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Titan or CHU Pinnacle for a lowboy tractor?


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Ok  I am planning on replacing my current lowboy tractor and trailer and I am also going to branch out and start moving other peoples equipment. I need to be able to scale 125lbs with permits and that requires me to have a third axle on the tractor. I currently have a 2001 CH 613 with that E-7 460 and 13 speed Mack but its only a tandem. I am undecided an which truck I should get. I really love the looks of the Titan and the fact I can get the truck set up from the factory with the 18 speed or the M-drive trans, Third axle and the heavier frame and rears. However I am not sure I need that and I was wondering if I get a properly equipped CHU with a 505 hp MP-8 would i be better off? I am worried about the turning radius of the Titan compared to the CHU. Would the CHU be heavy enough to handle what I plan to throw at it? Should I just get the Titan being its designed for the heavy haulers and be done with it? What are some of your opinions?

Tony

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125k gross either one  would do the job with correct specs  I bet the CHU   would be alot cheaper  and a CXU  would have the best turning radius   mp8 with a 505cplus would be my spec with a 18spd 4.17 gears  heavy single rail pusher 44k mack rears.  there are 3 titans close to me all hooked to 55 ton detachs  they are nice  but they wasn't cheap  

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This would be good time to buy 1 if going to; truck paper full of the chu's; bruckner's has a lot of them; 249 wb 505 with either 18sp or Mdrive; 14,600 front 44 rears; 15-17 models discounted as per ad

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4 hours ago, 1965 said:

This would be good time to buy 1 if going to; truck paper full of the chu's; bruckner's has a lot of them; 249 wb 505 with either 18sp or Mdrive; 14,600 front 44 rears; 15-17 models discounted as per ad

yes  new trucks are stacking up I looked at a brand new 2012 chu.  One would think there would be a sweet lease deal  I can lease a 170k farm tractor for $9500 a year  but they want almost $25k a year to lease a $125k semi   doesn't make sense to me

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Most Fleets up here hauling up to 135,000 lbs gross order CHU or CXU MP8 505hp. 

Very few order Titan. 

Geared and spec'd right they do just fine. 

The Granite for a tractor is an up charge in base price from the Pinnacle because of the frame differences. 

You can only get up to a 14.3 fr axle on a factory Pinnacle. Anything heavier you have to go to a Granite or Titan and add more $$$. 

 

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Thank you all for your replies. 

 

The CHU trucks turn pretty tight for a heavy haul truck. I did some more research and talked to a local oil company today who just got a new Titan and they said the biggest complaint is they do not turn worth a dang. He said they will haul anything you throw at it but for the money he wishes he would have bought a CH and he says he probably will for the next truck as it is almost $80k cheaper… Yes thats right $80k. Needless to say I can not justify spending that kind of money for a truck when I can spec one the same For so much less $. 

 

As for Pete's or KW's . I am 6' 7" and I do not have the room in them that I have in the Mack. LOL hard to believe I could say that lol.

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Tony

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21 hours ago, bts-4120 said:

125k gross either one  would do the job with correct specs  I bet the CHU   would be alot cheaper  and a CXU  would have the best turning radius   mp8 with a 505cplus would be my spec with a 18spd 4.17 gears  heavy single rail pusher 44k mack rears.  there are 3 titans close to me all hooked to 55 ton detachs  they are nice  but they wasn't cheap  

Yes this is probably  how I am going to spec my truck. I am still going to do a little more research just to be sure i spec it right. I do not want to have to settle or deal with a incorrectly specced truck as i plan on keeping it 10 + years.

Tony

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1 minute ago, 1965 said:

I had an 09 with 417 rears; now I have 12 with 398 rears; wished I had taller gear; 398 is good for running 55 miles per hour; about 1200 rpm; both trucks T318LR

 

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1 hour ago, Tuffguy707 said:

Whats your opinions on the M- Drive???

