Price as tested: £66,686 (ex-VAT), includes Jake Brake, £1,490; Alcoa
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aluminium wheels, £2,410; aluminium air tanks, £90; tipping hinge, £160; three-quarter-length frame flitch, £525.
Engine: 10 litres, 242kW (325hp). Tested GVVV: 32 tonnes. Body/payload: 23.37 tonnes. Speed: 67km/h (41.7mph).
Fuel consumption: 33.7014/100km (8.38mpg).
When the present 'ED rate for 32tonne eight-leggers was announced many Foden operators decided to simply uprate to the 30.8-tonne design weight, or nudge up to 31 tonnes and stick at the existing rate.
For hauliers chasing elusive contracts and trying to survive on punishing rates, the decision was an easy one to make--especially when faced with the expense of a full upgrade and ever spiralling dery prices.
However, our first test of a Cummins LTAA10-engined Foden 8x4 at the higher limit indicates that the penalty of running at 32 tonnes might not be as severe as was first thought.
Two months ago CM tested a Perkins Eagle 325Tx-powered Foden eight-wheeler at 30.49 tonnes which managed to return 33.51it/1001un (8.44mpg) at an average speed of 65.5km/h (40.7mph): good figures by anyone's standards.
The 3325C is 151 tonnes heavier and has 242kW (325hp) on tap. With gearing better suited for quicker journeys, it was slightly faster around our tipper test route and its fuel consumption was only 0.7°,, down on its 3325Tx stablemate.
That equates to an extra £1 80 on an annual fuel bill for a tipper covering 103,000km with dery priced at 48pi1it. Add to that the extra £1,000 on VED and the penalty for carrying nearly 1.3 tonnes extra works out at just under £100 per month.
Of course uprating, either to the 31.0 or 32.0-tonne VED breakpoints calls for a hefty outlay before vou turn a wheel and without even attempting to calculate the extra wear and tear on frame,driveline and bodywork.
To make things easier on hauliers several Foden dealers offer upgrading packages; Manchester Trucks can even complete the work overnight and have the truck ready to load at 06:00hrs. Depending on the specification and age of vehicle it will upgrade an eightlegger for somewhere between £860 and £1,500 but that doesn't include the price of 12R22.5 front tyres and higher insurance rates.
To accommodate fairly standard 6.9m (22.5ft) bodies, Foden insists on a minimum outer axle spread of 6.40m and a chassis wheelbase of 5,875mm for 32-tonnes tippers; the only exception to this is mixer chassis.
• PRODUCT PROFILE
Converting this particular chassis with its 6,560mm outer axle spread to 32 tonnes underlines the practical problems of shifting the 320kg forward from the 19-tonne rear bogie without threatening front axle limits.
The Mackworth/Harsh combination is a reasonably light one at 1.57 tonnes, but even with underfloor gear a 6.94m aluminium body doesn't leave a great deal of loading tolerance between front and rear axle sets.
There's no code of practice, nor specialist training courses, for quarry shovel operators whose basic instinct is to dump the bulk of the load over the rear axles come what may.
With only 510mm between cab and body the exhaust, which is routed around the rear of the engine, comes within a gnat's whisker of the body and actually chafes it on full deflection.
Another complication, bearing in mind the 1.72m-long day cab and vertical exhaust stack, is the high looping frame stiffener located behind the LIO or Tx engines to absorb the high torque output. This is unecessary on 8.3 litre Cummins C-Series engines, but most operators prefer larger engines on tipper work.
At 32 tonnes the 242kW tipper's power-toweight ratio drops to 7.56kW/tonne but power does not seem to be in short supply.
That goes for braking power too, especially with the addition of a Jacobs engine brake.
One of the delights of Foden's range of options is Eaton's Twin Splitter overdrive gearbox which gives slick changes across its 12 well-spaced ratios.
The Perkins Tx-engined 8x4 had Air-Trac air springs over the drive bogie, but this eightlegger rode on Foden's well-proven FF20 rubber suspension.
• PRODUCTIVITY
Our tipper route 4 mix of motor
way and A-roads to give a good indication of what the average operator can expect from a vehicle. With damp, overcast weather the results were better than expected. There was little to choose between the motorway and Aroad sections in terms of fuel consumption or average speeds.
Over the MI section the torquey 10-litre Cummins engine pulled well at around 1,500rpm but kept well down the specific fuel consumption curve at 192g/kW.hr.
An Econocruise top speed limiter kept a check on the Cummins' enthusiasm by hauling it in at 60mph (96km/h): the Jake also reined it in effectively at lower speed limits or when approaching hazards.
Running on fast dual-carriageways produced much the same results, running well below the 2(10g/kW.hr mark.
