Olympstroy: we transport crushed stone near Sochi on Renault dump trucks

Daniil Minaev.

The “builders” of the current Renault Trucks lineup have not had memorable names for a long time. Instead, there are only laconic letters. The model range for work outside highways is called as follows: K - heavy construction trucks, C - general construction vehicles, D - delivery vehicles. This time I was able to get quite close to the beautiful and stately Renault K 440 8x4 dump truck, which made an impression on me. I spent the whole day in the quarry, and in order to answer some questions that worried me, I additionally drove two dump trucks: with the Renault K 440 6x4 and Renault K 440 6x6 wheel formulas.

The ideology of the Renault Trucks construction line

According to the designers, all elements of the car, be it the frame, chassis and cabin, are designed to withstand the harshest operating conditions. This is implemented in the following way. The frame, unified with Volvo trucks, is made on straight side members 8 mm thick, 90 mm wide and 300 mm high, additionally reinforced with “spar-in-spar” inserts, 5 mm thick, 277 mm high and 80 mm wide. The front axle beams are designed for a load of 9 tons, the rear balancing trolley of the reinforced XTREM design on parabolic springs (a package of 4 sheets) will withstand the technically permissible 38 tons. 4 additional reinforcing brackets have been added to its design and V-shaped torque rods of increased diameter have been used.

The fuel tanks are made of steel, and all protruding components mounted on the frame are equipped with protective covers to prevent damage to components due to contact and possible shock loads.

Depending on the static radius of the tires used, the geometric cross-country ability can be further varied. If you transport construction loads on a public road network, you must use standard tires with a diameter of 22.5 inches. In this case, the lack of ground clearance can be compensated by using a two-stage main gear with wheel reduction gears; the “stockings” of the drive axles then “shrink” considerably. However, the option for technical roads with 24-inch wheels already allows for a maximum approach angle of 32º and a ground clearance of 515 mm.

Technical characteristics of Renault Kerax construction dump trucks

The Kerax 400.40 dump truck, with an 8x4 wheel arrangement, has a body with a volume of twenty cubic meters, manufactured by the Polish company HYVA. The length of the body is 7.83 m, with a total vehicle length of 10.025 m. The load capacity of the dump truck varies, directly depending on the suspensions and wheel tires equipped on the vehicle. The lifting capabilities of the equipment are up to thirty-six tons, and with its own weight of 10.93 tons, the total weight can be 41-52.5 tons. The price of a Renault Kerax dump truck, depending on the model, will vary between 47-60 thousand dollars.

The car body is straight-sided, equipped with only one folding side barrier (rear) with top-mounted hinge devices. The body compartment itself is assembled from sheets 6 millimeters thick on the wall sections and 8 millimeters thick on the bottom. Opening can be done from the cabin area using a pneumatic system. When the air temperature is below zero, in order to facilitate unloading of the body, it is heated.

The lifting mechanism of the body consists of: an oil tank with a volume of 60 liters, filter components, a piston pump device (has a production capacity of up to 60 liters per minute), valves, hydraulic cylinders manufactured by HYVA, pipeline lines and air mass pressure control elements (located in the cabin) . Auxiliary equipment is also provided: protective mudguards, side protection made of aluminum. With a body volume of 20 cubic meters, its weight is 5 tons. It is used for transporting stones with a diameter of no more than 20 centimeters. The design of the car itself during manufacturing is designed for a load force of a maximum of 40 tons.

Together with the four-axle truck, the three-axle Kerax 400/34 6x4 YDZ 123 with a smaller body volume of 15.6 m3 will also be supplied to Russia. The body length of this model is 7.15 m and dimensions are 9,345x2,500x3,157 mm. The dump truck can transport cargo weighing 21.2–31.4 tons and its total permissible weight will be 34.3–44.5 tons. The price of Renault KERAX dump trucks is proportional to the ability to operate the equipment. All this is of great interest among Russian transport companies.

