Liebherr MK 88 - Manual (Page 3)

In Aktion
KM Nr. 83 | 2012 Kranmagazin
Within the scope of a test
drive and with the assistance
of the two drivers KM wanted
to literally “experience” the
conceptual differences be-
tween the two AT undercar-
riages.
But before the test starts,
the different tyres on the
cranes catch our eye. While
the MK 88 has 14.00 R 25
tyres, the MK 80 has to make
do with 445/65 R 22.5. This
is quite a significant factor,
since due to the design, the
MK undercarriage – like all
AT construction cranes – is
very low.
As we all know, the chal-
lenge for mobile cranes is to
reconcile two opposing re-
quirements. On the one hand,
naturally the crane should
have a large radius and must,
therefore, be equipped with a
suitably large jib. On the oth-
er hand, for road transport, in
other words, when it is col-
lapsed, it must not exceed the
4-m width limit.
And although such a situ-
ation didn’t occur during the
90-minute test drive, during
which both operators drove
the two cranes alternately
through the Rhine Valley and
the undulating foothills of
the Black Forest, both driv-
ers pointed out that the low
design of the construction
cranes on an AT undercar-
riage required a certain touch
in case of depressions in the
road surface or when driving
into uneven building sites.
“With the MK 80 more than
the MK 88 because it has the
smaller tyres,” the two drivers
agreed.
During our test drive
the MK 88 was well
ahead of the MK 80
on hills.
We find another difference
when take a look in the un-
dercarriage cab: MK 80 with
clutch pedal, MK 88 without.
While the MK 88 uses the
automatic 12-gear transmis-
sion ZF AS Tronic, the MK
80 is equipped with ZF Ecos-
plit transmission (16 forward
gears). Although gear selec-
With the MK 88 the erection process
is done via cables.