Unlike with the Perkins-powered 3325, which gave of its best over A-roads, our Cummins-engined test tipper gave an excellent all-round performance. Fuel consumption averaged 33.6-34 lit/100km (8.31-8.41 mpg) over the full range of terrain and at high average speeds, putting it well on a par with its competitors.
This and the Volvo FL10 are the first tip
pers to be tested at 32 tonnes so it's early days as far as comparisons go, but the Foden's 8.63tonne unladen weight is certainly competitive.
For the Foden purchaser with money to spare there is a shopping list of options which will help boost payload. Spending £2,500 on a full set of Alcoa wheels and aluminium air tanks will obviously help, but in any case the 23.37-tonne body/payload figure is one to bear in mind.
• ON THE ROAD
Power being the key to any truck's performance, the Foden 3325C is outstanding among those in its group, aided by the Twin Splitter's even steps and matching 4.33:1 final drive. The gear sequence varies according to the terrain; on the flat it pulls away effortlessly in second followed by a skip to fourth. From here the extra weight requires each ratio in turn as speed builds.
This was a well run in demonstrator with over 28,000km on the clock and this doubtless helped return some impressive track figures—its 0-80km/h figure of 55sec was over 1 lsec quicker than the less powerful Volvo FL10 32-tormer and as fast as the 235kW MAN F90 and 228kW Scania eight-leggers tested at the old 30.49-tonne limit.
Accelerating through the gears showed it to be as quick as the others too.
Over winding country roads it handles well. Foden's FF20 rubber suspension copes easily with sudden changes of lock but there is the usual clacking from the steel-sprung front end.
Our doubts about a restart on MIRA's short 33% (1-in-3) test gradient were soon dispelled as the Foden roared clear (the flexible exhaust section behind the turbocharger was blowing) in crawler gear with no need to lock up the cliffs.
On the road it felt at home on the tough climb up Edge Hill where the 16.6% (1-in-6) screws around at 900 to catch out the unwary driver. Aided by the Twin Splitter's fast changes it cleared the escarpment without fuss: only the smell of hot linings on the twin clutch plates betraying the effort applied.
The engine breathed cleanly and remained at its normal working temperature, but its climb time of 2min 44sec is well down on others in its group.
Another effect of the extra load is the additional wear and tear on service brake components. so a Jake Brake looks like a sound investment used regularly over hilly terrain it must extend the life of braking and other components while saving fuel and giving the drivers a better time.
Wet tracks prevented us from sampling the foot brakes to the extreme but there were several occasions where hard pedal stops were needed on the road, leaving us in little doubt of their effectiveness.
Park brake chambers on three axles held firm on the 33°. slope facing up and downhill.
Manoeuvering at 32 tonnes requires no more effort at the wheel than before; the ZF power steering coping easily, even at low engine revs. Having a long outer axle spread of 6.56m with the 1.47m front overhang does result in rather wider turning circles of 23.58m between kerbs and 24.48m wall to wall. We also noted a wide discrepancy of 1.58m between locks.
CAB COMFORT
Gaffers will be happy to choose the lighter 2.2m narrow cab, which is less obtrusive on narrow roads and not as prone to damage from overhanging trees or shrubs as the wider version.
From the driver's seat there is less room in the footwell, which can be restrictive on long runs. Otherwise it's a roomy, well trimmed workplace with large flat surfaces over the engine and plenty of stowage space. With a peak noise level of 72dB(A) its also one of the quietest cabs on the road.
Wide staggered steps allow an easy step up into the fully adjustable lsringhausen driver's seat, and visibility is excellent. A full set of mirrors give ample views down the sides and there are two large rear windows that are useful when loading up.
Its modern-looking panel is ergonomically designed and the instruments are all well placed. Eye-catching features include the headlight beam adjuster, which is useful when travelling empty, and the light inside the outer toolbox behind the passenger seat.
As always with Fodens there is a wide range of options, including a full sleeper or rest bunk and line-fitted fire screen packages, but for the average tipper driver the standard day cab will be the preferred choice.
• SUMMARY
Operators looking to step up to 32 tonnes gross should be encouraged by these test results.
It seems to be no less fuel efficient for carrying the extra weight, with excellent economy and journey times; it can certainl many of the better 30A9-tonners.
This is a fast, flexible eight-leg high payload which promises an potential to give a good return o: ment-provided you can find the w( The narrow-cabbed 3325C is drive: but care is needed when planning its ification.
The base 3000 Series 8x4 wiff (300hp) Caterpiller 3306C engine ai Roadranger gearbox retails at £57 with the test vehicle's on-line build-s reversing buzzers, fog lights, metal powered passenger windows and thi you're looking at a price tag of nearer
Foden's range of options is rernaff it's rather like visiting a supermark( of the corner shop: if you don't stic shopping list you can end up filling ley and spending more than you plat U by Bryan Jarvis