Scania has introduced its latest iteration of the G-series gearboxes for Scania Opticruise. The newcomer, named as G38 is specially developed for working together with Scania’s most powerful V8, the 3,700 Nm, 16-litre 770 hp top-of-the-line legend. Together they offer everything from fuel and weight savings to a smooth ride and great startability.
G38 is the latest and final iteration of the G-series gearboxes that was first introduced in 2019 (with the G33). It is tailor-made for handling the massive torque that Scania’s 770 hp V8 is producing. Despite being able to handle up to 3,800 Nm of torque, it features exactly the same dimensions and weight as the G33.
“It is basically about metallurgy, choosing more extreme steel qualities and applying technologies such as cog polishing and shot peening for increasing the hardening and the durability of certain vital components” says Mats Henriksson, Development Engineer at Scania R&D. “We have also added extra oil channels for the most crucial parts, but that is all – the basic design of the G-series is very sturdy in itself”.
The G-series gearboxes are typically 60-70 kg lighter than the gearboxes they are replacing, mainly due to the all-aluminium housings and smaller overall dimensions. Another key achievement is lowered noise, a prerequisite for meeting future regulations. The gearshifts on these automated manual gearboxes are made by pneumatic actuators. By using shaft brakes, Scania’s engineers have been able to reduce the number of synchronisations, space that is used for wider cogs instead.
“The G-series and its features was something of a revolution at the time of the intro-duction, and it still is if you ask me”, says Bo Eriksson, Product Manager, Scania Trucks. “It offers all the customers values you can ask for while at the same time being flexible and fit for a broad palette of applications and operations of the kind where a lot of horsepower and torque are involved. Heavy-haulage tractors for in-stance will definitely benefit from the G38. It is the ultimate addition when it comes to well-balanced performance steps in the Scania modular system”.
The G-series gearboxes can also be ordered as HD versions (Heavy Duty) and the G38 is no exception. As a G38CH, it will come with a wider planetary gear wheel for adding even more robustness. It increases the ability to handle high torque on the prop shaft also under the most demanding road conditions (typically where there are no “roads”).
The G38 gearbox is shorter than the most common Scania gearbox for the same type of operation at present, GRSO926. A certain difference between them is that the G38 has only one built-in torque limitation: as little as 100 Nm of engine power is cut off at a certain gear and rpm point, something that the driver will hardly notice. The G38 offers 14 forward gears, including a super crawler and a direct gear, and the opportunity to specify up to 8 gears for going in reverse.