Driving a Semi Tractor for Fun

Ted DuPuis said:
Oh, and the cab-over doing what cab-overs do best:
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Ohhhh, now I get why they call it a cab-over. I was envisioning those campers where the sleeping area is over the cab, and the truck didn't look like that.
 
Theboys said:
I will say they have made them much more plush in the 20 years between your build and mine.
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What year is yours? Mine is an '89. And yeah, it is not plush at all. But it was also purchased by a school, so they didn't care about luxury accessories.

Marky_24 said:
Yeah 1/2 on and make the lever on the valve in the middle
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What I was figuring. Thanks, I'll see about making an adjustable rod. What I might do first is run the truck with the rod disconnected and see if I can make the cab move up and down to confirm the valve is actually working correctly. That would probably help the comfort.

Everskyward said:
Ohhhh, now I get why they call it a cab-over. I was envisioning those campers where the sleeping area is over the cab, and the truck didn't look like that.
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Cabover is short for Cab-Over-Engine. It's why you don't have the engine sticking out front as you see in a conventional (such as the Kenworth T600 that TheBoys bought and posted a picture a few posts back). For a long time there were length restrictions that made cabovers popular since they were shorter overall length and thus allowed longer trailers. The other advantage is that they tend to have a tighter turning radius (again, shorter length). Once the length restrictions went away they fell out of favor since they tend to have smaller cabs and the turning radius advantages don't really matter for an over the road trucker.

Part of my reason for wanting a cabover had to do with the length aspects with the way my driveway is shaped. It does make driving it a bit difference since you are turning where you are sitting, as opposed to turning wheels that are ahead of you. Not hard, just takes some getting used to.
 
My t600 is a 2008. Has all the nicetys. Air ride seats,cab and suspension. My 3rd autoshift truck. Really like that. 70 inch sleeper. All one unit so when I'm waiting in line I can recline my seat all the way back and nap. Have had half dozen cabovers over the years but not since the 80s probably.
 
For "cruise control", could you just build some sort of lever and friction lock arrangement? The lever would move with throttle movement by foot, so you'd have to stay out of it's way, and you'd have to bend it to put it somewhere further starboard without getting into the gearshift lever, but a mechanical contraption would be a nice "redneck" addition and would be cheap. LOL.
 
It should have a hand throttle on floor by seat to do same thing denverpilot. They do make a aftermarket cruise system for it though that senses driveshaft rpm and maintains speed.
 
OMG those pictures of the interior brought up some long ago repressed memories..!!!!

I just hope I can sleep without nightmares, that is if I get to sleep.... :lol::lol::lol:
 
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Theboys said:
It should have a hand throttle on floor by seat to do same thing denverpilot. They do make a aftermarket cruise system for it though that senses driveshaft rpm and maintains speed.
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Huh. Wow. Maybe that was just my subconscious remembering same or similar then, from when I was little bitty. Grandfather drove that era of stuff as well as great-uncle, and plenty of other truckers in the extended family. Ridden in a lot of old trucks. Probably saw someone using one and it registered back then.

Funnest day as a kid was great-uncle worked for the state and drove plows... summertime back then they spent a lot of the summer running the plow dump trucks back and forth from the gravel quarry to the various gravel storage and staging areas for winter. He had me along for a full day once, and as a kid, yanking that huge hydraulic lever to dump all that gravel was like playing with the grown-ups Tonka toys! LOL.

He's still kicking and pushing 90 now. His wife passed a few years ago, so the stats are against him hanging out with us for a whole lot longer, but what a cool guy, taking us kids along to play with the trucks.

I'm sure the state wouldn't let any kids anywhere near any of that stuff today. Back then it was no big deal at all, no effort to hide it, just make sure the kid stays in the cab in the work areas and only gets out when in the parking area.
 
Matthew said:
I love the sound of diesels.

