Ford still makes at F550(maybe 650-much to Sterlings dismay)dont really know how far up you can spec a 650 certainly not class 8.An Allison tranny is second to none. And still I wonder are the CVTs worth having now Guys?
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If youâll read my link . . . which I address to oldtimer, actually . . . it states that Ford sells an F750 diesel semi with 37000lbs GVWR
The pictures show that itâs 2 axle, not 3 axle. And it doesnât show a sleeper. That would imply short distance delivery, not long haul
Maybe itâs not a âreal manâs truckâ according to everybodyâs definition, but still class 8
I thought the Sterling brand was dropped . . . used to part of Daimler, didnât it?
You kidding right?I wouldnt swear to it,but I thought Sterling was still going,a few years ago we priced a quad axle Sterling the 410 HP Mercedes engine was a few thousand dollars cheaper then the Caterpillar 410 HP engine,so maybe Mercedes is the owner now(my only interest in trucks now,is to park them and get out of them ,quick as possible)
Daimler discontinued Sterling in 2009 to concentrate on Western Star and Freightliner.
Is not asking if cvt has a future lock on the market like asking in the 70s if electronic ignition will replace points? Sure we loved our dwell meters and feeler gauges, and did not mind, but life goes on, be it more expensive, and harder to work on.
letâs cut to the chase . . .
Are you saying that this is one of those pivotal moments in time?
Are you saying that CVT transmissions will replace all others?
@db4960 yes I am saying cvt is the future in automobile transmissions
Donât take this the wrong way, but I think CVT transmissions needs tons more development, before they can be used in heavy duty applications
Theyâre going to have to a LOT stronger and SUPER reliable
Because long haul trucks and vocational trucks have to super reliable. After all, they earn money for the companies
Hereâs what I think may happen in the meantime . . .
CVTs . . . with some more development, migh replace conventional automatics in cars, small SUVs, and small trucks
And automated manuals . . . think Eaton-Fuller . . . are already making headway, and may very completely replace âconventionalâ manuals in heavy applications. think long haul and dump truck
Yup . . . I donât think CVT will ever have what it takes to be the only type of transmission in all vehicles
CVTâs have definitely become more popular. It was one Ford model, then Mitsubishi and Nissan. Now Honda has it in its best sellers (Civic and Accord) and Toyota has is in the Corolla. I think the trend will continue because they are pinching the 0.1 MPG out of everything.
Now, some others are moving to dual clutch and those are not safe as problems go either.
If I am buying a new car today, I try and stay away from CVTâs; but I am one that for years didnât like power windows (is cranking the dang thing so hard?), but now all my cars have power window and sometimes I do roll the rear windows down from the front without stretching my arm. I also donât know why I need steering wheel controls for my audio, when the radio is on the other side within an arms reach. But then again, my cars have this feature and sometimes I use it. So who knows, a few cars down the road I might be driving a CVT car.
@db4690, current CVT depends on static friction between two metal parts. Thatâs how locomotive wheels acts on steel wheels. With a huge pump and a thick metal chain, it can be scaled up for long haul trucks.
Just because it can be done, it doesnât mean it should be done. It just doesnât make sense in terms of efficiency to have a pump drawing power when they can automate a manual transmissionâs clutch the draws no power when in gear. The argument for CVT is that it saves energy by keeping the engine close to its most efficient range of operation. But what this saves doesnât offset the power required to operate a CVT, at least not for long haul trucks. And I donât know if CVT for cars is the best choice either.
These auto clutch units,do they take the klutz out of gear rowing throttle jockeys? Also are the Road Rangers supposed to be shifted without using the clutch?(Iâve heard people clunking and grinding them before)
Back to cars,how long before electric drive,takes over from conventinal gearing?
Radio and cruise control on the steering wheel are supposed to be safety features. You donât have to remove one hand from the steering wheel, and less attention is diverted from the road when using the steering wheel controls. I think the latter is the most important.
As far as I know, on those automated Road Rangers, the driver doesnât row gears. The shift lever is linear, and has reverse, neutral, drive, mode, 2, 1, etc. No park position, just like in a conventional automatic transmission. There is no clutch pedal.
In my opinion, the conventional Road Rangers are more difficult to drive, because of the layout and the straight cut gears. On the conventional road ranger, you technically should be using the clutch pedal.
Definitely not as forgiving of bad technique, versus the typical manual transmission in a Corolla, for example
Thank you DB,good info,the straight cut gears are tough,but after awhile they will get worn off with the clashing,heard a a Guy take off in a class 8 this evening, to start with I heard a clunk,better on down the road, slick and smooth,I have heard the automated manuals will even upshift successfully on a steep grade,something thats hard to do with a heavily laden truck,with a manual.
Yup
Supposedly, the roadranger automated manuals are the best of all possible combinations
Strength
fuel economy
easy to drive
And apparently, the automated manuals shift better than some human drivers
Iâll freely admit Iâm not that good driving those transmissions. I need more practice
Neither am I.
Even though I donât like traditional planetary gear automatics, I favor them over frictional CVTs. Not only did Honda under design the drive pulley, they are avoiding the problem with a software change instead of fixing the underlying cause.
The concept of CVT goes way back, but engineering issues with them are apparently not well understood. OTOH, planetary gear transmissions have been around since the model T. And they are achieving much wider ratio spread than CVTs. The best of CVTs can reach about 6 whereas the ZF 9 speed gets closer to 10. Fordâs 11 speed patent is even higher still.
My lawn mower is a CVT but Iâm still afraid of them in cars. But for mowers they sure beat those weak hydrostatic ones.
Back before WW II, Hudson offered a Vacuomatic clutch where the clutch was operated by vacuum. This feature was an option until 1951_when Hudson dropped this feature and offered the Hydramatic transmission purchased from GM. Packard offered an optional electric clutch in the 1940s. Both the Hudson and Packardsystems freed up the driver from the clutch. These systems could be switched off and the cars driven as a regular manual transmission car. Would the Hudson and Packards be considered to have automated. manuals?