Driving a Semi Tractor for Fun

Oh man, no jakes......... that is what makes a truck sound like a TRUCK.....:)

I know... that was honestly part of why I hesitated buying the truck.
 
That is one annoying omission from this truck - no jake brake. I wish it had one. I'm actually somewhat surprised it doesn't given that they went with the 13-speed transmission and it was purchased for training purposes. You'd think they'd want to teach the kids how a jake brake works. The brakes on it work so-so since most of the braking power is in the back and I'm driving it with no trailer or load. I also still have a sticking brake issue I need to address.
I know you are an experienced mechanic....but be real careful with the maxi brake air actuators if you work on them. If you have no experience with them we can chat offline.
 
I know you are an experienced mechanic....but be real careful with the maxi brake air actuators if you work on them. If you have no experience with them we can chat offline.

I have no experience with semi/air brake actuators, so I'd appreciate any tips or other insight.
 
I have no experience with semi/air brake actuators, so I'd appreciate any tips or other insight.
The maxi brakes have a large spring in them which sets the brake when air pressure is released. That spring is strong enough to amputate fingers if given a chance.

The rest of the brakes in the hub are pretty normal, just big. There is probably a grease point between the actuator and the hub. For the equipment I worked that grease point was neglected so when brakes stuck we'd just grease it and then forces the brakes to work until they were free.
 
The maxi brakes have a large spring in them which sets the brake when air pressure is released. That spring is strong enough to amputate fingers if given a chance.

The rest of the brakes in the hub are pretty normal, just big. There is probably a grease point between the actuator and the hub. For the equipment I worked that grease point was neglected so when brakes stuck we'd just grease it and then forces the brakes to work until they were free.
I have personally been on the receiving end of incorrectly working on a maximum brake. Fortunately it his my arm and not my head or I would not be here. Was age 17, helluva learning experience

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Good tip, thanks. I'm pretty sure the sticking is in the #2 axle. When getting going the other day I saw that axle not spinning for the first few feet. It releases and then is fine, but I want it working right.
 
I'll second on the air brake chamber. It can do a lot of damage to the unsuspecting person. There is a safety tool to use that should be on the chamber. I am sure Clark will tell you all about it.
 
This seems about right:
1ae9998a8d10cab5df2e908d054aa433.jpg
You all are talking about brakes, I want to know what special order turbo Ted needs to get this beast moving. :)
 
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Getting the old steering wheel off was challenging. Apparently Kenworth didn't want it removed.

wheel.jpg

Actually the problem was that after 30 years of not being removed, the wheel was very stuck on with some of the 4 metric tons of dust from the cab in between the splines. I was able to get it off but it took some extra effort. I've got the new steering wheel on but also have to put the new wheel spinner on that goes with it to "complete the look."

Insurance is now causing a few more issues. The company my broker had set me up with (Haggerty's) is now complaining because I don't have a building to keep the truck in. Would've been nice to know that at first. I wasn't convinced they were the correct company for what I wanted anyway, so now I'm back to exploring options.
 
Keep it in a BUILDING ?? Heck they let Airplanes sit OUT !! Man are THEY picky !!

Haggerty's is mostly collectible insurance, which is why I didn't think they were the right fit. But they were cheap, so I didn't argue. I think I was right and now need to start over.
 
Damn it - how do I downvote something??? :p

While the wheel will be in the 180 degree rotated position many times (especially during the something like 10 turns lock-to-lock this steering wheel has), I will not be taking our Okie friend's advice.
 
Had to adjust the spinner knob since I had it on the wrong side (oops). Much better on the left side.

Took the family around the block. First drive with the new wheel/spinner and also with the 2 layers of Dynamat in the sleeper. The Dynamat made a very noticeable reduction in noise. I suspect that once I get the new muffler and muffler clamp on that it will also make another big noise reduction, and at that point the truck should be much nicer to drive. The wheel and spinner are also a big improvement. The 18" diameter (vs. original 20") is better ergonomically and the spinner vastly helps the insane number of turns lock-to-lock the truck has.

If I'm able to make it reasonably comfortable to drive, then keeping it becomes logical.
 
If your going to keep it, there are other things you can do with it....


