Chassis/engine best balance question-Speed limits

[Stefandreus]

So i am pretty new to this game, even if i already play several hours, and from the first truck i bought (iveco astralis, the cheapest one) i move to scania and then volvo, the expensive models soon at they become available (level 30-40), but with the volvo FH (the most expensive one with 8x4 chassis and 750 hp) i felt overpowered with most of cargo, so after i did that achievement for which you must drive every brand for 1000 km i still like the volvo but i choose a more "balanced" configuration: 540 hp and 6x2/4 midlift chassis, i tried the 6x4 but it seemed very difficult to steer so i choose that one.

Then i made a "stress test", carry a locomotive of 64 t and in my surprise it didn't go bad, there was a little entrance in the main road that was very steep but i manage to climb it anyway...what do you think? It's a good balance for both heavy/light cargoes?
Also in this configuration with a 12+2 speed gearbox what changes with different engines?
In the configuration tab it seems that heavy cargoes remain the same when light cargoes not (decrease the optimization) so it's all about the chassis?
I drop the mid axle when i carry more than 20t right?
I also care about stability cause i have all sliders in options to the left, so i "feel" the turning very much, but i liked more.

And for a total different question, i noticed in one of my travels (romania i think) that the speed limit it's 100 km/h? I mean isn't it too much? i don't use limiter, but i always stay under 90, because of stability and fear of flip over and i don't care of speed, it's a truck game not race...
anyway where that number come from?
Where i live truck speed limit is 80, in the game in france it's 90 (even here, too much for my experience in game, maybe for the fact that i use keyboard, joystick have few buttons for all actions so i don't use it i have little space) but 100??

anyway sorry for the long post, i read many different things about chassis/engines i guess it's a matter of purposes...wanna know if i can try better/ different configurations for heavy cargo or i can leave this one (i don't mind doing few special transport or heavy cargoes)
thanks

[Briannospam]

From what I have read as others have written, even the weakest cheapest truck in the game can handle all types of loads, but of course the weakest will not be able to pull uphill as well as the strongest.

In the deep quarries it can be difficult to get up with heavy loads if you are not 6x4 (with the option to lock the differential so you pull on all rear wheels).

As far as I know, liftable axles lower automatically when you pull more than 9 tons, maybe a little less. (as far as I remember I have never been able to pull more than 7-8 tons without the shaft lowering automatically.

Max speed for trucks (and cars) differs from country to country.

Regarding your long post, it's ok so far ... except that it would have made your post much more readable if you had formatted your post at some intervals like I did in my reply to you.
- In fact, it was close that I did not bother to try to read your post at all due to the lack of formatting.

[Stefandreus]

Originally posted by Briannospam:

From what I have read as others have written, even the weakest cheapest truck in the game can handle all types of loads, but of course the weakest will not be able to pull uphill as well as the strongest.

In the deep quarries it can be difficult to get up with heavy loads if you are not 6x4 (with the option to lock the differential so you pull on all rear wheels).

As far as I know, liftable axles lower automatically when you pull more than 9 tons, maybe a little less. (as far as I remember I have never been able to pull more than 7-8 tons without the shaft lowering automatically.

Max speed for trucks (and cars) differs from country to country.

Regarding your long post, it's ok so far ... except that it would have made your post much more readable if you had formatted your post at some intervals like I did in my reply to you.
- In fact, it was close that I did not bother to try to read your post at all due to the lack of formatting.

thanks for the answer, i'm sorry my bad, english isn't my native language and i put a lot of questions in a chaotic way.
For what concerns the axis i have the "auto drop of liftable axis" option off, should i put it on?
Thanks again for your patience.

[Briannospam]

Whether you need automatic liftable axle or not is up to you. :)
I use automatically because I feel it is the most realistic for me, partly because I otherwise do not know when I can raise the shaft, and partly because I then do not forget to lower it when necessary.

As for the language, I will not blame you, my own English is also far from perfect, as English is not my main language either. :)
- Just remember if you are writing long posts a second time, to divide your post into appropriate with empty lines to make it readable.

