Sterling Light Duty Trucks?

[8A4RE]

I was driving home today and this thing crosses my path. http://www.sterlingtrucks.com/SterlingBullet/ I climbed up on the wheel to read the name on the front and it says, "Sterling". I was suprised that I had not heard of them making a light truck. It is based off of the Dodge Ram.

[BlackHorse]

Dodge headlamps, Ford grill.

[rmc523]

I think I've seen one of these before.

 

Have they changed anything other than the grille and a few trim additions from the Ram? If not, I don't really see the point of it.

[7Mary3]

That new Sterling is eating into F-450 and 550 sales in my area. What makes it bad is that most Sterling dealers were Ford Heavy Truck dealers, and still sell Ford light and medium (F650-750) trucks. So, the Bullit is right at the same dealership. Many 450 and 550 owners who bought less than perfect 6L Powerstrokes are very interested in the Bullit's Cummins/Aisian drivetrain.

[7Mary3]

I think I've seen one of these before.

 

Have they changed anything other than the grille and a few trim additions from the Ram? If not, I don't really see the point of it.

 

There are 2 points to the Bullit. First, most Dodge dealers are not set up for commercial truck sales. Giving a clone to Sterling truck dealers gives Dodge a good sales outlet for medium duty trucks. Second, Diamler Trucks N.A. wants to clobber Ford in light and medium duty commercial trucks. With the Bullit, Sterling now has a competitive truck for every commercial truck Ford sells, plus an extensive heavy duty line all the way to class 8.

[rmc523]

There are 2 points to the Bullit. First, most Dodge dealers are not set up for commercial truck sales. Giving a clone to Sterling truck dealers gives Dodge a good sales outlet for medium duty trucks. Second, Diamler Trucks N.A. wants to clobber Ford in light and medium duty commercial trucks. With the Bullit, Sterling now has a competitive truck for every commercial truck Ford sells, plus an extensive heavy duty line all the way to class 8.

 

I see.....

[J-150]

There are 2 points to the Bullit. First, most Dodge dealers are not set up for commercial truck sales. Giving a clone to Sterling truck dealers gives Dodge a good sales outlet for medium duty trucks. Second, Diamler Trucks N.A. wants to clobber Ford in light and medium duty commercial trucks. With the Bullit, Sterling now has a competitive truck for every commercial truck Ford sells, plus an extensive heavy duty line all the way to class 8.

 

 

But isn't Sterling part of Daimler?

 

Is this maybe the tradeoff for Dodge to continue selling Mercedes Sprinters?

[7Mary3]

But isn't Sterling part of Daimler?

 

Is this maybe the tradeoff for Dodge to continue selling Mercedes Sprinters?

 

That's right, and the new Sterling Bullit is part of Daimler's commercial vehicle plans for the U.S.. I seem to remember reading that supplying the Sprinter to Dodge dealers is part of the agreement between Chrysler and Daimler on the Sterling Bullet.

[Furious1Auto]

It's a Dodge truck, with a Sterling grille!

 

 

[J-150]

 

 

so I guess this is what the next gen Titan will look like

[V8-X]

I'm confused. So is this simply a Dodge Ram or is it a Sterling built product that only uses the cab & Cummins from Dodge?

[LaredoRV]

Could somebody fit a Dodge Dually bed on it and do a different truck from everyone ?

[sprtch06]

I saw one of these at the Freightliner dealer last month. It is a straight up Dodge with Sterling badges on it. If I remember correctly, it had the rams head in the center of the steering wheel blacked out. One thing I did like was that it had a full blown Spicer truck differential in it. Sterling also sales rebadged Mitsubishi cab over trucks as Sterlings.

[Furious1Auto]

Could somebody fit a Dodge Dually bed on it and do a different truck from everyone ?

 

 

If that's what you wanted, it would be cheaper and easier to buy a Dodge truck and swap the Grille and Steering wheel for a Sterling.

 

I saw one of these at the Freightliner dealer last month. It is a straight up Dodge with Sterling badges on it. If I remember correctly, it had the rams head in the center of the steering wheel blacked out. One thing I did like was that it had a full blown Spicer truck differential in it. Sterling also sales rebadged Mitsubishi cab over trucks as Sterlings.

