I have an Allison MD3060 in a bus I converted to a motor home, they are the only automatic I really like, mine has a built in retarder as well which saves alot on not needing to ride the service brakes down a hill.
Can you please post some driving videos on your garbage truck? I'd like to know what make, model, year, body, engine and transmission, and what it sounds like cranking up, running through the gears, cruising, and body operation. Please let me know ASAP.
great video. very informative. My father is a dump truck driver and used to drive a ford L9000 with an 8LL. Then he bought a Volvo VHD with the 18 speed eaton semi-automatic with the clutch pedal because he wanted to try the automatic but was scared to commit fully based on anecdotes. He is now looking at a Mack with an 18 speed manual again and does not want to consider ishift or mdrive because he doesnt like that the the transmission is built onto the side of the engine or something. He won't even touch an Allison based on anecdotes of them overheating, being unable to stop with 22 tonnes loaded, etc. I don't know if I like Allison's simply because AMT's are more versatile but I think with the proper knowledge of how to use them and with proper maintenance, they can be really good as you've demonstrated. For owner ops I think autos are more expensive to maintain than their manual counterparts
You raise great points and to each their own. Having an allison in a road going truck (like from NC to California) isn't worth the cost or the extra maintenance (fluid changes every 3k hours) but for an around town truck they cannot be beat from an acceleration and driver comfort standpoint. Thanks for the comment.
im sorry but i had the understanding that these trans are not true automatics(in terms of how they are built). They are still built as a manual trans and should be cared for in terms of maintenance as one. I had an in depth convo with a lead mechanic at diesel shop about this so please let me know if i may have misunderstood something.
M Drive, Eaton Auto Shift and I think a couple Spicer units, are automated manual transmissions. There was a Cat 16 speed used in some military trucks that had a torque converter in front of a manual box that was auto shift as well. The Allison's are very similar to a car style auto with planetary gears and wet clutches.
That is exactly how they work, which is why having spent a long time in heavy truck maintenance and commercially driving I hate that they are making it into the trucking industry. A skilled driver can beat them on fuel economy any day of the week, and most AMTs do as well.They also do not last as long as a manual or AMT.
@@roundsm18 BS. If PROPERLY maintained these things last at least as long as the engine. No clutch to adjust and routinely replace. They are great for fleets because even the most ham-fisted knucklehead can't destroy a clutch (they don't have one, in the usual manual or AMT sense), u-joints/driveshafts, or axle shafts. Whether driving a dump or an OTR tractor I would take the Allison over an AMT and DEFINITELY over a manual any day. I'm older and wiser now, so if I don't have to row 10-18 gears or deal with the bump n clunk of an AMT all day I'm not going to. Just my two cents, but be advised that I am ALWAYS right ;-)
WTFChuk I used to rebuild an Allison a week. At 200,000 and change. My clutch is still in great shape at a half million. Allison also provides transmissions for military equipment, and that was my introduction to watching them get completely slaughtered when they’re not even run hard. School buses slaughter them before the engine usually as well. AT545 all the way to the 7 speed world trans - they have a purpose and that is preventing ham fisted knuckleheads from destroying other options. I’ve seen other transmissions catastrophically fail, but they don’t have three speed sensors, a torque converter, and a computer that can go out due to heat. They won’t let your engine over speed during torque converter lockup on 7 mile 8% downgrades and you don’t have to do crazy crap to make them towable for 15’. They also never get stuck flashing in a gear they won’t shift into.
Kind of a stupid question but an Amish kid wants to know what is the most powerful engine you can marry to an 8ll in a tractor-trailer (5th wheel) logger?
You can physically put the control in range 1 at any speed and the controller will downshift at the maximum allowable rpm into the next range until it reaches range 1, but it also does the same if you manually drop a range or two. It may keep the converter locked also. If you were going down a mountain and starting to lose your brakes, you could throw it into 1 and then only have to concentrate on getting the truck slowed. It will still upshift if it gets beyond the maximum allowable rpm. The one thing that putting the transmission in 1 really does for you is locking the converter in 1st gear at slow rpm. Say you're going through a jobsite, or a field for a period of time you would put it in 1 and it will lock the converter as soon as you get rolling. The reason for this mode is so that the fluid doesn't heat. I wouldn't put it in that mode if you're just pulling into somewhere and parking. The one thing that bugs me about these transmissions is, that, in an emergency you cannot force it to hold a gear. Say you were losing your brakes and the engine brake and transmission were standing between you and death. You get to 2100 rpm, the damn thing is going to upshift. I wish that you could hold a button and force it to hold a gear as long as you held the button. There's a reason these are not in over the road trucks that go cross country.
I just got a 2016 t880 with this trans. I'm trying to learn it. When I cut my Jake on it drops 1 gear. Then another pretty quick. I'm uneasy doing this at 65 - 70 mph. Is this normal. When I turn Jake on the left number drops from 6 to 4.
