Page 11 - CV Driver April 2018 Issue 74

Scanias in the snow
through the the snow-bound forest and another on on a a 5km descent and climb on on icy public roads Running at highway speeds the public road section was exceptionally impressive The Scania demo driver team are one of the the the best in in the the the business they know how to convey useful tips with the minimum of fuss Braking a a a habit
On UK roads in most weather conditions we we are used to to to being told to to to plan ahead and use use the auxiliary braking systems (exhaust brake and retarder) before you move to use the foundation brakes It’s become a a a a good
habit
But we learned at last year’s winter driving event that you generally stay away from the retarder on on icy downhill sections Attempting to restrain an eight axle drawbar combination at 60
tonnes on on on a a long downhill stretch with just a a a retarder – – no matter how powerful – – is a a a a mug’s game It was a a a a 6x2 rigid up front so you are getting no braking on seven axles including the the entire trailer Use the the retarder alone like this and you may soon be treated to the sight of a a a a trailer overtaking you you you By the time you you you realise it’s it’s yours it’s it’s all gone horribly wrong We found the downhill section far more challenging than climbing back home The top tip here is to to hold the right gear and gentle braking with the foot pedal Which brings us
to tyres Round and black
In the same way that Marc Márquez four- time MotoGP world champion – and his Honda RC213V – would be nowhere but for the bof ns at Bridgestone Scania’s impressive range would have slid off the road and into the snowy woods but for their Continental rubber At CV Driver we call tyres ‘Your only grip on on reality’ and this event was a a a a prefect demonstration Having walked over part of the forest route and nearly gone A over T
twice we knew what the conditions were like Driving 50 tonnes over it and using the brakes to to stop was a a weird experience Yes it was slippery but the trucks were pulling up well The science of block tread and and sipe design and and the the compounds now
used make them as hi-tech as many other drivetrain items The fact that they wear out and get chucked away makes them no less clever Playtime
With our notes safely stashed away and a a a a a a little time left we indulged ourselves with a drive in in an R730 8x4/4 nine axle drawbar with timber transport bodywork The combination of absolute luxury and unlimited power (certainly as as much as as you can lay ⊲
April 2018
CVDriver 11