

Mammoth, email me some details of the Ergo Octopus please. Cheers busntruck.

Mammoth,
My Beaver was turned into a Steer by Leyland Motors NZ and then had a lift up tag added to make it an 8x2 Beaver/Octopus. Then later in its life before I found it in a paddock, it had the chassis with the tag axle, cut off.
At least I remember what it was like to drive when new.
Its still a neat truck, but needs weight over the drive axle to make the ride smoother.
What year is the Octopus you mentioned?
Mike

Here are 2 more Chinese Sixes. ERF & Foden. Both in the UK

Beaver has 4 wheels.
The Ergo Octopus is a 1966, fitted with 10 sp rr (by Brisbane assembly plant) 6.06 ratio axles located at Emmaville. Owner is hard to get hold of and difficult to deal with. Motor had bottom end knock when it was parked 20 yrs ago, cab is all there but needs a lot of work. he towed it to outside his shack after I got the Beaver.

Thanks for that Mammoth.
My son is Melbourne based , but covers all of Oz in his job.
I will let him know about the Octopus.
My Beaver is a 16BT1AR and has an Octopus front axle set with steering box fitted by LM NZ. The 4.82 diff makes it a flyer.
I still cant get the hang of loading pics on this site, but if you let me know your EMail address, I will send some pics of when it was new as an 8 wheeler with tag lift up axle and as it is today.
Mike

16BT1AR - I stand corrected- it is definately a Beaver, with bits added.
re loading pictures did you see step by step by myself and alternative by slow speed on Restorations/Newbie wants Dodge/15/3/10
Now someone can teach us about inserting quotes.

As I don't wear an anorak, I had never heard the term Chinese 6 until a couple of years ago when working with a Pom. Interesting about Ampol having an Isuzu though. I remember years ago when Golden Fleece where still going. The depot in Maryborough Queensland updated to two Bedford Isuzu's. A 4x2 prime mover that replaced I think an Inter AB or C1800 or something like that, and the other was a 6x2 which had a tank and on the rear a very short tray for hauling a few 44's. Golden Fleece went to Ampol about this time so maybe there were a few around. I do remember a lot of UD's also as 6x2's, and both UD and Isuzu having lazy's to make 8 wheelers or Octopus' for those anorak wearers. The odd thing about the UD's was the cab sat about a foot further forward with the wheel arch having a slight fill in. I presume this was to do with the twin steer set up. An 8x2 UD was for sale recently on Ebay, and was less than $5k. There is also a 6x2 UD getting around Brisbane with spiders on every axle, looking like T-line ACCO spiders at a glance, very odd if you notice those sort of things. A old 6x2 Isuzu also gets around Brisy with a bobcat set up. I remember the IPEC MAN's in 6x2 getting around a few years ago, with a single planetary drive and some scary diff ratio giving them very long legs.

A question for the wise, we think of the 6x2 as a twin steer, single drive, but what if the second steer axle is set back to beside the drive axle, as is the case with some pommy trucks. I know this was done here early on to get more payload,( plus the large coaches ) but I believe the UK versions actually steer on the set back steer axle as well. Is this right, and are they still called a Chinese 6?

Hi 10x6, you are rght about a lot of Pommy trucks having a steer axle just in front of their single drive axle. They do appear to call them Chinese sixes although I personally don't think they should be as I reckon a Chinese six should have 2 steering axles up the front and one drive axle at the back.