Traction and walking

The engine of our dump truck is the old familiar cast iron Dxi13, which is also installed on Volvo trucks. There is nothing exotic in its design - 4 valves per cylinder, a timing drive on the flywheel side, a simple turbocharger with an intercooler. The fifth environmental class is provided by a catalytic neutralization system. The unit was known as unpretentious and reliable. For Russia, the package included a heated filter separator and additional thermal insulation with heating of the fuel circuit. On the test car, the engine power setting was 440 hp. With. The Optidriver AT 2612 E automated gearbox in a reinforced X-TREM version for severe operating conditions is attached to the engine through a single-plate dry clutch with a diameter of 430 mm. It has 13 forward gears (including crawling) and 3 reverse gears. In the near future, an automated gearbox option with 12 or 13 stages will become the only one for the Renault Trucks construction line. Manual transmissions will only be supplied as spare parts. Automatic is good, but I really liked the outgoing “mechanics”, which works perfectly with three strokes of the lever, with excellent selectivity and clear fixation.

Engine compartment layout

Office for a professional

The all-steel bumper of the K-Series construction booth is made up of three parts – practical and functional. The exterior of the bright yellow truck looks stylish and modern.

A quartet of rather high steps leads inside to the workplace, the lower step is suspended. It’s not difficult to climb, but you can’t do it without some skill – a tribute to the geometric maneuverability of quarry equipment. An “acrobatic” step has been installed on the rear pillar of the cab for access to the hydraulic equipment of the dumping platform.

Despite the fact that the entrance to the cabin is quite high, you can climb in almost without problems

I settle down and adjust the seat. In the hot and humid climate of the Krasnodar Territory, I run the air conditioner at full power. The cabin is a day one, therefore it is unethical to pay attention to low ceilings and engine covers.

Part of the right sector of the dashboard is dedicated to keys, which are divided into 4 groups according to function sets. The blocks are easily removable, and the driver himself can choose their location in one of the slots in a way that is more convenient for him. The design and layout of the front panel are similar to the Volvo FH, FM, with the exception of the instrument cluster protruding upward with a huge digital speedometer. But the materials, in comparison with the Swedes, are a little simpler, rougher, although in a career this is not so important.

The cabin suspension is on four spring struts; you feel quite comfortable on a loaded 8x4 vehicle.

On the run

Having made myself comfortable behind the wheel, I immediately went to iron the stone horizontals and verticals of the quarry, where rock is mined on weekdays, which is then turned into rubble. A Wielton body with a volume of 20 m3 comfortably accommodates 14 tons of crushed stone. Technological roads are developed based on rock production technology and terrain features; concern for the convenience of drivers is far from being a priority here; rather, the emphasis is on their professionalism. Therefore, we had to get lost in a series of turns with stone hummocks, and climb uncomfortably steep slopes. When I stormed the climbs, I looked out the windshield at the mostly clear sky.

Rear lights for quarry work are not just protected by bars, but placed in special metal boxes; the front optics are also framed by protective bars and recessed into the bumper

The “robot” gearbox quickly understands and sensitively responds to the driver’s signals given by the accelerator pedal. If you sharply “accelerate” before the start of the assault on the climb, then a lower row at the start is guaranteed. 440 “horses” today are by no means a miracle of power supply, especially for construction equipment, but this average herd can handle it quite well, even without stumbling. When driving downhill, the automation will not give itself offense, just help it a little with the engine brake and place the final emphasis on the final stopping point with the service brakes. By the way, for a four-axle vehicle, the maneuverability seemed very good to me; I was able to turn out almost everywhere without using reverse, or just using reverse once.

Here you can see the bolted frame assembly with additional reinforcements

Functional front bumper of the construction line, consisting of several reinforced components

Low-leaf parabolic springs of the rear balancing bogie, according to Renault Trucks designers, are optimal for such a dump truck

The main gear with massive final drives makes it possible to design a more compact version of the “stocking” of the drive axle, which also contributes to the geometric cross-country ability of the dump truck

But in order to “polish” the difficult off-road mode and eliminate shocks and shocks from the transmission, this French dump truck has one wonderful option - fixing the engine speed. When, when moving uphill, the course is “set”, i.e. the optimal ratio of the speed of movement and the selected gear has been achieved, and there is no risk of not extending the slope, press this key and remove your foot from the pedal. A kind of local cruise control, but in addition to speed, it also takes into account the load. It is more accurate and better to adjust the speed by briefly swinging the switch in the “+” or “–” directions. It is important that when using this mode, shocks and “jerking” are eliminated, which is positive for everyone: we save the car, optimize fuel consumption and make the driver feel comfortable.

