By gathering all the controls related to traction – differential lock, traction control and weight transfer – into one three button panel, Scania engineers and designers aimed to simplify the driver experience. Therefore all Scania trucks equipped with differential locks are now outfitted with a new traction panel on the dashboard close to the gearchanging hand.
“Previously, toggle switches to activate or deactivate each differential lock on each axle were spread out on the dashboard on the non-gearchanging side of the driver’s seat. On 8×8s, it was like playing an organ,” says engineer Tomas Östlund, who lead the development of the new traction panel.
“With the new ergonomic design and better positioning of the traction panel on the dashboard, including a rotary difflock switch to click through differential lock settings. Pushing the rotary switch will activate off-road traction control. All of these important driver choices can be activated or deactivated without taking one’s eye off the road.”
Adjacent to the rotary switch are controls for lifting the tag axle or transferring weight between bogie axles, either all at once, or progressively. Immediate feedback on all traction?changes is easily understood in the instrument cluster with arrows showing pending differential lock engagements or disengagements, for example.
The rotary difflock switch, basically a knob, has one position for each and every differential lock sequence depending on the number of axles on the truck.
“And a knob is easier to hold onto on a bumpy road,” says Östlund. “This easy-to-use and intuitive traction panel which combines traction control, differential lock and weight transfer in one place is unique to Scania. But you still have to drive carefully until everything is engaged or disengaged.”