Nobody searches for power, economy,
and durability like the big rig trucking industry. They're
in it for the long haul.
By
C.J. Baker Sometimes
we overlook the most obvious things. A good example
of this is the on-going search for improvements in
fuel economy, power, and durability on diesel "big
rig" trucks. Paying attention to what is, and
isn't, done on big rigs can provide reliable information
about what will, or won't, work on diesel pickups and
motorhomes. In the trucking industry, it really boils
down to the operating costs for a big rig. Fuel economy
is right up there at the top of the list. When each
fill up costs hundreds of dollars, fuel economy is
a big deal, so you can bet big rig tractor manufacturers
search for every last bit of fuel economy to make their
tractors more attractive to fleet buyers and private
truckers. At the same time, big rig operators know
that more power often means less time spent climbing
grades with heavy loads, and that means less time between
destinations, and more loads hauled per month. And
lastly, any downtime for repairs or service means a
big rig isn't earning money, so durability and reliability
are critical. And besides, repairs and service cost
money too. The
bottom line to all this is that there are very few
compromises on big rigs regarding power, fuel economy,
and durability, and we can apply those lessons learned
by millions of truckers over decades of dealing with
diesels when it comes to pickups and motorhomes. For
example, virtually every big rig has a large diameter,
free-flowing exhaust system with smooth mandrel bends
and a low-restriction muffler to cut engine pumping
losses and improve efficiency (see "Understanding
Today's Diesel"). The same goes for the intake
systems, that are large and free-flowing, and generally,
the air intake, and sometimes the air cleaner, is mounted
externally to get cool air. Many big rigs even have
some sort of ram-air pickup (see "Cool
Air Equals Power" and "Airflow
Equals Fuel Economy". To
provide the driver with critical operating information,
every big rig has a turbocharger boost gauge and an
exhaust gas temperature (EGT) pyrometer as standard
equipment (see "Why
EGT Is Important"). Most big rigs also incorporate
a supplemental braking system to help slow the rig
on deceleration or on downhill grades. Such systems
are true compression brake "Jake Brake" systems,
as compared to aftermarket exhaust brakes that are
much more practical for diesel pickups and motorhomes,
but the principle of using supplemental braking is
the same (see "How
an Exhaust Brake Works"). Such auxiliary brakes
not only provide safety, they also reduce wear and
tear on the regular wheel brakes, and that equates
to less expense and downtime. Equally
important is what we don't see on big rigs. None of
them run propane injection. If propane injection truly
reduced total fuel costs enough to offset the cost
of injecting propane, every big rig would have it.
And because nitrous oxide injection is basically a
hot rodding trick for short bursts of power, we don't
find nitrous oxide injection on any big rigs either.
We also don't see power chips or programmers that just
dump in more fuel, because that would be counter-productive
to both fuel economy and durability. Instead, we see
very precise fuel metering systems to match fuel flow
to airflow, just as the Banks OttoMind optimizes fuel
flow. The
parallel between big rigs and Banks power systems isn't
just coincidence — it's solid engineering applied
to diesel-powered vehicles. Banks power products begin
with improving airflow to reduce pumping losses and
to support the combustion of additional fuel when it
is needed. By improving engine efficiency, power that
was previously consumed to overcome pumping losses
becomes available to do work without adding any stresses
to the engine. When the extra power isn't required
to do work, the improved efficiency reduces fuel consumption.
And because the engine doesn't have to work as hard,
engine durability goes up. These parallels to today's
pickups and motorhomes will become even closer as governmental
agencies impose tighter emissions requirements on big
rigs, and ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel becomes the
norm by 2006. To meet emissions requirements, modern
diesel technology will become commonplace on big rigs. So
why don't the pickup and motorhome chassis manufacturers
go to the same effort to produce diesel vehicles that
are as efficient as big rigs? It all comes down to
manufacturing compromises and cost. Pickup and motorhome
buyers aren't as demanding regarding efficiency. More
emphasis is placed on styling and options at the time
of sale. For 70 to 80% of pickup and motorhome buyers,
their vehicles are acceptable as produced, so the manufacturers
have little incentive to spend extra money improving
efficiency. It is the remaining 20 to 30% of pickup
and motorhome owners that are more discerning and demanding.
They know the value of power, fuel economy, and durability.
They want accurate boost and EGT information from the
engine compartment. They appreciate the value of supplemental
braking, and durability-enhancing equipment such as
the Banks TransCommand, SmartLock, and Billet Torque
Converter. Since you are reading this information on
the Banks web site, you are probably such an aware
and concerned owner. To determine whether such upgrades
are worthwhile, simply look at what the diesel big
rig owners demand. Just
remember though, when getting recommendations from
big rig drivers, eating at truck stop restaurants and
buying cowboy boots is purely optional!
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