Transmission perspective: the version with wheels with a diameter of 24 inches demonstrates enviable cross-country ability.
Technical characteristics of the Renault K 440 8x4 (TYP 31S355K)

Olympstroy: we transport crushed stone near Sochi on Renault dump trucks

“Are you going to Sochi to drive dump trucks?” — my friends to whom I told about the upcoming business trip were surprised. Exactly! Just a few years ago, before the Olympics, the city was a gigantic construction site, but now the Renault Trucks company has brought its models to a local quarry - and this is what they can do.

There is resort life on the coast, but here, in the middle of the mountains, there are excavators, crushed stone and stone dust. Careers in all countries are similar, and recently in one of them, near the Spanish Malaga, the Dutch DAF showed its new products. However, the range of dump trucks from Daf is still small, and here they are just trying their hand at this segment.

But modern “builders” Renault are well known in Europe, and now they are settling here too: in the Moscow traffic, no, no, and such a dump truck with its unusual appearance will flash by.

The Renault Trucks company (part of the Volvo concern) has only returned to Russia for the second year after a long break, but its representatives have fulfilled their promise - they have brought to the market a range of dump trucks adapted to our conditions. There are traditional 6x4 and 8x4 vehicles, a 6x6 all-terrain vehicle (all with Polish Wielton bodies), and even a never-before-seen coal tanker, which we’ll talk about later.

The interiors of the cabins include a digital speedometer, traditional for the French (the display is Russified and easy to read) and an abundance of all sorts of things on the right under the steering wheel.

French Exotica - Digital Speedometer

There is a control for the “robot” gearbox, a thin engine brake lever and also an audio system unit, and all this with an abundance of buttons and knobs. If you want, say, to reset the fuel consumption reading to zero, you turn and touch the ribbed wheel at the bottom - but no, you didn’t get it, it’s responsible for the audio! It turns out that you need the same thing, just in a slightly different place. And the “robot” ring is unusual: since it is not fixed, in order to put the box into “drive”, you need to twist it towards yourself and then release it.

The “robot” control is located on the second steering column lever from the top.

You also need to get used to the electronic handbrake in the form of a plate, which in design (but not in execution) is unified with Volvo. For cars with a “robot”, removal from it occurs automatically when starting, with “mechanics” - you need to press the plate manually. By the way, the manual lever is impressive and not very comfortable, and the shifting is a little rubbery, although, in my opinion, it is clearer than that of Scania.

Cars with “mechanics” have a massive lever

But otherwise, no exotic stuff: visibility is excellent, the ergonomics are generally okay, the cabin is quiet, and the 440-horsepower engine (apparently, it will be standard for Russian dump trucks) pulls confidently uphill. The engine brake is quite powerful: even its first stage is more than enough to slow down a loaded 6x4 vehicle on a descent without touching the brake pedal, while for an 8x4 in the same conditions two stages out of three possible are enough. No wonder: the DXi 13 engine, which is installed here, is essentially a Volvo D13, only with different settings, and the engine brake is the long-familiar Volvo VEB.

The basis of the dump truck range is K series vehicles with 6x4 and 8x4 wheel arrangements

Accordingly, the “robot” Optidriver, despite other controls and again settings, is nothing more than Volvo’s I-Shift. I really liked the Offroad function - competitors also have this, but only here it is activated by a separate button on the console. This mode is relevant on climbs: the “robot” already allows you to climb up in automatic mode - but it clicks through the steps up to the seventh, trying to find the best one. And if you press Offroad, you can crawl up without unnecessary switching.

The knob turns on the differential locks, the buttons turn on the Offroad mode in the gearbox and the “manual throttle”

Next to this key is another, “manual gas”: if you need to drive slowly over bumps, then so that your foot does not jump on the gas pedal, just press the button, and the car will quietly drive itself, holding 900 rpm. Next door is a circular differential lock switch: they are activated by turning the knob one after the other, so as not to make a mistake.

