Normal Clutch life?

I use low whenever I'm hooked to a trailer and the next gear up when I'm bobtailing.

As far as the eaton solo self-adjusting clutch my dads lasted 13 years and had 2.3 million KM on his before it went. What happens is they stop adjusting after a while. There's tricks to fix it but it's never permanent. It's not a Volvo issue, it's whoever specced the truck put that clutch in there. Regular easypedal adjustable clutches are a direct swap.

 

A good way to save your clutch brake is to downshift all the way down to the gear you want to start in. Then push in the clutch but not all the way, just enough to get it to neutral and back into the gear without hitting the clutch brake. Never use it while rolling or shifting.

 

My old Rockwell lasted 900K running east of Miss. River. Ran out of adjustment about the same time pilot bearing seized up and wore the tip of the input shaft.

If I'm in a hurry empty I'll still start in a low gear but I'll skip gears and be on the high side by the 3rd shift and then let the coal roll. Still hard to beat those new auto trucks off the line when all they gotta do is mash the gas!

 

This is the real and only reason autos exist for highway applications. To lower the skill set and pay required

 

You usually see hi-way trucks change clutch around 700k-800k. Some stretch it farther. Off-road trucks can be much more demanding on the clutch and it often depends on how often the truck gets stuck.

Funny thing is I have hear lots of stories of automated manuals needed a clutch at half that! 400k with a computer making all the decisions.

I have heard a lot of conjecture on what makes a clutch last the longest. No clutching, no throttle, start low gear always, start highest gear always, skip shift, don't skip shift, double clutch, float, single clutch. I have not found any constancy or evidence to any of the claims. The fact the automated manual does not actually always provide longer clutch life kind of proves that.

 

You have actually seen a pay difference for drivers in the same company that were using auto shifts as opposed to manuals? I sure haven't.

 

I can't believe how many times I've seen a fellow sit at a light or stop sign on a slight up hill grade and ride the clutch to hold his position.
When loaded with an 18 spd I've always used absolute bull-low, lo-lo, 1 st gear, unloaded 3rd, bobtail 5th. Unless the intersection is pointed downhill. Zero throttle even when loaded in a field until I get my foot off the clutch.
But now I have an Ultrashift Plus MXP 18 spd. It usually wants to start in 3rd, but I make it use first. It hops around too much if I let it do it the way it wants.

 

Lmao. You just hurt the feelings of all the ones who can't handle a stick

 

exactly the point. rather than pay more money to attract a qualified driver that can shift a manual, they invest in automatics so they can employ people that have no interest in learning the skills that it used to take to drive a truck. By doing so, they have just increased their pool of "qualified" drivers exponentially