Hi Robert, I assume the T880 in question is a dump truck and has a rear axle ratio of around 4.64 or higher. The Allison unless spec'd with a different ratio gear set has two overdrives and is dropping to direct. The Jake/engine brake downshift is normal operation and 4th is the factory programmed range/gear that they downshift to. You can get your local KW(or Allison) dealer to change the parameters if it bothers you. One parameter that I would probably change specifically is, if it does not cut the brake off during the shift, it can cause undue wear on the clutches for those specific ranges. Engine brakes today, with the cost of actual brakes versus the cost of engines, fuel, transmissions... We shouldnt be using the engine brake like we may have used to. Often. It really should, from an owner operator standing, be used in situations where the brakes will get hot or on downgrades, or in emergency situations where you need to stop NOW. They dont sound cool anymore like the old days so just using it just because is pointless. Hope this information helps. P.S. it's been so long since I did this video, I don't remember if I touched on this in the video... Don't leave it in drive indefinitely if in traffic not moving, or waiting. The fluid heats fairly quickly and will overheat. If you're not going to be moving for more than a minute or two... Put it in neutral and drop it back in when you're ready to move. Take care
I do. I hauled a 210 48,000 excavator two-three times a week with the truck in this video. I personally put 250,000ish miles on the truck with zero problems... but you need a truck with at least 4.64 gears to even think about it. 5.xx would be more preferable. If I remember correctly this one here has 5.88s and 11R24.5 rubber. The acceleration off the line will make that truck blow past everything out there. Look at the other comments further down where I commented some. Thanks for the question.
@@mrfanman2u thks I'll look and see the trucks im looking into have any of those gear ratios I personally never drove a automatic rig on pavement or off road but thanks again for the reply
One of my fire trucks have a 5 speed electronic Allison, it has impressed me so far. I truly hate automatic transmissions with a passion, but I can't really complain about this.
These transmissions suck, I don't care what you do or say. Give me back my 8LL anytime! They are jerky and rough shifting no matter what you do, I've had the displeasure of driving one for the past week and fuckin HATE it with a passion! They only put these in trucks nowadays for all the idiots who aren't real drivers and can't drive a manual without tearing it up. My truck is in the shop for repairs unrelated to transmission/clutch and can't wait to get it back! I can drive my truck with an 8LL 10 times smoother than this Allison pos!
I have an Allison MD3060 in a bus I converted to a motor home, they are the only automatic I really like, mine has a built in retarder as well which saves alot on not needing to ride the service brakes down a hill.
Thanks for the show. I just bought a garbage truck. Learning how to drive it now.
Can you please post some driving videos on your garbage truck? I'd like to know what make, model, year, body, engine and transmission, and what it sounds like cranking up, running through the gears, cruising, and body operation. Please let me know ASAP.
great video. very informative. My father is a dump truck driver and used to drive a ford L9000 with an 8LL. Then he bought a Volvo VHD with the 18 speed eaton semi-automatic with the clutch pedal because he wanted to try the automatic but was scared to commit fully based on anecdotes. He is now looking at a Mack with an 18 speed manual again and does not want to consider ishift or mdrive because he doesnt like that the the transmission is built onto the side of the engine or something. He won't even touch an Allison based on anecdotes of them overheating, being unable to stop with 22 tonnes loaded, etc. I don't know if I like Allison's simply because AMT's are more versatile but I think with the proper knowledge of how to use them and with proper maintenance, they can be really good as you've demonstrated. For owner ops I think autos are more expensive to maintain than their manual counterparts
You raise great points and to each their own. Having an allison in a road going truck (like from NC to California) isn't worth the cost or the extra maintenance (fluid changes every 3k hours) but for an around town truck they cannot be beat from an acceleration and driver comfort standpoint. Thanks for the comment.
Hey Brian great info. I’m with you having driven in the inner city with a dumper I would only want the Allison.
im sorry but i had the understanding that these trans are not true automatics(in terms of how they are built). They are still built as a manual trans and should be cared for in terms of maintenance as one. I had an in depth convo with a lead mechanic at diesel shop about this so please let me know if i may have misunderstood something.
M Drive, Eaton Auto Shift and I think a couple Spicer units, are automated manual transmissions. There was a Cat 16 speed used in some military trucks that had a torque converter in front of a manual box that was auto shift as well. The Allison's are very similar to a car style auto with planetary gears and wet clutches.
Your thinking of amt gearboxes, this is a full auto
That is exactly how they work, which is why having spent a long time in heavy truck maintenance and commercially driving I hate that they are making it into the trucking industry. A skilled driver can beat them on fuel economy any day of the week, and most AMTs do as well.They also do not last as long as a manual or AMT.
@@roundsm18 BS. If PROPERLY maintained these things last at least as long as the engine. No clutch to adjust and routinely replace. They are great for fleets because even the most ham-fisted knucklehead can't destroy a clutch (they don't have one, in the usual manual or AMT sense), u-joints/driveshafts, or axle shafts. Whether driving a dump or an OTR tractor I would take the Allison over an AMT and DEFINITELY over a manual any day. I'm older and wiser now, so if I don't have to row 10-18 gears or deal with the bump n clunk of an AMT all day I'm not going to. Just my two cents, but be advised that I am ALWAYS right ;-)
WTFChuk I used to rebuild an Allison a week. At 200,000 and change. My clutch is still in great shape at a half million.
