For SCS, ATS Shift Points

[Pøläär §nøw]

SCS, First off you got the basic feel of this spot on. I love what I'm looking at. You all did a nice job.

HOWEVER, As someone who actually drove real world semi/trailers for 18 yrs in 3 countries. I can tell you a couple of major issues I seen. Lets start with the easiest. 80mph speed zone and no one, no car, nothing will even try to do the speed limit. They all running below 75mph, some barely doing 70. This is America, a 75mph speed zone will have the proven fact straight up. ALMOST no one will be doing less then 80 in a 75, some will be doing over 90mph.

Issue 2, also easy. Trucks, cars everything, according to published motor vehicle law, Slow vehicles are to "keep to the right", Not to be puddling along in the hammer lane like they own it. That will piss a cop off in a new york minute.

Issue 3, This is the title of this post. You put an 18 speed transmission into an America truck, but gave it European shift points. American trucks do NOT idle high, or over 2000rpm's. Most trucks in AMerican cruise between 1650rpm and 1800rpm for optimal power transfer to the wheels.

It's all wrong.

An American 18 speed transmission shifts on the bottom 4 to 5 gears at 450 to 500rpm drops, And on the high side of the transmission 275 to 350 rpm drops between gears, depending on the gear. Starting at 1550rpm. And never going over 2000, except in the first 3 gears on the bottom side of the transmission. American diesel manufactures make sure of that. Or you void the warrenty on the engine.

You have the shift points, to the displayed rpm, to the engine sound (which i will say is spot on sound wise), to the selected gear, all over the place. Optimal rpm for an American 18 speed transmission, is 1700 to 1850. Not 2050 to 2200 like you have it now.

In other words, the display rpm is wrong. You have too little rpm drop between gears And you have the gears in general too close. You should not be able to do 48 mph in 16th gear while reving up at 2200. Atleast I never was able to do that with the trucks I'v owned over the yrs.

As it stands, I'm having to skip shift 2 to 3 gears between shifts to get the right feel. And you quickly run out of transmission.

SCS, You did such a nice job, you got the trucks right, you got the engine sound right. You just got the feel of trucking down. The transmission is my biggest major complaint. Please, fix it.

[Komfr]

Thanks for the feedback, we are planing to improve the gearbox behavior.

[Pøläär §nøw]

Originally posted by Komfr:

Thanks for the feedback, we are planing to improve the gearbox behavior.

You are welcome. Too help you further understand what I'm talking about, I tracked down some vid's to help you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hdqg2g7RYg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqFDPFZTh4g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXnMSuD0O2c

You'll notice that the 18 speed transmission can behave just like a 13, but that you can split every gear, in the high side of the transmission, but that you can also split the bottom side as well. But the shift points are still like 400rpm drops between gears on the bottom side, and 275 to 350rpm on the high side. This allows for the torque to drive the truck, specially with heavy loads.

I'm glad you took my issue and seen it as me trying to help, not attack you folks at SCS. I'm a retired trucker, I love keeping my skills sharp. I'v driven most trucks in my time, International Navistar, Pete's, KW's, Volvo's, Mack, Sterling. Love me them Pete's though, Always loved that style of the 387 and the 379. This 587 don't look too shabby.

Oh, Just wish you had 53 foot trailers in this. That would really make this more true to life. LOL

Thanks again SCS. Keep the dirty side down, and the shinny side up.