Why do so many Americans hate European trucks?

Yes, in direct drive you don't use gears, so that should be te most efficient drive. However the 6% loss you mentioned is very high. ZF claims a 99% efficiency for its new Traxon gearboxes, as used by the new DAF trucks.

 

those axles look huge, what is closest you can get this days to this?

 

i see big problem in tri drive, limited axle walk ( up and down ) maybe 10 inch stroke over 3axles, in my eyes very hard to gain 100% ground contact , dont know if you guys use 2bag or 4bag per axle, with 2 are very rigids to frame and thereby reduce axle articulation causing easy lose of grip, hypoid axles are very fragile,especially with diff locks. tri drive would damage forest path/road in 180 degree switchbacks, this is why we mostly use 2 axle Drawbar(A)trailer. in austria they often use central axle drawbar trailers, they are problem for traction, create too much drag when cornering destroying road, you need to use 6x6 where 6x4 would come without problem with A trailer. my choice for your case would be 6x4 + extra liftable axle, on parabolic springs hub reduction, this way will have best traction. today progresive parabolic springs are close to ride comfort of air.

14.4 x 4.1 = 59,04x reduction.

this truck below have only 43.2x reduction and works in medium conditions ( not worst ones), on soft springs, hub reduction,normal tires conti hdc, this setup provide best weight distribution and offroad capabilities considering diff ratio, and 2drive axles and makes no problem and no need for slower diff




same transmission older generation


this one 48.18 reduction,


53,48x reduction, trailer use steering axles on remote controler, timber bunks move on hydraulics, they also use lowloade trailer for transport of timberjacks and tractors


for most serious ones i like slow reduction of 5.143 or 5.333 diff

 

Depends on what suspension you buy. Kenworth suspension has 12 bags total, pretty much everything else on the market has 6 bags. You do pretty much have to run the power dividers locked in once you're off the pavement though. Tridrives have been legal out in BC for about 20 years now so if there were any issues with them excessively tearing up roads and such they never would have become so commonplace. You do get a bit more tire scrub but its nothing very concerning. One would probably see more tire scrub on a tridem trailer during turns than on the truck itself. Better floatation on a tridrive too since there's less legal weight per axle when you add an axle to the grouping (9,100kg single, 17,000kg tandem. Tridem weight varies by province but its typically 23 or 24,000kg).

 

does law allow same weight for tri drive, as tandem drive and another lift axle in same group?
for road damage i was primary thinking of damage on unpaved road

 

Not sure on lift axles. I don't believe they are legal in western Canada. Some trucks that run cross-border have them but they are always up when on the Canadian side.

 

Federal weight limits allow more on the axle group with 3 axles but not more in the gross weight. But remember federal weight limits are minimum standards, individual states can allow more.

Edit to add: on overweight permitted loads more axles directly equals more allowed weight.

 

In my area yes...... 3 axles get the same weight lift or not.....if everything is the same except lift....

 

It even comes with a radio ??? Wow !

 

And air conditioning!