 

 

Spicer is bottom of the barrel in the heavy commercial truck world. The most common, and most reliable is Eaton/Fuller.

 

Almost every Semi I have ever driven had an Eaton, except the International I drove. It also had a ceramic clutch, and I hated it.

Edited May 16, 2008 by Furious1Auto

[7Mary3]

If that's what you wanted, it would be cheaper and easier to buy a Dodge truck and swap the Grille and Steering wheel for a Sterling.

 

 

 

 

Spicer is bottom of the barrel in the heavy commercial truck world. The most common, and most reliable is Eaton/Fuller.

 

Almost every Semi I have ever driven had an Eaton, except the International I drove. It also had a ceramic clutch, and I hated it.

 

Dana-Spicer axles are not bad. That's what Ford uses on the Super Duty 450 and 550. Some of the 650's have a Spicer too. As far as heavy trucks go, Spicer doesn't really make anything for those trucks anymore. Most class 8 trucks (semi's) have either Eaton or Meritor (formerly Rockwell) axles. Ceramic and cera-metallic clucth discs are pretty much standard now, I have not seen an organic disc in a big truck in decades.

[Furious1Auto]

Dana-Spicer axles are not bad. That's what Ford uses on the Super Duty 450 and 550. Some of the 650's have a Spicer too. As far as heavy trucks go, Spicer doesn't really make anything for those trucks anymore. Most class 8 trucks (semi's) have either Eaton or Meritor (formerly Rockwell) axles. Ceramic and cera-metallic clucth discs are pretty much standard now, I have not seen an organic disc in a big truck in decades.

Sorry, but I have not been out of the truck that long to have no idea what I am talking about. I have driven many makes and model Semi's within this decade to know that cera-metallic are not standard.

 

There is a distinct difference in the driveline when a ceramic clutch engages. It is with a bang, and there is no slipping. It is in or out, and makes for violent shifts. Now even semi-metallic clutch surfaces allow for some slipping on engagement, and smoother shifts. The clutch and distance in RPM's between the shifts was terrible in the International I drove.

 

The best set up I drove was a Detroit Series 60 470HP with a Eaton/Fuller "Super 10 top 2 tranny" and a Eaton driveline. Eaton/Fuller is superior to Spicer no matter how you cut it. If you would like to continue this argument, I will post a thread asking truckers which the prefer on a truckers forum I am a member of. Then I can Link it to this thread so you can click, and read the responses for yourself.

 

I know a little about the career, and equipment I use to participate in daily. I have over 7 years driving a semi under my belt!

Edited May 17, 2008 by Furious1Auto

[7Mary3]

Ahh, I think you need to go back a read my post a little more carefully again! Not an arguement. Never said Spicer was better than Eaton/Fuller. As far as clutches go, I don't see anything but ceramic and cera-metallic anymore. There is a technique for driving them, and it is not to slip them at all- 'pick it up off the floor'. The International you drove probably was abused or spec'ed with screwed up ratios. Some are harder to take off in that others, that's for sure. The 60 is a fine engine, and works good with a plain old 9 speed Roadranger too. 7 years is a good start. I have been at it close to 30, driving, wrenching, and managing.

Edited May 17, 2008 by 7Mary3

[Joe771476]

Ford, in its infinite wisdom sold their heavy truck lines to Daimler, which had already bought Freightliner a few years earlier. They gave it away for a paltry $300 million! And that was after they had just introduced the new generation A-/L-series! What was funny, was that for a short time when Daimler bought/owned Chrysler, trucks that were Ford designed and called Sterlings were under the umbrella of Chrysler! Now Daimler thanks Ford for giving them their heavy truck line by entering Ford's bread and butter light and medium class market! But Ford has always been clueless when purchasing and selling. They paid $6 billion for Volvo cars, when that amount of money should have bought the entire Volvo company including heavy trucks and construction equip.! They paid $2 billion for Jaguar and $2 billion for Land Rover PLUS at least $3 billion in cash infusions and are now selling it for $2.3 billion! And that's IF the sale really goes through, which I'm not counting on! I think Tata will back out. These companies keep selling off divisions to keep shareholders happy. Are you kidding me? What did selling off Ford's farm tractor and heavy truck lines do to shareholder value? NOTHING! Now the company is emaciated and emasculated! GE is going to sell its icon appliance unit because sales are down a little! Why? You mean sales were never down in its 100 year existence? What will it do for shareholder value? NOTHING! It will just give away another slice of industrial heritage to a foreign operation. Brilliant! Eh, this country is shot anyway.