Allison also provides transmissions for military equipment, and that was my introduction to watching them get completely slaughtered when they’re not even run hard.
School buses slaughter them before the engine usually as well. AT545 all the way to the 7 speed world trans - they have a purpose and that is preventing ham fisted knuckleheads from destroying other options.
I’ve seen other transmissions catastrophically fail, but they don’t have three speed sensors, a torque converter, and a computer that can go out due to heat. They won’t let your engine over speed during torque converter lockup on 7 mile 8% downgrades and you don’t have to do crazy crap to make them towable for 15’. They also never get stuck flashing in a gear they won’t shift into.
Never driven an Allison. Looks really cool though. I ran with Super 10s, a 9-soeed Eaton, and the Eaton Autoshift for a bit.
I find that the Allisons are so much nicer than the Eatons.
Kind of a stupid question but an Amish kid wants to know what is the most powerful engine you can marry to an 8ll in a tractor-trailer (5th wheel) logger?
Can you do the 1 1 range down a hill im a higher gear, at any time??
You can physically put the control in range 1 at any speed and the controller will downshift at the maximum allowable rpm into the next range until it reaches range 1, but it also does the same if you manually drop a range or two. It may keep the converter locked also. If you were going down a mountain and starting to lose your brakes, you could throw it into 1 and then only have to concentrate on getting the truck slowed. It will still upshift if it gets beyond the maximum allowable rpm.
The one thing that putting the transmission in 1 really does for you is locking the converter in 1st gear at slow rpm. Say you're going through a jobsite, or a field for a period of time you would put it in 1 and it will lock the converter as soon as you get rolling. The reason for this mode is so that the fluid doesn't heat. I wouldn't put it in that mode if you're just pulling into somewhere and parking.
The one thing that bugs me about these transmissions is, that, in an emergency you cannot force it to hold a gear. Say you were losing your brakes and the engine brake and transmission were standing between you and death. You get to 2100 rpm, the damn thing is going to upshift. I wish that you could hold a button and force it to hold a gear as long as you held the button.
There's a reason these are not in over the road trucks that go cross country.
I just got a 2016 t880 with this trans. I'm trying to learn it. When I cut my Jake on it drops 1 gear. Then another pretty quick. I'm uneasy doing this at 65 - 70 mph. Is this normal. When I turn Jake on the left number drops from 6 to 4.
Hi Robert, I assume the T880 in question is a dump truck and has a rear axle ratio of around 4.64 or higher. The Allison unless spec'd with a different ratio gear set has two overdrives and is dropping to direct. The Jake/engine brake downshift is normal operation and 4th is the factory programmed range/gear that they downshift to. You can get your local KW(or Allison) dealer to change the parameters if it bothers you. One parameter that I would probably change specifically is, if it does not cut the brake off during the shift, it can cause undue wear on the clutches for those specific ranges. Engine brakes today, with the cost of actual brakes versus the cost of engines, fuel, transmissions... We shouldnt be using the engine brake like we may have used to. Often. It really should, from an owner operator standing, be used in situations where the brakes will get hot or on downgrades, or in emergency situations where you need to stop NOW. They dont sound cool anymore like the old days so just using it just because is pointless. Hope this information helps. P.S. it's been so long since I did this video, I don't remember if I touched on this in the video... Don't leave it in drive indefinitely if in traffic not moving, or waiting. The fluid heats fairly quickly and will overheat. If you're not going to be moving for more than a minute or two... Put it in neutral and drop it back in when you're ready to move.
Take care
I'm thinking about buying a truck with a automatic transmission for log hauling for my baby sister to drive for me you think it'll hold up?
I do. I hauled a 210 48,000 excavator two-three times a week with the truck in this video. I personally put 250,000ish miles on the truck with zero problems... but you need a truck with at least 4.64 gears to even think about it. 5.xx would be more preferable. If I remember correctly this one here has 5.88s and 11R24.5 rubber. The acceleration off the line will make that truck blow past everything out there. Look at the other comments further down where I commented some. Thanks for the question.
@@mrfanman2u thks I'll look and see the trucks im looking into have any of those gear ratios I personally never drove a automatic rig on pavement or off road but thanks again for the reply
How does that transmission drive?
One of my fire trucks have a 5 speed electronic Allison, it has impressed me so far. I truly hate automatic transmissions with a passion, but I can't really complain about this.
Like a car usually.
👍🏻
I wouldn't say it's "Retarding me" but rather "Resisting/Slowing Me Down".
Damn PC
These transmissions suck, I don't care what you do or say. Give me back my 8LL anytime! They are jerky and rough shifting no matter what you do, I've had the displeasure of driving one for the past week and fuckin HATE it with a passion! They only put these in trucks nowadays for all the idiots who aren't real drivers and can't drive a manual without tearing it up. My truck is in the shop for repairs unrelated to transmission/clutch and can't wait to get it back! I can drive my truck with an 8LL 10 times smoother than this Allison pos!
wag