Why is there a massive metal ballast in the rear of 170d11?

[Peterdenmark]

Hello

In the rear of the frame there are several massive plates of iron bolted on to the frame. I guess that this is some sort of counterweight or something that stops vibrations?

I guess that there is far more than 100kgs. Perhaps 100-250kg?

Is it necessary to keep it there?

Best regards Peter

[Wilmaaa]

Can you take pictures and post them?

[Peterdenmark]

Here :-)

[Peterdenmark]

If my calculations are correct then the ballast totals 600kg!

The one on top is 60x70x13 and the one in the bottom is 60x40x8 (cm)

This equals 74760cm3 and if we say that the iron weighs 8 grams per cm3 then it is about 600kg.

Damn! That is a lot of dead weight! ( sorry about all the "!")

Perhaps a joke from the manufacturer?

[ud68]

calculation seems right. Sems to be a kind of counterweight - what kind of truck do you have?
can you post an overall picture?
best regards
Udo

[Peterdenmark]

Hi. It is a standard 170d11 ex feuhrwehr.

[Fluchtwagen]

Hi Peter,
the only occasion I came across a metal balast like that was at an old Düsseldorfer-Transporter from Mercedes. That car had no power steering and by loading up the rear of the car, the steering was supposed to be lighter.
But I don't know if that also applies to your truck.

Take care,
Markus

[Peterdenmark]

Makes sence, but the car has servo so it would be a little much to add a 600 kg ballast to makeup it lighter no?

[Z1017]

Hi Peter,
you are sure it is full Metal?
Third pic from the rear, for me, looks like an add. watertank.
Are there perhaps any in or outlets?
best regards

[Peterdenmark]

Yes it is just massive plates that are stacked. I can not see how they are joined but I can see that they are seperate.

[denni]

Are the tanks for the Water still inside the Car?

I know from an 120D7 wich was an LF8. The owner says when there were no Water inside the tanks it was nearly undriveable because of the Missing weight.
During the car was in the Firebrigade they had still many tools on Board when the Tanks were Empty (i think the water inside was 800 up to 1200 Litre in case of an LF16) and there were no long ways to make. In the next life there were only a small number of little Tools with not as much weight und no Water on Board. So the Car was nearly undriveable, the solution was to keep one of the tanks inside and fill Water inside.

If there is no Water / Watertanks inside the car it might be an weight to get the car driving better (more weight on the rear axle).

Aswell the most of the cars have no regulator for the Brake pressure at the rear axles, because the cars were ever full loaded at the firebrigade. So i think they want to compensate missing weight.

[Peterdenmark]

That sound very plausable.

The car came with a plastic tank inside (1 kubik meter) and it seems that the tank was retrofitted. So perhaps the car was originally without a tank and therefore they added the 600kg ballast to the rear.

Perhaps that is why the car has a tendecy to "swerve" when I drive it >75km/h?

A small side question: My car seems to only want to drive around 72km/h comfortably. The engine seems quite stressed at 80 and I have no engine rpm counter so I can only trust my ears. Are there some slower versions of the 170d11 or do I just need better earplugs?

Best regards Peter