[Alumno Superstes]

I drove long time with volvo FH 8x4 too, but in ATS i learned to do compromises which all in all increased my vehicle performance.

Now I drive with volvo FH still but 6x4. Haven't seen any bad in it, and stat bars, mostly maneuverability, jumps up so MUCH, it's wasted potential to use 8x4. Negative effects aren't visible at all, thanx to good torque and hp.

DAF XF isn't bad if you want to haul with truck which needs a bit more tending when hauling exmaple that "loco"..with wise use of all gear speeds it goes smoothly enough.

Personally I wouldn't even think other trucks, except scania maybe. Scania has 6x4 long platform..dunno if it makes it more stable than volvo..but again, speeds (90km/h) in ETS2 is low so I doubt ppl see a lot losing friction and starting to slide.

[Stefandreus]

Thanks for the answers...anyway i was hauling a road machinery (47t) from Lion to Dover, with the 6x2/4 which i mention, and it seemed not so bad, i drop the mid axle and normal travel until i reached the other side of the manche tunnel.
I find a very steep hill road and even with low gears and differential i was struggling, barely moving. I don't know if it was the rain, because i don't know if has effect on grip, it seems a bit, or maybe the steering trailer...anyway i try to lift the mid axle and there i go!
Maybe too much steering wheels...i don't know

@alumno superstes soon i arrived to dover i switch to 6x4, i was up to write that!
it's more stable indeed and you don't have to think about lift/drop axles even if it's a challenge added to gameplay.

For me, 8x4 with 750 hp it's basically a tank lol...4x2 is bad for 20t+ cargoes, so i keep in the middle, 6x4 with 540 hp it's more than optimal for a lot of type of cargoes
idk about fuel consumption (since i use the "realistic" one)

Yes i tried the Scania, but i can't read the little gauges on console, even if i use a 55° FOV.
I like the simple and spacious dashboard of the volvo FH, the MB also is good and the DAF XF it's another good one...
(speaking of aesthethic of course)

[Briannospam]

It has probably been the combination of 6x2 / 4 + rain.
I myself once had a very hard time getting up from a quarry in rain with 6x2 / 4.
But with 6x4 in the rain, you just turn on differential lock, then it goes fine, however, you just have to be aware that with differential lock activated, you get a much larger turning radius (understeer)

As you lift the center axle, you get more weight on the drive axle and thus better bite in the road surface.

[Stefandreus]

Originally posted by Briannospam:

It has probably been the combination of 6x2 / 4 + rain.
I myself once had a very hard time getting up from a quarry in rain with 6x2 / 4.
But with 6x4 in the rain, you just turn on differential lock, then it goes fine, however, you just have to be aware that with differential lock activated, you get a much larger turning radius (understeer)

As you lift the center axle, you get more weight on the drive axle and thus better bite in the road surface.

Thank you, well they're both good choice...i'm aware of the larger turning radius, so of course in highways it seems more stable, when changing lane and in hills, the 6x2/4 however is more easy to maneuvre when unloaded or with light cargoes (axle lift)

i logically thought of the rain effect, but i didn't read any post in regard of the effect in roads, i also noticed when using retarder/motor brake, it feels like sliding/skipping rpm, so it was the 4 steering wheels+rain, even if the sliding on road at this point happens in every vehicle
thank you again for the explanation

[Alumno Superstes]

Hey, I just ..after 200h gaming found Allison gear box (scania has similar SCANIA xx-xx). in ATS it was my main gear system excluding if used Volvo VNL.

in ETS2 i have tested it in Volvo FH (6x4) and scania S (6x4 Long), hauling "loco" from Latvia and south. haven't seen many hills yet..but seems allison works, less hassle with gears..which usually need to ramp up always in pairs. If Allison is used in 8x4 platform I see a bit too much negative efffects in stat bars, so maybe not for that platform.

The thing about 6x4 and hauling extra heavy seems to be..it's easy to tip over in roundabouts. Can't remember if 8x4 performs any better under similar situations, roundabouts are rather hard curves after all.