Way back, a lifetime ago, I worked with an old guy that owned a Mercedes diesel sedan. It might have been a mid 70's or somewhere in that era. Those cars could go 300k+ miles. Someone said you'd get sick and tired of the car way before it would ever wear out. On the really cold days, he'd leave it idling in the parking lot at work all day. It was the only way he could make sure it would still start at quitting time.
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Every now and then I cruise Craigslist for a W123 body Benz 240D with stick shift. If you can find a good one, it's a lifetime car. But it's a lifetime in the slow lane ;-)
 
Theboys said:
My t600 is a 2008. Has all the nicetys. Air ride seats,cab and suspension. My 3rd autoshift truck. Really like that. 70 inch sleeper. All one unit so when I'm waiting in line I can recline my seat all the way back and nap. Have had half dozen cabovers over the years but not since the 80s probably.
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I wish that I had an all-in-one unit. I'm not able to recline the seat as much as I'd like. I rather like the 13-speed, but conquering that was one of the reasons I wanted to buy this truck. The cable linkage provides effectively zero feedback so it does take some getting used to.

denverpilot said:
For "cruise control", could you just build some sort of lever and friction lock arrangement? The lever would move with throttle movement by foot, so you'd have to stay out of it's way, and you'd have to bend it to put it somewhere further starboard without getting into the gearshift lever, but a mechanical contraption would be a nice "redneck" addition and would be cheap. LOL.
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Theboys said:
It should have a hand throttle on floor by seat to do same thing denverpilot. They do make a aftermarket cruise system for it though that senses driveshaft rpm and maintains speed.
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This truck has a hole where that contraption once existed but has been removed. If I can restore that and get a throttle lock then I'll be happy. When on the road for any period of time it gets old to have to hold the hammer down.

So, on the agenda for the truck:

- Disconnect the air ride controller and make sure it's working by manually making it inflate and deflate to a particular height. If it is, then make and adjustable rod.
- Buy new round mirrors. Missing one on the driver's side and the one on the passenger side is loose (internally) so it flops around.
- CLEAN THE INTERIOR! (there's at least 10 lbs of dirt in there)
- See if I can figure out the air controls for the sliding 5th wheel.
- Check the air filter - it probably needs one of those.
- Look into front shocks. Might talk to the Kenworth dealer a block away about those.

There's other stuff as well. Right now I want to focus on minor things that don't cost me any significant money while I decide what I want to do. I'm leaning towards keeping it. Finding a <100k mile semi for the price I paid (cheap) with a 13-speed is really hard to find. If I do decide to keep it, then I've got some other things I'll want to do like get the seats more comfy, quiet down the interior, etc. If I can make the truck more comfortable then I think I'll definitely want to keep it. Doesn't need to be a Cadillac, but I'd like it to ride better than it does. It seems like there are areas where I can make that happen.
 
Something else I've been meaning to post:

Prior to buying this truck I had never sat in a semi much less driven or ridden in one. A lot of people don't think very highly of truckers or semis. Yes, they can be annoying to share the road with. My K100 tops out at 67 and I was mostly going the speed limit or less.

This experience has given me a lot more respect for truckers, especially the ones who were driving old rigs over the road. This is quite possibly the least comfortable vehicle I've ever driven. I do think I'll get it a lot better and this one is old and not as well insulated (it really needs some sound deadening in the back), but this is hard work. Visibility behind you is bad and you've got 18,000 lbs of truck (with up to 80,000 lbs total) that's not going to accelerate, turn, or stop very well. I drove this truck 5 hours on Friday and was beat. I flew the 414 13 hours in a day a couple of weeks ago and was fine. I'm a long haul driver/pilot, and this thing wore me out. Modern sleepers are much more comfortable and have way more storage, but this thing is basically a twin bed (if not slightly smaller) with virtually no room for stuff. Drivers lived in these trucks for extended periods.

Those guys earned (and still earn) their living. It's good that modern trucks have gotten so much plusher - you're living in the thing, so it should be comfortable.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Something else I've been meaning to post:

Prior to buying this truck I had never sat in a semi much less driven or ridden in one. A lot of people don't think very highly of truckers or semis. Yes, they can be annoying to share the road with. My K100 tops out at 67 and I was mostly going the speed limit or less.

This experience has given me a lot more respect for truckers, especially the ones who were driving old rigs over the road. This is quite possibly the least comfortable vehicle I've ever driven. I do think I'll get it a lot better and this one is old and not as well insulated (it really needs some sound deadening in the back), but this is hard work. Visibility behind you is bad and you've got 18,000 lbs of truck (with up to 80,000 lbs total) that's not going to accelerate, turn, or stop very well. I drove this truck 5 hours on Friday and was beat. I flew the 414 13 hours in a day a couple of weeks ago and was fine. I'm a long haul driver/pilot, and this thing wore me out. Modern sleepers are much more comfortable and have way more storage, but this thing is basically a twin bed (if not slightly smaller) with virtually no room for stuff. Drivers lived in these trucks for extended periods.

