Why Not Automatic?!

Yup I watched the video, I just meant something like an I shift is a proven technology, it's been around a long time and works brilliantly, I'd give that new Allison a year or two to prove itself, I like the concept a lot and you are absolutely right , competition is healthy , it brings innovation and improvements and a choice of equipment for all different job applications, just look at Europe, truck build quality tends to be much higher than here in NA due to intense competition and when it's not (eg. Iveco) they offer 5 years bumper to bumper warranty, that's what competition does for the hauler and its a good thing! I look forward to new technologies like this Allison but I like to see how they perform in the real world before I'd purchase, trucking is too expensive to be a guinea pig

 

you dont want to be replacing a tranny every couple of months

 

I don't think there is a tranny out there that bad, the Allison traditionally certainly has proved themselves strength wise I'm just waiting to see how the new technology works with fuel consumption

 

Are we talking about electric or hydraulic retarders? Hydraulic retarders were a great way to up to braking capacity on older CAT-powered trucks, however, they were ungodly heavy compared to jakes.

 

Hydraulic but nowadays they are only about 30kgs I think, the motor itself about as big as a starter motor, modern versions have better control than a jake, better stopping power, clever integration and because it pulls from the back of the gearbox you can clutch and change gear going downhill without picking up any speed . Most of the time I'd use the retarder to slow down or stop coming to junctions etc.

 

True, they probably will have some bugs to work out of a newly fielded transmission. But since they have been at the automatic transmission game since 1946 and developed the first off road automatics and the first rail car transmissions, I would be willing to bet the bugs aren't near as frequent as those experienced by everyone else trying to get manual transmissions to "auto shift". Allison is the "gold standard" in automatic transmissions. Even with their other transmission offerings that have been used in heavy trucks, you don't hear nearly the whining and hollering you do from folks using auto shifts/ultrashifts. I operated a truck pulling an end dump in Alaska in the 80's that had an Allison automatic in it behind a Cat 3406B and thought it was a great setup. Even in the blistering cold it did exceptionally well.

One thing to keep in mind with all of this, is that the auto shifts/ultrashifts could only be accomplished by using computer technology. The full automatics were being used in heavy trucks before computers were introduced to automotive products. A lot of the technology to making full autos work does not rely on computer controlling. What part of it does is more limited in scope than the auto shift/ultrashift varieties. Whether it works as well as advertised, we will have to see. I think the fuel economy issue will either make or break the final outcome for the product.

 

And I fully agree with you , my only problem with a fully automatic will be fuel consumption, I'm sure they have it figured out but I'm the type that needs to see it to believe it, I know Allison transmissions have the reliability but coming from a part of the world where fuel economy is king I know what fuel economy means to a hauler!

Autoshifts like volvos ishift work really well, America has gone so far behind they have nothing to compete, I drove an ultrashift, it's about as advanced as a scania CAG , those were in production last in the early 90's, jerky, slow and a nightmare to reverse! I really hope this Allison works as it should, I hope it makes everybody sit up and take notice, because if it is as fuel efficient as an ishift the whole life cost would be lower, that'd really cause a stir and ultimately make things better for haulers ( except purists of course lol )

 

http://www.mechanicshub.com/index.p...ce-tied-to-its-programming&Itemid=574&lang=en

REED IT AND BE DELIGHTED
Leave torque converters alone,...highway ATM users have the perfect custom programable at hand and USA made ...13speed MHP UP TO 2050TQ.,18 MXP 2250TQ and the ultra + 10 speed(((company mass bought))) ALL are based in the same manual basic transmision......

PS::: Just place and order for one 13 + MHP and T680 chasis with 485ISX, offered in KW 680 with a stick,what i wanted....
....JUST the perfect alternative for acceptable Ishift W/o the engine that was buit for european cabover trucks with distribution gears on back of the engine for better access by pushing ((hydraulic pump))the cab onto the front hinges/supports for repairs and engine access....

 

Buncha spoiled crybabies in this current crop of cdl mill steering wheel holders.

 

well your trainer is probably looking at his fuel milage

auto are terrible for fuel milage

if he's yelling then ask him nicely to explain what you're doing wrong

yelling won't fix nothing

i tell my students it's ok to do it wrong just change what you're doing till you get it right