[Stefandreus]

Originally posted by Alumno Superstes:

Hey, I just ..after 200h gaming found Allison gear box (scania has similar SCANIA xx-xx). in ATS it was my main gear system excluding if used Volvo VNL.

in ETS2 i have tested it in Volvo FH (6x4) and scania S (6x4 Long), hauling "loco" from Latvia and south. haven't seen many hills yet..but seems allison works, less hassle with gears..which usually need to ramp up always in pairs. If Allison is used in 8x4 platform I see a bit too much negative efffects in stat bars, so maybe not for that platform.

The thing about 6x4 and hauling extra heavy seems to be..it's easy to tip over in roundabouts. Can't remember if 8x4 performs any better under similar situations, roundabouts are rather hard curves after all.

Well i never tried it, in regard on roundabouts i never tip over with "realistic" stability, generally i much rather collide with things, or that situations when your trailer remains blocked in tight curves, and you can't move...expecially in scandinavian places on highway exit...even if i think i slow down enough sometimes it's not enough.

i don't know, i feel fine with the 12+2 transmission, idk if rather leave the 540 hp and change to 600hp but as i said before it's pretty balanced for different type of cargoes.

the thing about gears it's real though...with 12+2 gears i skip gears a lot when accelerating and drive empty, it's more difficult indeed to manage if you want also keep an economic style of drive

surely when i am empty and exploring it can be much better, i'll give it a try, thanks

p.s. anyway i'm haulin a double cargo (34t) from Stavanger to Bergen, the gps set me the short route, but i choose the "panoramic one" that i never explored and i already see much hills, the low gear help me a lot, in Norway there's plenty of these hill with turn very often
latvia hasn't hills, at least compared with Scandinavia, balcanic countries from what i've seen have hills as well (haul a loco from baltic sea area to istanbul, i did have the 8x4 at the time with 750 hp but it was still a lot, i delivered with hours of late)

[Alumno Superstes]

I just experienced hills..allison gear system needs that warm up time until starts speeding again, i learned in ATS keeping RPM meter at 12 o'clock and if it drops too much i swap to smaller gear and wait until it start speeding up, and carefully increase gear.

Haven't tried special cargoes yet..dunno if allison works on those hauls.

At least haven't seen situation (yet) like with volvo VNL, that keeping speed X km/h i can't find right gear..RPM meter would be at min or maxed

[Stefandreus]

Originally posted by Alumno Superstes:

I just experienced hills..allison gear system needs that warm up time until starts speeding again, i learned in ATS keeping RPM meter at 12 o'clock and if it drops too much i swap to smaller gear and wait until it start speeding up, and carefully increase gear.

Haven't tried special cargoes yet..dunno if allison works on those hauls.

At least haven't seen situation (yet) like with volvo VNL, that keeping speed X km/h i can't find right gear..RPM meter would be at min or maxed

i'm doing a long delivery from norway to romania, i want to give it a try, what type of engine do you use?

[Alumno Superstes]

I use 750 hp and 3550Nm volvo FH engine, Scania S would work as well i think.

In ATS allison really made truck go, so dunno if allison benefits more or less in ETS since EU trucks has higher toque and acceleration anyways, but less gear changings, you can go with gear 4 70-80km/h..compact

[Stefandreus]

Originally posted by Alumno Superstes:

I use 750 hp and 3550Nm volvo FH engine, Scania S would work as well i think.

In ATS allison really made truck go, so dunno if allison benefits more or less in ETS since EU trucks has higher toque and acceleration anyways, but less gear changings, you can go with gear 4 70-80km/h..compact

i might go for the 750, now i'm doing some achievement (along the black sea, now orient express) and the six speed i saw good accelleration while empty, but i prefer the 12+2 i love doing cargo job, testing the truck with heavy stuff (not always anyway)

however i leave the chassis, from what i see it's good enough, good compromise when driving empty

[Alumno Superstes]

Ye, under 0 kg load it's like rocket, and speeds up nice until hit somewhere 10t-20t.