How to Shift an 18 Speed

That's what I'm getting too, thanks

 

If you're on flat ground and not that heavy you don't even need to use the splitter until you get to the top gear. Other than that the shift lever and range selector work basically no different than a 10 speed. You go from "5" straight to "7" though in a 13/18...no hip pocket shift.

 

Always have run it more or less just like a 9/13.
Usually only split down on the bottom side when needed.
That usually is very heavy or on the lease roads up the side of a mountain.

 

I agree I only split the last two or three on the high side on this 389 with a 18. I floated a twin spicer from 1980 to 91 in my 359 and loved the ability to use or not use the 4speed brownie.

 

It's funny, I would have loved to have had power and been able to straight stick back then, but today, having power, I could see going through all for gears in the brownie in practically every gear today

 

My first job after cdl school was driving a smooth bore milk tanker. The boss had 5 Peterbilts, all 18 spd with CAT 15 motors. He had us shift them in the H pattern, splitting every gear, so we were using 16 speeds and the motor was always in the power band. But you only had to clutch for half the shifts. Trucks could cruise at 75 mph easy.

We would have 35,000 - 40,000 lbs of milk pumped on from a tri-axle straight truck from the farm pick ups. And then head to the cheese plant.