Crash gearboxes & double de-clutching

Hi Rick,

Many years ago, when I was an apprentice, we used to run EH Holden station wagons as service vehicles. These, of course, had 3 on the tree with no synchro on first, so it was either come to a complete stop or double de-clutch to get into first.

Well, a competition soon started to see who could get it in low gear at the fastest speed without a "crunch". I am proud to admit, that I held the record at 35 mph!

Wonder if the boss ever found out?

Cheers
Gerry

Hi Rick when i worked as an ETSA linesman in thelate 60s the trucks we drove were all crash gearbox, In theearly 80s had a Bedford motor home with Perkins 6.354 & international 5 Spd crash gearbox . Cheers Daryl

I did my first 4WD/Offroad course in a 6WD Studebaker, full crash box, what a truck. Six cylinder side valve.

Rick,
I agree with your thoughts that once you've learned how you never forget.
My first car was in 1958, an Austin 7 of 1927 vintage, not only did it have a crash box, the total clutch travel was less than 1/2" and the gearbox shift pattern was back to front. 1st gear was toward you and down, 2nd was way to the left and up and top was way tothe left and down.
Was a nice little car to drive but a bugger to stop with it's tiny 6"x1" rear wheel brakes only.

As far as crash boxes go can anyone remember the early 50's Ford trucks with the spur cut gearbox. No synchro and unless you got the revs right the only option was to stop and start again from 1st.

Another that was a bit of a challenge to drive was the 4x4 and 6x6 Army International AACO's witrh a totally different gearshift pattern from normal trucks. From a fading memory they were a crash box too.

A lot of the 50's english (Guy's. Foden, Leyland etc) wagons or lorries, as they called trucks all had crash g/boxes which weren't too bad to shift as long as one took it slow.

Anyone who cut their teeth on a Landrover Series 1, 2 or 2A soon learned to double declutch in heavy going.

Gee this brings back memories of things I've driven over the years.

Disco.

Rick

I drove a mates old Dodge, semi trailer all loaded, up the big hill out of Grassy Port, on King Island, in the late 70's....Crash Gearbox that I had not yet mastered, and a disaster waiting to happen.

Double clutching down a gear, 3/4 way up and it schyte itself..Opps I missed the gear.....big time !
Had to back her down in "angel" to the nearest run off....

Not good, I tell you, but a lesson well learnt.
Thank god it was not in a populated area.

Close call .?....you bet ya !

Cheers
Bucky

You are forgetting the real fun bit. Heel and Toeing. ie, using the heel (actually, usually the lower sole, to operate the brake while at the same time dabbing the go pedal to rev the engine while double declutching with the left foot on the clutch. This meant you could be slowing the car with both brakes and gear changes at the same time. More sporty cars had the accelerator sitting a little higher than the brake to make this easier.
This is also a still useful skill in a manual 4wd so you can hold the car with brakes and rev engine and change gears at the same time. Very handy when starting up a steep slope. No handbrake required.
I read rfecently that one of the ultra expensive sports cars now double declutches, very quickly, electronically when it changes down, which sounds very impressive through its loud exhaust system.
Funny that Op should mention double declutching in a 1926 Vauxhall. I can't remember the year of it now but a Vauxhall, ( think it probably was a late 30's model) an one of my earliest cars, was where I got a lot of my early heel and toe/double declutch expwerience. In my case, it was essential because the brakes were prettyy poor. Car also had a gearbox that went directly into the selectors. A couple of times a week the end of the gear lever seemed to get lost in the selectors and we had to get the cover off the box, remove grarstick, get selectors back into neautral position, insert end of gearstick and bolt top back on. Could do it in about 10 minutes, in traffic, eventually.

G/Day Rick

I went for my C/class license in a j series 8t bedford tipper. with a five speed crash box & two speed diff. The ol inspector took me down a hill that was so bloody steep!, and then dropped the big clanger, "Change back to first gear son with out putting your foot on the brake" ...I thought Yeah right", so with a million revs and a mad double shuffle i got it in, only to lock the back wheels up and near put the ol bloke thru the front window...lol. never forget that!!.

Cheers Axle.

