FODEN & ERF
Truck & Driver July 2019^63
Foden Alpha and ERF ECX head to head
CAB
Alpha: The Alpha cab is essentially a Daf
CF, which is, despite what Foden purists
may tell you, a very good thing. Daf knows
how to do cabs and the CF is an excellent
design that still looks modern even today.
Although the cab is only 2300mm wide, the
XL version has loads of space inside for a
full week on the road.
The downside is the large engine
tunnel and the fact that the smaller overall
dimensions of the cab restricted the size
of engine that could be fitted under it.
As all the interior parts from a CF can be
switched over, there are no issues with
parts supply. The plastic does get creaky
with age but it’s durable.ECX: The glassfibre-cabbed ECX Olympic
is clearly a larger vehicle than the Alpha
XL, with a full-width 2500mm cab.
The interior layout is unconventional,
with the main bunk located above the
windscreen. Storage is limited though, and
in many respects the cab does not improve
upon the previous-generation EC. The
top-of-the-range Olympic Sovereign was
very well equipped.
The dash/switchgear layout is showingits age – the cruise control switches are
located in the middle of the dash – and
while there’s plush carpeting throughout,
the quality of plastic is rather cheap. Certain
bits of trim and parts such as window
regulators are very hard to source today.
The ECX suffered from being rushed
into production and feels rather under-
developed, but it’s clear it had plenty of
potential. We wonder how ERF would have
evolved the design...DRIVELINE
Alpha: The Alpha came with two engine
options, the Cummins iSME 11-litre and the
Caterpillar C12. The Cummins is the more
economical, with a top output of 420hp,
while the CAT unit is available at 450hp but
is also known for heavy fuel consumption.
Both engines have been proven to be
durable. Owing to the low-set cab, Foden
couldn’t fit a bigger engine in the Alpha.
Gearboxes were ZF 12- or 16-speed
manuals, and there were even a few sold
with early AS-Tronic autos. Double-drive
tractors used Peterbilt Air-trac suspension,
while tipper chassis used either Foden
or Hendrickson rubber, and many
considered them the best in class.Much of the running gear – such as
brakes, bushes, shocks – is the same as a
CF, which makes running them today a lot
easier than it would be otherwise.ECX: The main powerplant for the ECX
was the Cummins M11, the forerunner to
the iSME. The M11 is considered one of
the finest truck engines of the era. The
ECX was also available with the legendary
Cummins 14 litre, which meant a top
power output of 525hp and the ability to
mix it with anything Sweden had to offer at
the time, even though the engine was right
at the end of its lifespan.
Most ECXs used the same ZF gearbox
as the Alpha, but the 13-speed Fuller
Roadranger constant-mesh ’box was also
available. Some early examples had an
Eaton 16-speed synchro.
The axles on the regular models were
MAN-sourced; double-drive units used
Rockwell and Hendrickson kit.
One of the downsides of the Alpha is
that the running gear and electrics are a
MAN/ERF mash-up, the end result being
neither one nor the other.