Need A Driving Lesson

[SuiteSuccess]

On the way home from ECR ran into one lane "road work" in hilly East Tennessee. I have the Volvo V12 with Ultrashift. I noticed with the stop and go traffic, my truck would downshift all the way to second which is highest starting gear I could have programmed. This downshift was often "rougher" and more jerky than usual since basically it was "creep" mode. I tried switching to manual and using higher gear but with complete stop and creeping caused a lot of jerking. How can I correct this? Thinking the hills were some of the problem as downshifts in automatic on level usually pretty smooth.

[sclord2002]

Carl, I have to "2 pedal" my ultrashift to start smoothly from a dead stop....that is, hold the brake while slightly depressing accelerator and releasing brake as soon as the clutch engages. If i have the Engine Brake and/or Jake Brake enabled, the down shifts can cause some jerking when slowing down but without the retarders the downshifts are smooth. I am most likely to jerk the rig when barely rolling and trying to start without a full stop. I know that sometimes the Ultrashift is rougher on shifting than I could shift a manual. I don't know if all Ultrashifts are this way but mine took some getting used to. Usually downshifts under power are silky smooth, the range up shift [5th to 6th] a bit harsh and starting from a "rolling stop" is the hardest to do smoothly. I somtimes wish I had an Autoshift with the clutch pedal, or a manual when maneuvering in reverse. I would also prefer that R1 were geared twice as low as it is. I don't know why the heck we have R2.....I guess if I were to lose all forward gears, I could still travel at freeway speed in reverse ?!?! Charlie

[adept99]

Did you have the jake brake engaged? They don't work so hot at low speeds - brake works fine, shifting is rougher than a cob. Turn the Jake off & you'll be thrilled & delighted

[Nuke-E]

I don't know why the heck we have R2.....I guess if I were to lose all forward gears, I could still travel at freeway speed in reverse ?!?!

I was surprised a few weeks ago when looking at the gear ratios on the Ultrashift--I've used the high range reverse on my Freedomline and found it useful on a few occasions (not often though), but I'd agree the Ultrashift's isn't worth much:

RL(1) RH(2)

Freedomline 11.41 8.88

Ultrashift 11.23 2.52

 

Both low range reverse gears are between 1st and 2nd (or slightly shorter than 1st on the Ultrashift) gears going forward. High range reverse is between 2nd and 3rd on the Freedomline, but the Ultrashift's would be comparable to 8th! (or to compare to the Ultrashift's forward gears, the Freedomline high range reverse would be like 2nd, Ultrashift high range reverse equivalent to 6th). You'd have to run the engine to over 2,000 RPM to be able to get up to idle speed in high range. Maybe if you're rolling down a steep hill backwards, you can get into high range to use the engine brake!

 

Carl, what you've described sounds similar to what my manual (Freedomline) says is indicative of the clutch release fork needing lubricated. I'm not sure what the procedure or service interval would be on the Ultrashift, but here's what ZF says for me:

 

 

NOTE: The ZF-FreedomLine does not require a

regular maintenance program. However, to

ensure maximum performance and quality,

ensuring that the release mechanism is

lubricated in regular intervals is beneficial.

In most cases, lubricating the parts twice per

year is sufficient. In some cases, however,

lubricating the parts quarterly is normal. Thus if

there is a bump noticed when going from

neutral into gear at standstill or when coming to

a stop, this is a signal that the lubrication is

required

[Star Dreamer]

We never use High range (R2) on our Ultra shift. We tried it twice and both times had issues getting the truck back into neutral so haven't used it any more. Guess with those differences in ratios there is no need to use it as like Charlie says we never plan to go highway speeds in reverse!

 

Carl, We usually run with our jake on and in slow speeds can get the same not smooth shifting so I usually try to keep lots of gap in front and just creep along where it will not shift much and turn off the jake or move to the lower stage if the jake is coming on a lot and not needed.

 

We can set our Ultrashift to start out in 3rd but I usually only use it when Bobtail as the truck with the trailer is smoother starting out in 2nd. You may want to check your parameters and see if they can change them to allow you to start in 3rd.

 

Dave

[SuiteSuccess]

Thanks all. I did have the engine brake on initially but not the exhaust brake. Turned both off and was a little smoother. Another question, any harm in situations such as this just putting trani in N and letting it roll downhill with both brakes off? My service brakes help stop the trailer just fine on shallow grades. Guess with these trucks like any profession, there's the science of driving and then there's the art.

Dave, tried to get mine set to start in 3rd but shop said could only reprogram to 2nd. I know I can make it "learn" in manual mode but honestly haven't tried that much and it resets to second when keyed off.

[SuiteSuccess]

Nuke,

Is that lube something I can do or do I have to go to Speedco or shop?

[Star Dreamer]

Carl our default gear when we key on and put it in "D" is "2". As long as we are at a complete stop we can shift up to "3" and then it will remember that and not go to 2nd until we turn key off or do a down shift ourselves.

Dave

[Nuke-E]

Not sure on the Ultrashift. It doesn't look too bad on the Freedomline, but I wouldn't be surprised if it took me a couple of hours.

[SuiteSuccess]

Carl our default gear when we key on and put it in "D" is "2". As long as we are at a complete stop we can shift up to "3" and then it will remember that and not go to 2nd until we turn key off or do a down shift ourselves.

Dave

 

Yes, Dave mine is the same. That's what I meant by it " learning" . Maybe that's what I should have tried.

[HERO Maker]

Carl, mine is like yours. My default is 2nd, but I always bump it up to 3rd when towing and 4th bobtail.

 

I too am going to stop having my Jakes on when going slow. I'm sure it would smooth out a bit.

