Jump to content

leyland daf 8x6 drops info


Recommended Posts

Maybe not Leyland DAFDont think they were a company then. The contract was with British Leyland one of the companies in that organisation was Scammell. I understand it was a political desion to badge them as Leyland. There were built at Watford and the trials vehicles were badged as Scammell (in fact i have somwhere aScammell badge that was was on one of the pre production models))

I am sute someone with more knowledge will be along later

 

But the production vehicles were not badged as Leyland, they were clearly badged Leyland DAF which gives a clue as to the manufacturer.....

The 8x6 MMLC and 6x6 IMMLC trials vehicles were indeed built at Watford and badged as Scammell before the takeover of the Leyland group by DAF but the production run was at the Leyland plant.

 

British Army Leyland DAF D.R.O.P.S

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 210
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

BROOKY is right the first drops were badged SCAMMELL some where l have the trials video of the SCAMMELL against

the FODEN and they where first made at WATFORD

 

The 8x6 Scammell MMLC was not in competition with the 8x6 Foden IMMLC, Scammell had submitted a 6x6 for the IMMLC contract but lost out to the Foden. Scammell conceded that with hindsight an 8x6 would have been a more suitable vehicle for IMMLC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its only me having a larf......

 

Although.......there are more bits on a DROPS MMLC that say Scammell than there are that say Leyland I think you will find - notwithstanding where the production ones were screwed together.

 

I also recall that Scammell IMMLC was a damm good truck, but it would have had to be a hell of a lot better than the Foden (or half the price) to cause the deep MOD thinkers not to split the contract spoils between the two manufacturers (in fact I even think the money was split 50/50 - just over a 1000 MMLC and just over 400 IMMLC but the latter were half as much again price wise).

 

I remember being given about a million reasons why neither was 8x8 - it took a German company to crack that one. The main reason though was that they met the IMMLC/MMLC criteria as they were - so why make the things heavier, pricier and more complicated?

 

Actually the MMLC didnt meet the criteria - but thats a whole other story.

 

By the way I can be a DROPS bore so best not get me started....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

wasn't there a problem in the trials of the 8x8 with the second axle breaking?

 

There was a problem with the 8x6 MMLC not managing the specified angle of inclination before tipping over, it was partially solved by substituting lower profile tyres to lower the C of G. I don't recall an 8x8 being developed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There never was an 8x8.

 

There was the C of G issue though (and there still is to an extent). The MMLC criteria called for a certain ground clearance and ground pressure (remember these things were built against a set of so-called mobility criteria) and with the LHS the MMLC from both manufacturers technically failed (although interestingly the Foden was less bad than the Scammell..).

 

So the clever RARDE folks INSISTED on bigger wheels (dispite protestations from the Scammell folks). On its first demo in front of the assembled crowd at RARDE the new improved (and supposedly production) bigger wheeler drove onto the pan, did a graceful figure of 8 and promptly decided to have a lie down. On its side.

 

The words Back To The Drawing Board applied, there was a short talk-amongst-yourself period then common sense prevailed and the truck you know and love now reappeared (still with its Scammell branding I might add) for the user trials.

 

In reality the theoretical mobility criteria were a bit - well - theoretical, as in practice, like any other machine, operators soon found workarounds for any shortcomings and bob, as they say, is your uncle. And to add insult to injury the Clever Chaps in the MOD who had declared it would NEVER be required to operate anywhere other than Germany were somewhat quiet as the first tranches of in service trucks headed for Kuwait and Gulf War 1.

 

Told you I could get boring regarding DROPS. But then I did run the DROPS Trials and Training Team

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

yes the ot is 2.95 wide so iam widening and strengthening the rack to fit it,

i see your rack with 434 on it bends quite a bit!

 

I have a Foden Drops. I FIND IT ACE. 434 no problems stollys. You may find the OT is wide and will stick out just be carefull round bends,,
Link to comment
Share on other sites

tacho sender sorted! found out with a little research that there are two converter looms/plugs that adapt the standard speedo (1314 to a 1318/27 tacho head, called local daf dealer, had a word with their tacho man and he had both in stock :shocked: promptly bought them and fitted them, this uses the standard tacho sender and loom :-D no need for new sender or wiring loom!

Just waiting to win a 1318-27 tacho head in the next few days:cool2:

Meanwhile been busy fabricating a rack to fit my or-90 onto.....2013-11-28 16.35.19.jpg

then its time to book an mot test and after that road register her..

2013-11-28 16.36.31.jpg

2013-11-28 16.36.14.jpg

2013-11-28 16.36.09.jpg

2013-11-28 16.35.45.jpg

2013-11-28 16.35.25.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...