On the road again

I will be returning to OTR after being away for 4 decades. The last rig I drove had a Brownie transmission. After getting re-oriented to the business I will be buying a brand new rig.

I am a little old school but with a very open mind. Every dealer I speak with swears by the Eaton Ultra-Shift. What are some of your experiences with this unit? My major concern is with behavioir on steep downgrades and premature clutch plate wear. If I can avoid clutching and shifting, great! I don't mind paying the additonal price for good equipment as long as it works the way it's supposed to. However, I am not convinced yet.

There's no way to test drive this with a full load under real world conditions. So, any input would be greatly appreciated. I expect most of my runs to be west of the Mississippi with a lot of mountain driving.

Thanks,
JP

 

Glad you brought up the subject of emissions. My first choice in new rig was a Pete, but I didn't like the way Paccar was handling the emissions issue. So, after doing quite a bit of research I decided on going with International. Their Exhaust Gas Recovery System makes more sense to me from an engineering stand point. It doesn't have some of the features that I would have liked but having to add Urea to the exhaust gas is just one more thing to have to do. It ain't for me.

Thanks,
JP

 

Thanks.

I love this website, it's the best way to get real world info.

The fact is emissions regulations are here to stay and are bound to get tighter. Your point on EGR is well taken and I will research this a little more. I am still a few months away from placing my order.

I am not married to the idea of the Ultra-Shift and have even considered an Allison full auto but the price blew me away. If in the end I end up with a manual trans that will be just fine with me.

Thanks again for the feedback.

 

There is a lot to be said for that "old technology". I remember as a kid when I first saw that double stick how intimidating it looked. Fact is, it was pretty simple, straightforward, precise and reliable. Of course it wasn't as clean looking as a modern range/splitter but it worked pretty much the same.

But, we either adapt or fade away. Now that I have entered the "geezer" phase of life I am learning as much as I can as fast as I can 'cause fading away ain't gonna happen.

See ya on the open road.

JP