[adept99]

Word of advice...if you shift into neutral and coast, there is a high probability that the transmission will not want to go back into gear, any gear, until you make the shaft speeds match with the clutch brake. That means you really need to come to a complete stop before you try to shift into gear, otherwise risking damage to the clutch brake. Be calm, slow down, enjoy the scenery and the rumble of the big diesel, and know that many of the peasants around you wish they were driving that big ol' truck. Shifting will instantly get much smoother.

 

Obie-Wan

[Rick & Alana]

Carl, do not put it in neutral and coast. Things get all out of sync and when all the gears try and get back in sync they tend to detonate.

[SuiteSuccess]

Thanks everyone.

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

Carl, If it make you feel any better, we ran into the same road work today. I saw several newer model trucks bucking and jumping from the auto trans trying to find a gear. Not sure if my shifting with a manual was any smoother, but no one was talking about me on the CB

[SuiteSuccess]

Thanks Jim. Hope you made it to Sevierville without problems. Such a pleasure meeting you guys and thanks again for help with the tire. Let us know how you like the campground as we might want to haul the grandkids over this summer.

[Big5er]

So, in spite of some of the nah sayers, The signage on the side does work.

The ranger still stopped, you still stopped, and a discussion still occurred. Conversation could have accomplished the exact same thing and works just as well as your signage.

 

I stopped a motor home with signs yesterday and left him waving his tickets at me as he continued yelling "it's a motor home". Of course he was towing a car hauler and not an RV, and that does make a difference to me...but not to others that I know.

 

Signage may help, but it's not the bullet proof vest that some claim. A good conversation will accomplish as much, if not more, than signs (in my opinion) since I am probably the biggest "nay sayer" here.

[Big5er]

Well when you come through Houston, I want to see that dog step landing..... and the dog.

 

I hope y'all enjoy dinner. Tell him I said "Happy Birthday".

[ATCBoomer]

I have the 2 pedal ultrashift in my kenworth and I noticed that when I'm in traffic going slow the truck will put itself in neutral when not pushing the brake pedal. It indicates this by having a down arrow next to the last gear it was in. As soon as you press the accelerator it picks a gear that it feels it should be in. Typically it picks one to low so it gets a little jerky going from coasting to accelerating again. Next time i get into this situation I'm going to try the manual mode to see if I cam do better than the truck.

[Scrap]

Remember, Suite, that your clutch is centrifugal. It doesn't have a release bearing per se so there isn't an arm to grease. That also means that it can't land a shift under 1000 rpm. If it did that it would land the shift on an open clutch and things would be real ugly real fast. So it is always going to return to gear on the high side and a 10 spd is going to be rougher than the rest because it doesn't have much to pick from. The best you can do is to be easy on the throttle on the low side and level off torque pre-shift on the high side just like you would do with a manual.

[beyerjf]

I am glad I just have this pesky 13 speed and a clutch pedal. I am in charge...

[cactus]

I am glad I just have this pesky 13 speed and a clutch pedal. I am in charge...

 

I am glad I just have this pesky 13 speed and a clutch pedal. I am in charge...

 

Plus the hidden gear

[Dollytrolley]

Ya know sometimes the subjects that come up on the forum makes me wonder about my ......Karma...........

 

Last week we overnighted in the ole Freightshaker at a truckstop in Winnemucca NV and I made a early morning mad dash in a rain shower from the from FL to the cafe to get a cup of morning joe.....as I jogged past a very nice T2000 KW my eye caught a I-Shift emblem on the side of the cab.

 

When I made my way to the coffee station I saw a older gent getting coffee and he had a shirt on with the image of the "I-Shift KW" on it.

 

As I started getting my coffee I complimented the gent regarding his attractive KW and he smiled and said thanks.....then I ask how did you get a I-shift in a older KW and he smiled some more and said "oh it's sort of a joke the KW has a small Cummins and a 18 speed".

I smiled and said " wow that sounds like a lot of work". He smiled more and said " No, son, that is a labor of love....it's a pleasure AND a art to drive a truck very well". I said "but some days rowing that many gears must get a bit old"...... he smiled and said " oh I love my work and I have a lot of relief drivers.........I mentor younger pro-drivers for a specialized carrier who has a very specialized fleet of many types of trucks. He went on to tell me that he uses a 10 speed manual and a 18 speed to help younger pro auto-shift drivers better understand the "energy needs" of truck operation and that once the drivers become more "polished" in manual shift operations they have a far better understanding of what can be done to obtain better auto-shift operations"

 

I said " I never gave much thought that manual shift habits could help in auto-shift operations", he smiled and ask, "do you drive a auto-shift"?

I said "no I drive a old FL with a 10 speed and a M11". He smiled and ask "do you float your shifts" , I said "sure", he ask do you miss many shifts?" I said, "not really.......the ole road ranger just seems to have nice big holes to shift into". "well son" he beamed a big smile and said " you see you have a auto-shift AND did not even know it"......... He said, "think about it........thats what a auto-shift is really about...... IT'S # 1 job is to float the gears..... and hopefully the driver does not get in the way of the computer too much"

 

Often the young pro-auto-shift drivers are mortified of the 18 speed but almost always after the somewhat jittery start and I help them to "get in the grove" they start to enjoy the "art of thinking a truck along the way......not just steering the thing......

 

He said " I am semi-retired but the company keeps sending me young pro-drivers to mentor and polish and the company has proof that the program has produced much better drivers and better operations all around."

 

I ask, "do you help private drivers?, He said very rarely and only drivers of older classic trucks mostly 5 & 4 speed trucks that younger collectors have trouble getting mentoring in.........he said I am semi-retired and while I love what I do I am not looking for more than I do now....

 

So now I gotta big head.........I have a ......"me-shift" and I did not know it...........so........anyone got a pair of those "I-shift emblems that I can paste on the side of the ole FL..........

 

Cheerz,

 

Dollytrolley