Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkofSJC
Steve,
Thanks for the great suggestion! I reached John Clark and had a really nice chat with him. I thought I'd share the key points, as they were surprising.
As for that rolling back at stop signs on a ZF, that's a driver controlled option. If they push hard on the brakes at the stop and then let up slowly and completely, the front brakes lock "on" and will remain on until you accelerate, which takes them "off" -- but if you don't push hard, they won't lock.
So it kinda comes back to what type of driving style you're most comfortable with. If you like driving a stick with a lot of control, or climb a lot of steep grades, you may be most happy with a ZF. On the other hand, if you live/travel in the flat lands, or like drag racing off red lights, the Allison is your best bet.
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A couple of clarifications:
1. When stopping on an uphill grade with a ZF, apply the brakes sufficiently so that the front brakes alone could keep the coach from rolling backwards, then release the brake pedal pressure to what is comfortable and will hold the coach in place. Do not release the brakes completely as the coach will roll back with no pressure on the brake pedal.
2. The Allison transmission is also very good on steep grades, and depending upon steepness and length of the grade, may actually ouperform the ZF because of shifting lag on the ZF