Autocar » AP-40

A 600-hp diesel rear dumper for off-highway use has been developed by Autocar in 1957. Engineered for 40-ton payloads, it will travel up to 33 mph. It is powered by a 12-cylinder, V-type turbocharged Cummins diesel. This engine has previously been used only in locomotives and as a stationary power plant. It is rated at 600 bhp at governed speed of 2100 rpm.

The new dumper is designated as the AP-40 and is the third model in the AP line to be introduced in 1957. It is more than 13 ft high, 31 ft, 10 in. long and is equipped with a 27-cu yd body. Adaption of the engine to the AP-40 was made possible by recent development of a transmission, the Fuller R-1550, rugged and flexible enough to efficiently utilize the power developed.

Another engineering achievement is an all-welded, box-construction frame of one-inch carbon steel designed to resist the torques encountered under severest off-highway conditions. An offset-mounted cab, engineered for driver safety and comfort, has the adjustable steering column introduced in the AP-25. Set-back, wide-track front axle provides maximum maneuverability. The AP-40 drives on all four wheels in the tandem rear. If either set of wheels losses traction, an air-powered lock applied on an interaxle differential by the driver from the cab, blocks out torque loss, permitting the other axle to continue driving. Gross weight of the AP-40—with 40-ton payload—is 85 tons.