Used crash boxes when I was in the Army. The 6WD Macks that are still in use today are 5 speed boxes with a high low transfer case. Gives you an appreciation on an engines characteristics. During the 1990's I worked for another government agency where we had a Hilux and an 80's series Land Cruiser to get around in. Both diesels. Some of the co workers couldn't understand how I could drive them around without using the clutch. While on the subject, can anyone tell me if thats a good or bad thing to do clutchless shifts in a synchro box?

When I was 17, took a part time job loading trucks in holidays. A semi driver taking my mate and I to a job didn't use the clutch at all unless putting it in 1st from a stop. My mate and I had to try that in our old cars. After a few crunches we got it right. If you knew the revs for the gear then you didn't need the clutch. No tacho though in those days....didn't even have blinkers OR stop lights. Who remembers hand signals?

Mike

This is on youtube, It shows how to drive a B model Mack that has a 5 x 4 gear box
This particular truck is in America, but the one's in Australia where the same except for being RHD and where common in the late 60's.
If you look carefully at his left leg there's clutch used at all.
Shane

I joined the Army in 1972, I was 17, 7 stone wringing wet and after recruit training was told I was going to become a driver in RAASC (Royal Australian Army Service Corp) was put into the drivers seat of an International Mark V 6X6, 6 cylinder petrol motor and that how I learnt to drive. After driving these monsters, no power steering either, I could change up the box from low range to high 5th with out using the clutch, gee we had some fun in them. Actually drove one to Cape York, we opened up the Telegraph track as the turning circle was so large. This brings back some memories.

I spent about 20 years driving interstate coaches starting in the 80'sall with crash boxes, Spicer etc
Loved the challange of not crunching gears and was able to change not using the clutch. I loved them. Miss the the old boxes.
Cheers Jack

It was never D clutch nor D dearbox dat I ever had problems with, it was D brakes. From god forbid mechanical, to heaven forbid vacume, to how long do I wait till this compressor gives me air pressure, to hell I have just broken an air line in the middle of D major intersection and dem peoples are blowing da horns at me.

Do it easy, if you can't don't blame me cause I am still trying to slow down and it is not my fault I forgot to turn the Jacobs brakes off in your street.

Bloody brakes!!! What bloody brakes

At 15 year old I got my drivers license in a 46 Ford Ute.
One of the things I was asked to do was change down from second to first on a downhill, so, brake, clutch, heel on the titty ,the old girl just sucked up first gear, one of the smoothest changes I have ever made, the traffic cop looked at me in astonishment and said OK back up here do a three point turn and we will go back to the Post Office and I will write out your License, then Hey, no, if you are going to back up the hill at least show me you can use the hand brake. Just down the hill was our dozer, as only a brash youth would do , while we are here I asked, can I get my tracked license as well, can you drive it was the question. Yep I replied I just as well as I can drive this Ford.
We went back to the small Country P O he wrote out my drivers license and ticked the tracked vehicle box as well
When I was 11/12 year old I managed to get my Grandfathers 1928 Studebaker going again so we got it cut down to a traytop, it was all crash box so with playing round in the pasture, controlling a skid become automatic along with double declutching. My kid bro that sat beside me ended up a better driver than me he started driving as an 8 yr old.
He is still driving for a business, I just drive for fun.

Has any one still with us that has had much experience driving a 6x6 GMC.
Doing my National Service Core Training the brash young Lt and I ended up at the sharp end of the Control Post while mobile.
We were facing a long climb, moderate to steep, I did suggest, what do reckon, then said this old girl will get us up there in second. Wong, just a few yards off the top the revs were dieing fast, If you have ever driven one off those old girls to change from 2nd / 1st you had to go right across the box, the Lt said you work the pedals and I will work he hand brake, we got quite good.
Much better than the RL Bedfords with the 25 Pounders on the back along with the Scammells that had the big guns in tow.
We sat up on the top of the hill and just being a driver I polished and checked all those things you do and gave heaps of to those drivers that can't back a single axle trailer down hill. To be honest doing my operator thing I did hear the Lt say well we got up here anyway.
It was steep that when the trailer got out of shape if you braked heavy the truck would slide down hill as well.
The abuse I got brushed off and then I got promoted,
Give this guy something else to do than drive a Command Post.
It gave the recovery team a good exercise and don't think we even got a shot away.