The how to shift trucks thread

[chidog]

I worked with a fellow that could drive logging trucks okay, and shift a 13 speed road ranger just fine.
But regretted the day when I let him drive my service truck with a 5 and 2 speed rear axle, I thought he was going to ruin that rear axle, everytime he tried a shift he had that thing grinding like a coffee grinder.
It was an electric shift. Didn't they say not to preselect the splitter on the old 13's? I think he was not preselecting the rear axle? If I remember I could not shift at 13 speed with out a bit of preselect?

 

[Welder Dave]

Was he not using the clutch?

 

[Truck Shop]

I will let this thread play for a bit.

 

[terex herder]

Always shift the 2 speed in the higher gear, going up or down. Going up, take the engine almost to governer. Shift, then blip the throttle. Going down, same thing. Shift, then blip the throttle. The shift won't occur if there is a load on the axle, either from the engine power or the vehicle trying to overspeed the engine. The throttle blip frees the load on the axle so it can shift. Essentially, you have a spring wound float shift.

 

[Tyler d4c]

1low1high 2low 2high 3low 3 high 4low5low 4 high 5 high
Now your going 35mph

 

[Old Doug]

If you shift every 2 speed the same way you will end up needing a new rear end. I have hauled some extreme loads with 2 speed axles and had good luck. They will help make a small engine pull things it shouldnt but i dont like them they they are fragile in the hands of some one that doesnt know . When farmers used strait trucks i could sell every 2 speed i could find.

 

[DMiller]

Want play time find a Old Vacuum Shift 2spd then move to a Air shift 2 spd and find a junker does not always shift electric.

NONE shift the same, follow the Pattern on the visor or dash, FOLLOW the Instructions.

 

[Old Doug]

I have a buddy with a Two story Falcon with tandem 2 speeds i think i would like to drive it.

 

[DMiller]

So long as been converted to shift Both at same time, early Two Story Falcons had Three Speed Eaton setup, shift each diff separately, axle shaft, u-joint and driveline eating machines for newbies.

 

[77Ford]

When I had an old 2 speed truck I only ever put in high from 4th gear. I never put into low unless the truck was stopped , I could never really find a way to do it without grinding coffee. My Road Ranger 13 is smooth as silk up and down, I don't miss that old split rear end at all.

 

[John C.]

I've never used a clutch when shifting the two speed. All the descriptions for shifting a two speed axle that I've seen specifically mentioned to not use the clutch.

 

[cuttin edge]

Never drove a truck with a ruxel, but as far as I know, you can pre select high and low range, but not the splitter. The old man always said you could tell who pre selected when you pulled the back of the transmission. I pull the plunger up or down as I pull it out of gear in one motion. I flip the splitter, the second I take my foot off the fuel.

 

[Birken Vogt]

It is like this. Imagine it is a 9 speed or whatever and your arm is the shift motor. You are going to be shifting between 8th and 9th gear, that equates to low and high in the axle.

If you want to upshift. You are cruising along and you pull the button upwards to preselect. That is like you putting pressure on the shifter from 8th toward 9th. It will not come out of gear because of the torque.

You have to break torque. Usually this is done by just backing off the throttle. At some point torque will be neutralized and it will come out of 8th and slide into 9th but of course it will not go in because the speed is not matched. You continue off the throttle to let the engine speed decay and finally it matches the lower speed for 9th and drops in.

Downshifts are the reverse. You preselect low range. That is your arm pushing the gear shift toward 8th with a steady pressure. Back off the throttle and it comes out of 9th and starts raking the gears on 8th. At this point you get your foot back in it and engine RPM increases eventually matching and it drops into 8th by itself. This could also be accomplished by stepping on the clutch for a second but the clutch has to be out to increase drive shaft speed to match for the lower gear ratio.

They had a driver instruction book online years ago, but I can't find it now.

 

[Truck Shop]

Go to town fellers.

 

[DMiller]

Quads, either learn them or not. Many even as Mack mechanics could NOT drive one just used the main box and direct o-drive gears.

 

[Truck Shop]

Quads, either learn them or not. Many even as Mack mechanics could NOT drive one just used the main box and direct o-drive gears.

Very true.
Rule #1 on the up shift don't shift the main box till your done shifting the auxiliary.
Rule #2 don't think of the auxiliary as 1,2,3,4. Think of it as Deep Under, Under, Direct and Overdrive.

 

[DMiller]

One I actually Drove awhile used the Aux as a Brownie, (2 Gears), shifted each for each main gear.. Did use Low side for starting out, first and second gears, then up to High side for 2 again thru 5th, Only used UD and DUD OFF road and only individually, no shift need otherwise. NEVER EVER get two shifters hung in N Gate, end up stopped and stating over, Do NOT ask how I know.

 

[Welder Dave]

The 9 speed in my dump truck is complicated enough for me. These other ones and 2 or 3 sticks scare me.

 

[Truck Shop]

Driving and shifting-
In the early 70's a shop I worked at sweeping floors and washing parts as after school job, there was
a driver named Hank. Hank was senior driver, had a 72 Pete last of the low cabs. Powered by a 1693
425 with the rack screw removed had 6 x 4 boxes. Hank wouldn't drive a air shift. Elbows of his jean
jacket worn through hair sticking up on one side he looked like a rag picker. He had a oddity that I've
never seen since-his eyes, he would be looking straight ahead and one eye would be looking off to
the side and would fluctuate between both eyes. It was said he could look straight ahead and one
mirror at the same time. He never drove himself to work his wife brought him and picked him up. He said
he couldn't help but swing the corners wide even in the car. Hank started driving in 1930.

I went for one short ride with him-Out of everyone I've been around Hank was with out a doubt the
smoothest driver with a set of boxes. I guess that's why he was senior driver, Hank died in 1979.

 

[CM1995]

RND is my favorite shift pattern.

As long as Allison makes a transmission I could care less how to double clutch and split gears. All I need a truck to do in the dirt business is get from point A to point B safely and efficiently with the occasional on-site use so an auto fits the bill for us.