Yep, I know the feeling of being the fall guy for somebody else's mistake. I drove a Freightliner with a 270 Cat and an Eaton 15-speed for a while. That one had a 5-speed main box, and a 3-speed twin-screw rear end. Each main box gear got split three times by shifting the rear ends. The axles were actually only 2-speed, but an intermediate gear could be had by shifting one into low range, and the other into high. A 3-position splitter knob on the shifter controlled the electrically-shifted rear axles. (Low/Int./High) It was absolutely necessary to hold power on while moving the splitter knob, then let off the power or tap the clutch to unload the axles and allow the shift to happen, like a regular 2-speed axle. My trainee driver got confused, let off the throttle, and then moved the splitter switch. The rig coasted along in a false neutral for about 100 feet, then SLAMMED into gear! About 500 miles later, with me driving, the input shaft to the power divider snapped cleanly in two. I guess it took that long for the crack the slam-shift created to separate all the way. We rebuilt the power divider in a vacant lot in Salinas, California!
Jerry
Last edited by Hotrod Lincoln; 11/30/2009 7:00 PM.