[sprtch06]

If that's what you wanted, it would be cheaper and easier to buy a Dodge truck and swap the Grille and Steering wheel for a Sterling.

 

 

 

 

Spicer is bottom of the barrel in the heavy commercial truck world. The most common, and most reliable is Eaton/Fuller.

 

Almost every Semi I have ever driven had an Eaton, except the International I drove. It also had a ceramic clutch, and I hated it.

Spicer and Eaton are now in a partnership called Roadranger. Eaton furnishes transmissions and Spicer supplies the axles.

[sprtch06]

Ford, in its infinite wisdom sold their heavy truck lines to Daimler, which had already bought Freightliner a few years earlier. They gave it away for a paltry $300 million! And that was after they had just introduced the new generation A-/L-series! What was funny, was that for a short time when Daimler bought/owned Chrysler, trucks that were Ford designed and called Sterlings were under the umbrella of Chrysler! Now Daimler thanks Ford for giving them their heavy truck line by entering Ford's bread and butter light and medium class market! But Ford has always been clueless when purchasing and selling. They paid $6 billion for Volvo cars, when that amount of money should have bought the entire Volvo company including heavy trucks and construction equip.! They paid $2 billion for Jaguar and $2 billion for Land Rover PLUS at least $3 billion in cash infusions and are now selling it for $2.3 billion! And that's IF the sale really goes through, which I'm not counting on! I think Tata will back out. These companies keep selling off divisions to keep shareholders happy. Are you kidding me? What did selling off Ford's farm tractor and heavy truck lines do to shareholder value? NOTHING! Now the company is emaciated and emasculated! GE is going to sell its icon appliance unit because sales are down a little! Why? You mean sales were never down in its 100 year existence? What will it do for shareholder value? NOTHING! It will just give away another slice of industrial heritage to a foreign operation. Brilliant! Eh, this country is shot anyway.

Your post shows the stupidity of American companies. CEO's would sell their own mothers for a five cent rise in their stock price. Sterling is selling the crap out of the Ford L series. It is being badged as Daimlers economically priced truck. The domestic makes say that you can't make money being all things to all people, but how is it that Toyota,Honda, and Daimler seem to be doing quite well doing just that.

[7Mary3]

Spicer and Eaton are now in a partnership called Roadranger. Eaton furnishes transmissions and Spicer supplies the axles.

 

I think that is only in Europe. Spicer's medium and heavy truck transmission business in the U.S. got merged into TTC along with TREMEC and Borg Warner. Spicer still sells axles in the U.S.. Eaton merged with Fuller some time ago, and the axles are Eaton designs and the transmissions are Fuller designs. 'Roadranger' was originally Fuller's trade name for their line of twin countershaft transmissions, but now that name is used for Eaton/Fuller drivetrains in general.

[sprtch06]

I think that is only in Europe. Spicer's medium and heavy truck transmission business in the U.S. got merged into TTC along with TREMEC and Borg Warner. Spicer still sells axles in the U.S.. Eaton merged with Fuller some time ago, and the axles are Eaton designs and the transmissions are Fuller designs. 'Roadranger' was originally Fuller's trade name for their line of twin countershaft transmissions, but now that name is used for Eaton/Fuller drivetrains in general.

The Roadranger System is an unbeatable combination of the best products from Eaton, Dana and other trusted partners, backed by the Roadranger Representatives - the most experienced, expert and accessible drivetrain consultants in the business. The preceeding was lifted from the roadranger.com website.

[7Mary3]

The Roadranger System is an unbeatable combination of the best products from Eaton, Dana and other trusted partners, backed by the Roadranger Representatives - the most experienced, expert and accessible drivetrain consultants in the business. The preceeding was lifted from the roadranger.com website.

 

I think Dana-Spicer supplies clutches, drive shafts and U-joints. Since Dana's backruptcy it's hard to figure out what they still make and what got sold off!