Those guys earned (and still earn) their living. It's good that modern trucks have gotten so much plusher - you're living in the thing, so it should be comfortable.
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So have you mastered clutchless shifting?
 
Sac Arrow said:
So have you mastered clutchless shifting?
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Wouldn't say "mastered" but getting the hang of it. I've done plenty of clutchless shifting on 4 wheelers.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
The shock absorbers on the front look original - they still say Paccar on them. So that might be a factor. No shocks on the rear as it's just leaf springs. It looks like shocks don't cost that much for the thing on a quick Google, but that's for Monroe or Gabriel. Not sure what brands are decent here.
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Side note: my mother works for Paccar and runs the HR for their two facilities here in OK (the one in Okmulgee makes the Kenworth/Peterbuilt trucks, the Broken Arrow location builds industrial winches, I believe).
 
SoonerAviator said:
Side note: my mother works for Paccar and runs the HR for their two facilities here in OK (the one in Okmulgee makes the Kenworth/Peterbuilt trucks, the Broken Arrow location builds industrial winches, I believe).
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Does that mean you can help me with gen-u-ine parts? :)

I'm figuring I should look at replacing the shocks for the cab and the front suspension, as both look original.
 
@Theboys out of curiosity, how long is your T600 from front bumper to rear bumper? The K100 is in the 22-23' range.
 
If anyone has a suggestion for a good place to get various semi parts (most notably shocks for the front suspension and the cab since that's what I'm looking for) I'd appreciate it. Google doesn't give me a ton of help. Various chrome accessories, etc. are easy to find.
 
I'm not near it but guessing close to 30 ft. I've had about ten t600s and that's about what I always figured. Front axle is set back 16 inches though. I can probably get in where you can as from memory think the t600 turns shorter. Kenworth or peterbilt often run specials on shocks. Inland suspension is good place also for parts. Check the bushings in front of cab also as air ride cab tends to wear them out and make them sloppy.
 
Good info, Joe. Thanks. Inland is actually about 2 blocks from my office, I'll check with them. I'll check those front cab bushings as well.

It would be interesting to compare turning radius on the K100 vs. a T600. This does turn pretty tightly. I do wide turns with it but it doesn't seem to need it too badly. One thing I notice is that it seems that the first couple of turns of the steering wheel go easily, and then you have to turn harder. I don't know if that's indicative of a problem or just the way the system is. It would probably be easier with a ball on the steering wheel.
 
We used Atlas Spring and Axel in Witchita for all truck suspension parts when I was in that part of the world. A bit far out of your way but they know their business.

As for balls on wheels....I'm sure there is not anything wrong with that. ;)o_O
 
Clark1961 said:
As for balls on wheels....I'm sure there is not anything wrong with that. ;)o_O
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Why is that? At one time, that was a restriction on a license for certain conditions. Don't ask me what, but it is what I recall.
 
"When on the road for any period of time it gets old to have to hold the hammer down."

Dad had 5 "Binders" and a Ford over his career. He drove all of them the with both feet flat on the floor. The Ford was the only one with cruise control, and he never used it. All were cabovers due to the length limit when going through MO.
 
Axtel4 said:
"When on the road for any period of time it gets old to have to hold the hammer down."

Dad had 5 "Binders" and a Ford over his career. He drove all of them the with both feet flat on the floor. The Ford was the only one with cruise control, and he never used it. All were cabovers due to the length limit when going through MO.
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I was referring to the ergonomics on this truck. I don't use cruise much in my cars.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
If anyone has a suggestion for a good place to get various semi parts (most notably shocks for the front suspension and the cab since that's what I'm looking for) I'd appreciate it. Google doesn't give me a ton of help. Various chrome accessories, etc. are easy to find.
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I texted my brother. He's a mechanic and says he knows an old-boy farmer with a semi on the north side of Topeka. He's going to check with him tomorrow.
 
