[SEL] OT: Splitter Boxes and Range-Changes

[Steve W.]

ALL of those are TOYS. Try a Mack twin stick with a two speed rear end
when you really want to learn how to shift...
That would be a 5 speed main box, 5 speed secondary box and the two
speed rear.
For a LONG time that was a common setup on construction vehicles so they
could match speeds with other equipment.
I even know of one real glutton for punishment who has a custom built
rig from the mid 70s that has a 5 speed feeding a 9 speed with a 2 speed
rear.
With the 5X5 you shift 1-5, then you shift the second box into 2 while
shifting the main box back to either 2nd or third depending on how it is
geared. Then go 1-5 and shift the main box to 1st while shifting the
rear box to 4. Now go back through 1-5 again and then shift the rear box
to 5 main box to 3rd and splitter to high. Go through 4,5 and your in
high gear. Hills can be fun....
Something like 50 forward gear ratios, 10 reverse.

Steve Williams

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Listerdiesel" <listerdiesel at gmail.com>
To: <SEL at lists.stationary-engine.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 4:24 PM
Subject: [SEL] OT: Splitter Boxes and Range-Changes


> For those non-truck guys who might be interested, the term splitter
> box refers to a 5 or 6-speed gearbox with another (epicyclic) gearbox
> on the back, giving a multiplication up or down of the difference
> between two consecutive gears in the main gearbox, thus you would
> start in 1st Low, then split up to 1st high, then 2nd low, 2nd high
> and so forth.
>
> Range-change boxes were a development of the splitter boxes, except
> that the ratio of the epicyclic unit took the gearing up a whole range
> of gears higher, and once in the high range you rarely needed to come
> down again on the move, so the sequence went 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
> then back to 1st but you changed the range up so that 1st was now 6th
> gear and so on.
>
> There were all sorts of devices to stop folks dropping back down the
> range at the wrong time, and when they failed it was a case of a box
> of cogs all over the road! The Scania box in particular was prone to
> all sorts of problems with the pneumatics and synchro cones.
>
> Fuller made a Range-Change box which also sold well in the UK, but
> Volvo and Scania made their own units.
>
> Having driven both (I hold a full truck licence) I found the splitter
> box better, but the constant thumbing of the control button on the
> gear lever didn't suit some guys, and the range-change boxes
> eventually replaced the splitters completely.
>
> Peter
> -- 
> Peter A Forbes
> Email: listerdiesel at gmail.com
> Web: www.oldengine.org/members/diesel
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