18 spd vs 15spd/9LL

I'd love to try the 15 speed on a super heavy haul with all those extra axles one day.

The only way to go and have any good use of the gear reduction on the 15 speed is to not have over drive. And that kind of sucks. Especially if you have a long ways to go back empty say 200+ miles. If you go for the overdrive option a regular 10 speed with over drive has the same low gears and more OD.

Looks like you have a fairly quick working reverse in regular low reverse and then a super low reverse if needed. And of course some super low low forwards gears if needed on the non OD 15 speeds.

I'm quite sure an 8LL would do heavy haul. One of the things I love about the 8LL so much is its reverse.

Since a dump truck is going to back up and dump all day every day. Having a granny only option reverse in any kind of truck kind of sucks. Like our old 96 Pete with a 10 speed 3306 Cat. High reverse is just too fast unless you have to back half a mile down some secluded street. It takes wide open throttle for that thing to move backwards at a snails pace.

Every time I back my KW T-800 up with its 9.85 regular normal reverse gear ratio I thank some unknown hero at Eaton. That is the perfect gear ratio for reverse in normal non bogging ground. Its quick and I don't have to have the pedal to the floor just to back 50 feet in 30 seconds kicking up mega dust on everyone on the job.

And whats better if I have to jump a curve or do hit boggy ground before the dump site I just slow down to a crawl and slide the gear reduction on and lightly tap the throttle to make the shift down. Then cross the curve or boggy ground with no strain whatsoever and dump my load.

It says 8LL but really it has 10 forward gears.
If you start in low low at 14.56 ratio, flip out of that into low then shift through all the gears you have a total of ten and you end up with .74 OD.

 

I drive a new KW dump with an 8LL Eaton Ultrashift Plus transmission. I like the gearing, but there are some drawbacks with the autoshift. Through the years I have driven dumps with 8LL, 9 spd, 10 spd, 13 spd, 15 spd, 18 spd, and for me, none of them can compare to an Allison. The new Allsions are a dream to drive in most any situation, especially when milling asphalt.

Some people complain about torque converter slippage when pulling a steep hill at low speeds. Just click the selector down to gear 1 before starting out, and the converter will lock up in 1st right quickly.

 

I did milling today and used double low. its still too fast for the milling machine but works great. I dont ride the clutch though.
I pull up about 6 ft at a time when the milling machine gets close.

Im an old school gear shifter. I dream of the day that a manual will smoke an automatic like its going backwards.

 

I've always been an old school shifter from the 70's when I started. But, age and wear have left my left knee and right shoulder worn and weak. Too many heavy loads with 250 Cummins and 318 Detroits, constantly changing gears, and also the years I ran new furniture multi-stop to NYC, Philly, Boston, ect. I've had the palm of my hand swollen at the end of the day from shifting up there.

These days I'm going for easy. I want a smooth truck, quiet, and no gears to change.

As for milling, I like to set my mirrors where I can see the boom and adjust the load the way I want, and an Allison is best for that. You never have to touch the fuel, just ease off the brake a little unless going up a very steep hill.

I like my loads biased to the rear, but a lot of the millers like to turn the belt wide open and stuff the front of the bed until most of the weight is on the steers, while the first 5 feet in front of the gate is empty. A good operator can adjust the belt speed and fill the truck up pretty even front to back.

 

For milling and mixer operation, I believe in a manual Eaton recommends the 9ALL. Deep reduction is lower and can split first also.

 

I can't find anywhere that explains completely what overall ratio refers to on these Eaton Transmission ratio charts.

I can only assume that its the most reduction possible from input to output of the transmission?

Age does take its toll. I feel it in my knee and wrist also by the end of the day.
I know a lot of folks with those Alison's in Western Stars and they're real quick to show me the tail lights. LOL!

I float the gears, there's no way I could double clutch a dump truck all day every day with my damaged knee.

One of the best things I learned was to gently feel for the gears, you know rev the RPM up and gently ease the gear into position and wait for the cogs to slow to a stop and pop it in.

It used to be hard to shift if the speedometer or RPM gauge went out but now I could shift all day long with neither working.

The guys we mill with have spotters and they load me front to back pretty equally. Towards the end ill have maybe 5 short pullups to load the gate.

 

Yea that transmission has some serious reduction.

REVERSE
LL reverse 20.8, L reverse 13.03, H reverse 3.43

FOWARD
LL1 26.08, L 16.30, LL2 11.85 and finally 1st 7.41

But then in the end it has .73 very nice over drive.

Deep reduction transmissions are not in any way meant to be split and if you shift in and out of them its best to lower the RPMs down and press the clutch just enough to keep the jake off and maybe lightly tap the throttle if it doesn't shift.

 

Once I start off I rarely touch a clutch. It's the pull up and stop, hold the clutch, pull up and stop of milling that I hate with a clutch.

I wasn't sold on an Allison after driving some of the old ones. These new models are a whole different animal. The last place I worked at started adding nothing to the fleet but Allison. Every driver that had a chance to drive one wanted one, me included.

I had an Allison all last year, and with me at the time running mostly mountains paving, I loved it.

If you ever get the chance to try one, you should. You'll be amazed. They ain't the Allison of old by any means.

 

The mechanic is right. A 15spd is just a 10 spd with deep reduction and no splitter like an 18. Well, it does split for the deep reduction....

A 15 will take more abuse, or be harder to abuse, than an 18. Not to say an 18 isn't up to the job, just don't be stupid with it off road in sand or mud. Which I think you kinda have to try and do.

I would go whatever route is cheaper to fix it. People just prefer 18's for on road and 15s for off-road.

 

I drove someone else's automatic while hooked to a trailer once to move a machine to different locations to lay down wooden mats in creeks and soft areas for a pipe lining crew while they had their 10 day off period. But I didn't really get to check it out by its self. It may have been one of the older ones.

I hit someone up on CB today I passed head on to compliment him on the gorgeous new lowboy he was driving. It was maybe a 389 Pete White with all the lights and aluminum chain racks all gleaming like new money. Its not his but he drives it for a grading outfit.

Me: Hey driver that's one nice lowboy setup you got there. What kind of Transmission are you running in that thing?
Driver: 18 Speed Eaton Fuller
Me: Really, how do you like it?
Driver: Awe man I love it! 18 speed transmission and a 600 Cummins.
Me: Wow! man that is one nice setup, I've been wanting to try an 18 speed, maybe one day.
Driver: If you ever do you'll love it!
Me: Ok you be safe out there!
Driver: yesir have a good'n