There is full climate control here

Overall, I would say that these dump trucks are “unstressful”: they are not difficult to drive. And the care for the drivers, even in the details, pleases: for example, the side sun shades are mounted directly on the doors - and you can leave the cab without raising the shade. And for winter, a rich set of autonomous units is offered: air 2 kW (“in the base”), analogue 4 kW, liquid 9 kW, or even a combination of them.

Only one moment overshadows what he saw - and it’s not a matter of technology. When I talked with the instructor, he sighed: “Many drivers have a “three-class” education, they are put behind the wheel of expensive equipment, but they do not take care of it. As a result, it is easier for construction companies to buy two or three cheaper dump trucks instead of a new European dump truck, which are not so bad...”

The three-axle Renault K 440 6x4 itself, judging by the advertisements on the Internet, costs us at the level of competitors such as MAN - approximately 9.6 million rubles (about 130 thousand euros). However, until the fifth of July, for a 6x4, regardless of the number of cars and brand of body, they are asking only 8.5 million, for a 6x6 - about ten, while the service contract is extended from two years to three.

As for the king of the range, the coal carrier K 480 8x4, then, judging by online advertisements, it is offered, say, in Novosibirsk for 10.6 million rubles (145 thousand euros). But that car has a German Meiller body with a volume of 25.5 m³. And the version shown in Sochi has a Russian Becema with as much as 32 cubic meters with a bottom made of eight-millimeter Hardox steel.

But so far this is not a direct competitor to the new Scania coal tanker Scania Odin: it has a rear bogie load capacity of 32 tons only according to the passport (in reality it’s under forty), the thickness of the side members is 9.5 mm plus an amplifier and there are as many as five spring leaves in front. And the Renault-Betsema model has a regular 32-ton bogie, eight-millimeter side members (also with a booster) and three leaves in the front springs. Yes, and the remote mini-service stations, thanks to which Scania maintains its leadership in our quarry market, are not yet available to renoshniks.

But they are working on a leasing option with seasonal payments - so that at a time when there is little or no work, clients can pay less. And at the upcoming Comtrans exhibition they promise to show the 8x8 version - these are popular, say, in the north.

In any case, French dump trucks are gradually appearing on our market - although the general drop in sales has forced us to bear down. If initially this year it was planned to sell a total of 1,250 trucks of this brand, then in five months, according to the Autostat agency, only 308 vehicles were sold compared to 419 for the same period in 2018. But now it’s not easy for everyone in Russia...

Following last year’s Russian special series of the Renault T-High tractor, which was called Goleador and was dedicated to the World Cup, a new one has appeared - Tourmaline (this is a red crystal). In terms of configuration, the Tourmaline is similar to the Goleador: a 480-horsepower engine, a “robot”, two tanks for almost one and a half thousand liters of diesel fuel (900 l + 570 l), in a high cabin with a flat floor - a refrigerator and other delights of life. Price - 92-95 thousand euros, depending on the set of options.

Conclusion

The Renault Trucks K 440 8x4 dump truck with a 20 cc body, average engine power, automated transmission and a number of specialized options turned out to be a kind of universal tool. If you do not load it with a slide, without exceeding the permissible axial loads, you can work on it even in urban construction, since maneuverability and easy control allow you not to feel uncomfortable in a dense flow of traffic. The K 440 8x4 will not fail in the average quarry; it will also cope with the technological road of a short or medium length. Well, for super-heavy and specific transport work, nothing is universal; you still have to assemble a special configuration...

The first Renault Trucks K 8×8 dump truck in Russia was delivered to the client

In Surgut, on the territory of the Renault Trucks branded service station “Ferronordic Machines”, the first all-wheel drive Renault Trucks K-series truck with an 8x8 wheel arrangement took place to the vehicle fleet of Samotlordorstroy LLC.

The editors
chose the four-axle all-wheel drive Renault Trucks K-series dump truck in the Carbon version with an 8x8 wheel arrangement and a Wielton body. The car is equipped with a 13-liter engine with a power of 480 hp, an Optidriver automatic transmission with software for working in difficult off-road conditions, reinforced rear bogie springs that can withstand a load of 38 tons and the largest approach angle in the class of up to 34 degrees.

