Scania v8 730hp

Pictures, or it didn't happened.

Well, 20 years is almost normal in US - if only truck owner want/need to keep truck this long. Look here for trucks build in the 60's still working like nothing had happened:

http://www.thedieselgarage.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95472&page=27

 

Sure no probem, on my way to Italy right now, I should be home Saturday I'll post them right away

 

Sure no probem, on my way to Italy right now, I should be home Saturday I'll post them right away

 

Sorry guys for cutting in on your conversation, I'm a driver and originally I came from Belfast , I drove trucks in the middle east, Australia , Europe and where I now live, the USA , in australia American trucks proved no better than euro trucks to cope with the conditions, in fact I'd say euro were a little better except parts prices and availability in remote places was a factor but that's changing now , scania and Volvo are picking up momentum at a serious pace now

In Europe one and a half years ago before I came here I drove an r620 scania, by far the most comfortable and powerful and fuel efficient truck I've ever driven, compared with the pete 379 I now drive,the cab is huge by euro standards, great for staying away but that's where the nice ends , its underpowered, the brakes are crap( drum brakes ) the cat c 15 engine is a diesel junkie ( compared with euro trucks) there's no cab suspension, it's noisy inside, u can feel the vibrations, the gearbox came from the middle ages, it has no nightheater , no aircon when the engine is switched off, you can't see out of it, blind spots all over, the mirrors are a joke (flat glass, law here) the sun blinds you off the bonnet, it has zero aerodynamics, it had double drive axles ( completely un necessary for road trucks (harder on fuel, bad in wet or slippery conditions on asphalt , but are very popular here, god knows why) the interior despite it's size looks as though it was flung into the truck from across the road with it's dials and cheap plastics, I was so disappointed when I got it, I really wanted it to be as good as they say. I know that some of my American friends if you are on this forum are gonna recognise me, I'm sorry guys but it's true, it had to be said, im not into these forums or have any real interest in them but I was reading all the crap about " mine is better than yours" well take it from someone who has driven in all corners if the globe and in all conditions, scania make the toughest , nicest and easy to drive truck I've ever been in, I'm not interested in getting into an argument with any of you? This has been my experience with trucks for the last 20 years

But one thing that makes me love trucking in America, the reason I want to stay here, it's definately not the trucks, ( I'd give my right arm to have that 620 back despite the short cab, which by the way isn't bad to live in at all) it's nit even the freedom of all those stupid euro restrictions, nope, it's the people here, go into a strange restraunt, bar or truckstop, meet complete strangers and be made feel like you just met a long lost buddy, that's the appeal for me, that's why I love being here, Europeans have a lot to learn from people here. and I don't want any replies to my brief essay, like I said these are my experiences and you can't dispute that, so sorry if I've offended any friends but the fact is American trucks are years behind the swedes. Also I'd like to point out Europe makes crap trucks too, daf, iveco, man, pegaso, erf, foden and so on,

 

I used to drive US and EU trucks and about overs. In EU there are stupid laws, that were cancelled in US in 80-s but in EU they follow old lenth standards. And I'm sure European conventional truck may be really good with really good and big sleeper.

But US trucks have some other advantages. US transmission is very simple and durable. No synchro - no problem. No clutch servo - no clutch problems. US trucks are much better for low quality roads, like in Ex-USSR. US air system is like air system of old European trucks, no Air processing units, ECAMs and other stuff - so less expencive parts.

Comparing US and EU engines - they are of the same quality, especially we have to mention that US and EU trucks share engines and automatic transmissions.

Two drive axes- yep, converting US truck from 6x4 to 6x2 (tag axe) shows that really 6x4 is not necessary till it is snow here! 4x2 trucktors sink in mud and snow aka stones! But US trucks are generally with center diff. lock - no axe diff locks and Europeans are better in this thing, becouse axe diff locks is standard.

We did axe swap too. From EU truck to US trucks and what to say.... bolt pattern differs and we had to swap rims too, but disk brakes are no so good as all you think. Calipers are heavy and liners and caliper self ajustincg mechanics goes bad! So old good drum brakes are more durable and mud/water proof.

Ouh, the best way to ruin brake disk - drive down a hill with glow red disks and drive throught deep puddle... Crack!!! Click!! LOL!

One more good thing of US trucks. Frames are longer and that's why us frames are made of thiker steel so EU frame is easier to bend in accident.

EU vs US trailers is the othey story

 

I saw a progame called megafactories on NGC about peterbilt. They glue the chassis beams together. And here it's welded/screwed together

 

I agree with you about the brakes, if you are going off road or through mud u def need drum , grit i know destroys pads so you need to keep the grit out, only drums can do this, buy discs are far superior on the motorway, better stopping power and cool much faster, disck brakes and a retarder can't be beaten for on- road work especially on mountains rarely do u ever need the brakes so they stay cool and never see them glowing red

 

My problem with euro rules is that they are too strictly enforced in some countries especially ones that hand out large fines ( great way of getting revenue from truckers) for instance being 30 minutes away from your own house and not being able to continue home cos Ure time is up really Is BS, I once got fined by the French 1500 euro cos I moved the truck during my weekend break Eventhough I explained I moved it to facilitate some work being carried out around my house, that's total BS, Europe needs a European wide penalty system so to stop police in certain countries making up their own interpretations of what constitutes a offence, secondly trucks are not big enough, they should be doubles like the Nordic countries, fuel is getting too expensive for running international routes with 45ft trailers when you can double up for a marginal fuel penalty, single trailers don't make sense in international haulage anymore