Greg Bockelman said:
Why is that? At one time, that was a restriction on a license for certain conditions. Don't ask me what, but it is what I recall.
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I'm thinking a ball might be required for an amputee. But for me I'd want nothing on the wheel. When the front wheels hit something that drives the steering wheel anything on that steering wheel can whack you pretty good.
 
Clark1961 said:
I'm thinking a ball might be required for an amputee. But for me I'd want nothing on the wheel. When the front wheels hit something that drives the steering wheel anything on that steering wheel can whack you pretty good.
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Point taken, but I like having a ball on the big truck wheels for maneuvering in tight places.

I've got some parts on the way for the truck, should get them by the end of the week. I also looked at the height adjuster for the air ride cab. I think I can bend the rod a bit and get the same effect as an adjustable rod. I'll play with it some when I get a chance, probably over the weekend.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Every now and then I cruise Craigslist for a W123 body Benz 240D with stick shift. If you can find a good one, it's a lifetime car. But it's a lifetime in the slow lane ;-)
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I have (well, had... he passed away) a friend who took his early MB 240 Diesel to the dealer and asked the Maintenance guy to put in an aftermarket AC unit. The guy laughed and said, you will get a refrigerator with wheels....
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Good info, Joe. Thanks. Inland is actually about 2 blocks from my office, I'll check with them. I'll check those front cab bushings as well.

It would be interesting to compare turning radius on the K100 vs. a T600. This does turn pretty tightly. I do wide turns with it but it doesn't seem to need it too badly. One thing I notice is that it seems that the first couple of turns of the steering wheel go easily, and then you have to turn harder. I don't know if that's indicative of a problem or just the way the system is. It would probably be easier with a ball on the steering wheel.
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Turn Radius? Well, the attached vid shows an amazing U-turn but it is more like a 6 point or more turn, not a continuous corner. Still, impressive!

 
Skip Miller said:
Turn Radius? Well, the attached vid shows an amazing U-turn but it is more like a 6 point or more turn, not a continuous corner. Still, impressive!

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WoW..!!!!

The county road I live on is right next to the entrance to the interstate. About twice a month some poor driver will take the road thinking he is on the entrance ramp. When they discover their mistake, they try to do a U turn and will get stuck, 90 degrees on the road making a very effective road block. Usually takes a minimum of two hours to get the wrecker there to pull them out of their predicament.
 
Matthew said:
This guy knows how it's done:

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The McDonald's near my high school was on a smaller street. A day cab would back the semi in every week like that. It was pretty incredible to watch. Guy knew what he was doing.
 
I watch the drivers back into our loading docks, too. Some of those guys are way better than others.
 
Skip Miller said:
Turn Radius? Well, the attached vid shows an amazing U-turn but it is more like a 6 point or more turn, not a continuous corner. Still, impressive!

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And if he does that in a spot with a slightly soft embankment, he also has the opportunity to star in one of those russian 'truck epic fail' videos.
 
Well, one thing I'll say is the truck smells a whole lot better after cleaning. What a difference some vacuuming, steam cleaning, Febreeze, baking soda, and ArmorAll make. I also ordered some Dynamat (really a cheaper competitor) and a new steering wheel and steering wheel ball. Yeah, those are goodies, but will help with general feel. Seeing as right now the sleeper cab is just a thin metal layer above the engine, Dynamating that should help quite a bit with noise and vibration.

I looked at the air ride cab. I disconnected the arm, ran the truck, and then started adjusting the cab height. It turns out it is actually working correctly and getting to an appropriate height. I had thought I felt the cab moving around some so this makes sense.

I also noticed with the truck running that the muffler is blown out at the bottom. Some exhaust is coming out and it rattles some. I'll have to decide what I want to do there. I'm guessing there's not a whole lot of performance gain on an L10 (if any) from a straight pipe, although it might help the sound some. I like the sound of the diesel, I don't like the road noise.

The truck does have a little white smoke for a minute or two when cold. It goes away by the time the air has reached full pressure and doesn't come back. It might even be as simple as an injector. I put some PowerService in when I first got it, and should probably dump some more in. I will say this truck starts incredibly easily. Then again so did my 5.9 Cummins I had in my Dodge.
 
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I only use this stuff in my diesel pickup. 11 years and not a single injector problem. All my trucker friends steered me to it. I can tell a difference when I fill up and don't add any to the fuel.

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