The new product was first presented in Russia last fall at the Comtrans exhibition, where management decided to replenish its own fleet with this truck from the Renault Trucks brand. The deal was financed by leasing company Renault Trucks Financial Services.

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Discussion Cancel

4 comments

1. ALEXEI:

   05/10/2020 at 19:49

   Yes, there are a lot of electronics, but as practice shows, 3 years or 500,000 work, there are little things. This then begins... the blocks dry out, begin to quietly fail, the zbr ffr eds ebs lights up... etc... But it’s all there and everything can be treated... How much do these cars earn by working for days... this repair can be counted in pennies!

   Answer

2. ALEXEI:

   05/10/2020 at 19:42

   Mana 8×8 are an order of magnitude more expensive, but they are taken like pie... and this car is normal... there are practically no KamAZs now, with private ones on the backfill of mana for 3 years, this car leaves without a use, just like mana in 3 years it will be under 500,000 mileage... and an extended warranty 3 years, I don’t see any problems in work... And in Kamaz trucks you will invest from the first months in spare parts and salaries for people. They will still leave the winter in the summer, they will die, and not a single KamAZ 500,000 will pass without repairing the units. I spent 11 years on a Man TGA 2012 with a mileage of 480,000 with a year of warranty and handed it over with the original clutch cords and pads! And this car is no worse... The main thing is not to imprison the driver

   Answer

3. Marat:

   03/13/2020 at 08:12

   The cost is the same as four 20-ton KAMAZ trucks, but after loads it will also begin to crumble in a couple of years... there’s nothing to do .. I would take four KAMAZ trucks that will recoup after a year of work .. and you’ll have to recoup this rubbish for five years

   Answer

   Alexei:

   03/13/2020 at 22:08

   Something tells me you're right. New trucks have a lot of electronics. Of course, there are advantages to this, but servicing such a truck is like servicing four KamAZ trucks at the same time. Is leased equipment serviced under warranty?

   Answer

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Additional analogies and comparisons

To clarify and compare something, on this day spent in the quarry, I was able to drive similar, but at the same time, specified dump trucks with 6x4 and 6x6 wheel formulas.
Renault K 440 6x4 is a shortened “copy” of the main test dump truck, but with a 16 cc body it did not present any special surprises. Slightly better maneuverability and slightly stiffer “short wheelbase jumping”, which is to be expected.

But the all-wheel drive Renault K 440 6x6 turned out to be shod with 325/95 R24 off-road tires. Collected, muscular and bouncy. Not even just a jumper, but a striker, and the first! Even the ten plus tons of rubble in the back didn’t tame him much and changed his habits. The mechanical gearbox added brutality. In the gears of the lower row, the speed of the high-torque engine rapidly soars: first, second, third, divider toggle switch, flag, fourth, so as not to overclock the engine. I crawl up the hill, not even thinking about switching. Now is the time to use the miracle speed lock button - both save fuel and keep the speed in the optimal zone. The advantage of the option on a car with a manual transmission is now clear. This fighter on the mining front is extraordinary and was clearly not built for public roads, but in his element, despite his obstinate character, he is an undisputed leader.

Source

Reliable "French" with a pleasant character

Judging by the reviews of the owners, Renault Kerax dump trucks have good operating controls, an interior that is distinguished by its comfort and a productive cabin, and when moving across the vast expanses of the country, all this becomes of no small value. Despite the load capacity of 22 tons, the dump truck remains maneuverable and not too bulky. The car is of great interest to companies working in the agricultural, municipal and construction sectors.

The Renault KERAX dump truck has a high battery life, which is achieved with the help of a modest, for this class of foreign car, fuel consumption of the internal combustion engine. The combination of owner reviews about the dump truck’s reliable technical characteristics and attractive price makes it a profitable investment.

The Renault Kerax model line of dump trucks has many options that differ in size, additional equipment, power properties of the diesel units used and wheel formulas. For specific operational needs, the dealer can either offer a type of vehicle from the existing model range, or order a production unit with the necessary additions, which has no analogues.