Hino, News

Fitting a Lifting Pusher Axle

fitting a lifting pusher axle

Diesel News has tested out on the road the Hino GH 1832, but this is not an 18 tonne GVM truck, by fitting a lifting pusher axle the GVM goes up to the mid twenties. Mass is not an issue, this 320 hp nine litre engine has got power and torque to burn, making it able to cope at max GVM with relative ease.

The Hino A09C-US engine puts out 320hp (235kW) of power, reaching its maximum power at 1800rpm. Maximum torque, at 1275Nm (940 ft lb) is available all the way from 1000rpm up to 1850rpm. The engine uses common rail fuel injection and SCR to achieve this level of performance and keep inside the confines of the ADR 80/03 exhaust emission limits.

In fact, this particular model would be capable of even more flexibility as it is also fitted with a Ringfeder tow hitch. With the right dog or pig trailer on behind this truck is able to get up to a GCM of 38 tonnes. This mass figure is not quite so important as the kind of volume a combination of this truck and a similar sized trailer could handle. 

The traction issues around the 6×2 configuration in trucks most often refer to the situation which affects those fitted with a tag axle. These have been reported to loose traction going over a spoon drain or transitioning onto a steep drive from the road. These sorts of problems are much less likely to occur when the lazy axle is a pusher, in front of the drive. If something does occur which causes some slippage the ASR system can intervene, brake the spinning wheel and redirect the power to the other wheel, but if both wheels are off the ground they will spin.

 

fitting a lifting pusher axle

 

From a weight distribution perspective a pusher axle is, often, the only one which makes sense. The weight distribution is spot-on as both a 4×2 and 6×2. A lot of the freight customers buying this kind of truck can run quite long distances with little weight on board, but need to run top mass up to 23 tonnes occasionally.

Out on the road, and in Diesel we seem to be saying this all of the time, the combination of an engine with plenty of power and torque with the Allison transmission is a no-brainer. The engine gives the transmission plenty to play with and the transmission is smart enough to get the best performance out of both. 

This is the Allison 3200 six speed with double overdrive in this model and the mass we are running with is just under twenty tonnes all up. It knows when to dig in and when to ease off. Engage the exhaust brake and take the foot off the gas and the auto immediately goes through a down-changing sequence to get the best out of the retardation which maximises the limited capabilities of the exhaust brake system. 

The power at hand was amply demonstrated on a run up and over the Toowoomba range. The truck was well loaded and never dropped under 40 km/h on the incline. Coming back down the range was equally as impressive. The right brake application at the top to get to the desired speed and the fact the Allison includes an inclinometer and therefore knows its’s heading down a steep grade, meant this driver could take the feet off the pedals and let the engine braking take the strain because the auto would not upshift. Just a few short brake application got us back down the mountain with plenty to spare. 

 

fitting a lifting pusher axle

 

The recent reboot of the wide cab 500 Series by Hino has eventuated in a good solid performer with a comfortable and functional working environment for the driver. In this the Isri 6860 driver’s seat is a great help.

The truck has cruise control as standard and this model has been fitted with the push button version of the transmission control. This doesn’t take up so much room and doesn’t impair cross-cab access for the driver. The control could even migrate across to the dash and create more space, for the low number of times the driver needs to intervene and press a button while the truck is moving.

With cruise control on and an open highway stretch a full bluetooth connectivity to the entertainment system would have been the icing on the cake. Yes, the all singing and all dancing double DIN screen does have a lot to offer, including acting as the screen for the reversing camera, but the driver does have to plug in the auxiliary cable to listen to their own tunes. There is also a distinct lack of really useful storage in this cabin, although the drinks bottle holders certainly pass muster.

 

fitting a lifting pusher axle

 

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