In a low-boy tractor application, you would want the just introduced heavy duty 13-speed mDrive  (a rebadged Volvo I-Shift AMT with crawler gears). The weak link is, it's a single countershaft design, AND it's designed so that you can't work on it.....literally (you have to do remans).

http://www.macktrucks.com/~/media/files/brochures/mack_mdrive_hd_crawl_sellsht.ashx?as=1

 

* Old hands, note that Volvo's Mack brand mDrive HD sales brochure doesn't list any gear ratios!

AND, regarding the legacy Maxitorque transmissions from the former Mack Trucks, Volvo doesn't even offer a brochure anymore (http://www.macktrucks.com/powertrain-and-suspensions/transmissions/maxitorque/). Just a brief mention......no picture much less a promotional video. Truth be told, with the introduction of the vocational I-Shift, Volvo can't wait to phase out the Maxitorque transmissions.

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7 minutes ago, mackdaddytruckfixer said:

I didn't know that. Is the Vision still the cx ?? I know the Rawhide flat front CH looking truck is badass hahahaha. They need to stop changing their stuff. 

It is no longer called Vision as they changed it to Pinnacle. The Rawhide is available in the CHU Pinnacle or axle forward, CV Granite , Or the Titan TD713. Yes the Vision/Pinnacle is still the CX. the Flat front is the CHU axle forward Pinnacle.

Edited by Tuffguy707

Tony

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2 hours ago, kscarbel2 said:

In a low-boy tractor application, you would want the just introduced heavy duty 13-speed mDrive  (a rebadged Volvo I-Shift AMT with crawler gears). The weak link is, it's a single countershaft design, AND it's designed so that you can't work on it.....literally (you have to do remans).

http://www.macktrucks.com/~/media/files/brochures/mack_mdrive_hd_crawl_sellsht.ashx?as=1

 

* Old hands, note that Volvo's Mack brand mDrive HD sales brochure doesn't list any gear ratios!

AND, regarding the legacy Maxitorque transmissions from the former Mack Trucks, Volvo doesn't even offer a brochure anymore (http://www.macktrucks.com/powertrain-and-suspensions/transmissions/maxitorque/). Just a brief mention......no picture much less a promotional video. Truth be told, with the introduction of the vocational I-Shift, Volvo can't wait to phase out the Maxitorque transmissions.

the only way you get  the m drive with the extra low holes it to buy a granite  is not available in a pinnacle  at least that is what my local  dealer told me.      he had a mdrive on the yard od modle set up on 22.5 tall and 3.55 gears   the trans  is super smooth   both starting off and going through the gears  love how it was geared for the road BUT  it does not have no where the reduction I am use to   13spd and 3.70 rears  so off road  pulling in wet feilds or heavy I am not sold on there 12spd  especially when it  cost more than a mack 13/18spd

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17 minutes ago, bts-4120 said:

the only way you get  the m drive with the extra low holes it to buy a granite  is not available in a pinnacle  at least that is what my local  dealer told me.      he had a mdrive on the yard od modle set up on 22.5 tall and 3.55 gears   the trans  is super smooth   both starting off and going through the gears  love how it was geared for the road BUT  it does not have no where the reduction I am use to   13spd and 3.70 rears  so off road  pulling in wet feilds or heavy I am not sold on there 12spd  especially when it  cost more than a mack 13/18spd

Volvo's Mack brand website states:

The mDRIVE HD heavy-duty automated manual transmission is standard on the Mack Granite and Titan by Mack trucks, and is available for the Mack Pinnacle,TM so you can roll over your toughest challenges.

I've no idea what the "TM" means, poor English on their part.

http://www.macktrucks.com/powertrain-and-suspensions/transmissions/

The brochure states:

Mack’s mDRIVE HD is “built light to make Mack Granite and Pinnacle models even more productive while helping Titan by Mack do the heavy lifting”.

http://www.macktrucks.com/~/media/files/brochures/mack_mdrive_hd_crawl_sellsht.ashx?as=1

 

Why don't you place your order with the good folks at Watts Mack ?

 

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