Help me build my first new truck as an owner operator!

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by Shockwave, Aug 13, 2007.

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  1. BobC

    BobC Medium Load Member

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    Yes you can.
    You have tremendous versatility with today's ECMs.

    The rail pressure is adjustable, the max rpm, the max torgue, max speed & even the torque curves for each gear is adjustable.

    You can spend days trying different combinations of each to get what you want for your driving style.

    Frankly, I've always found that the factory settings were about the best & you simply adjusted "your" driving to take advantage of the drivetrain.

    All those other "game playing options" were to keep company drivers more in-line with how you wanted them to drive the truck.

    Rarely have I seen a company's settings produce the gains or savings that a decent driver can bring out.
     
    BobC, Aug 16, 2007
    #31
  2. Shockwave

    Shockwave Bobtail Member

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    Once again does anyone have suggestions on what rears and tire combo I should use to get a good fuel mileage truck for highway use if I start with a 470 HP motor and a 13 speed?
     
    Shockwave, Aug 21, 2007
    #32
  3. Eskimo6804

    Eskimo6804 Heavy Load Member

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    3.36 or 3.42 gears with 22.5 lp tires.
     
    Eskimo6804, Aug 21, 2007
    #33
  4. 25(2)+2

    25(2)+2 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    I like 13 and 18, but the maintenance manager keeps sticking me with straight 10s, he eventually wants to have the company buy 10 speed ODs with 3.90 rear gears.

    Pulling lots of reefer and not much step deck, I was able to get 7.5 with a Detroit and 13 direct geared even taller than the 2.65. The step decks we pull are specialized chicken trailers, they are very heavy and have lots of wind resistance with any quartering wind. You have to drive them very carefully to get 5.2 with a 10 speed and I could get around 5.5 with that 13.

    An 18 allows you to preselect all shifts instead of taking it out of gear and flicking your thumb to shift up like a 13, all the gears were at the same difference about 15% of the rpm per shift, you can keep it all below 1500 even with heavy pulling if you choose.

    I run rolling hills and would drop the split going up and put it in high on the way down, it kept the engine from running so hard, and kept fuel use less than with that 10 lugging down going up and holding back going down.

    The 18 was an N-14 geared about 2.73. It is a good setup if you remember to shift down pulling the hills instead of lugging it, I got better mileage with that truck than the guy did that drove it for years in high gear with the cruise on.
     
    25(2)+2, Aug 21, 2007
    #34
  5. Shockwave

    Shockwave Bobtail Member

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    Thank you!
     
    Shockwave, Aug 21, 2007
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  6. Carolina_Beaver_Teaser

    Carolina_Beaver_Teaser Light Load Member

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    Geared too low.

    Was running a T600, lp 22.5s, 3.55 rears, 10 spd, and my Cat loved cruising at 65 to 70 mph in the nieghborhood of 1450 to 1550 rpms, was still inside its powerband.
     
    Carolina_Beaver_Teaser, Oct 30, 2007
    #36
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