The best part is where he beats the C5 Corvette, Mustang, etc. That's hilarious. :)

That's definitely in my "want to do" category, although it would need an engine much better than the L10. At some point I'll tow a load with it.

On the drive last night it looked as though the right turn signal wasn't working. I'll have to check but it's probably the switch. That switch assembly doesn't look (or feel) to be in good shape, so it's not surprising at all. That will probably be something I need to order.

The clutch brake on this truck is burned out, at least partially. Not surprising given that it was a training truck (oh, and I may not have helped the situation since I didn't realize you were only supposed to push the clutch halfway for shifts once moving... :oops:). Those are really cheap, but something else on the list to do. It isn't a big deal, but it's noticeable when going into gear at a stop. From what I read this is a pretty easy thing to change. Real priority is the new muffler/clamp once those come in. Didn't get shipping confirmation so who knows if it will be by this weekend. But that old muffler is definitely adding a lot of bad noise.

Eventually when I get this thing good from a mechanical and comfort perspective, it'll need a radio and a CB. :D
 
I also need to talk to a local welding shop and see if they'll make up a receiver for me to be able to hook up a gooseneck or normal trailer. I think what I want to do is get a gooseneck trailer to tow with this thing and sell my current trailer.
 
Couple more pictures of the beast:

IMG_0818.JPG IMG_0819.JPG
 
A good wax job should get you another 10 kts.

Right now the truck tops out at 67 MPH. In 13th gear that's 2200 RPM, which is top gear. I haven't found anything particularly useful to confirm this, but I'm pretty certain 2200 RPM is the redline on this engine. Next time I drive it I'll try in a lower gear to confirm that's the actual engine redline rather than the truck's governor. If it's a speed governor on the truck, I might try to remove it as I'd like to be able to go a bit faster down the highway.

One thing I'll also be curious about next time I get on the highway is how it'll feel sound/vibration wise at 55-67 now that I have the air seat figured out (oops...) and the Rockmat (Dynamat clone) in back, plus the new muffler once that gets in. I'm betting it'll be quite a bit better.
 
Dog rescues will never be the same once you pack 1500 of those things behind you!

I have access to a sound level meter. I *might* be able to borrow it for a weekend. Although some noise is subjective at certain frequencies.
 
Ted:

I will feel a lot better after you have cut the clamping screws for the necker-knob shorter, and put rounded Castle nuts on the back.
 
Dog rescues will never be the same once you pack 1500 of those things behind you!

I have access to a sound level meter. I *might* be able to borrow it for a weekend. Although some noise is subjective at certain frequencies.

I have a DB meter that I bought for the 414. Really I should've had it for the drive home to compare differences. I'll go for subjective sound.

Ted:

I will feel a lot better after you have cut the clamping screws for the necker-knob shorter, and put rounded Castle nuts on the back.

I have some shorter screws that I'll probably put on the knob at some point. I wanted to get the general orientation figured out for ergonomics.
 
Spent some more time messing around with the truck yesterday and today. Got the old muffler off. The truck is actually quieter with no muffler than with the blown out muffler, so it'll probably be downright reasonable with the new muffler on. Need to order a few more parts there.

Adjusted the brakes, which were way incorrect. However I think I found the reason why the 2nd axle left side is sticking - the meat on the shoes looks like it's falling apart. That's probably causing the sticking. So, I'm going to need to get that taken care of. I need to look into this more carefully. It looks like this is something that's a pain with the Dayton style wheels. Need to decide what to do there, since I was thinking of converting to the more standard/modern hub/lug style aluminum wheels like what's on the front. Not sure why this truck has different fronts and rears. The rears are also 22.5s and the fronts are 24.5s, go figure.

We're having a lot of fun with this. The whole family enjoys it.
 
Decided to sell the semi.

We had a lot of fun for a short period, but it's not what we need just a fun toy. Kent said he didn't think we could get any semi trailer, even a short one, in our driveway. That's a big negative. We're also looking at a few changes around the house where we'll need a third vehicle that will do normal highway speeds, and this isn't it.

So if anyone wants an awesome cabover... ;)
 
Selling it?!?!? :( I was enjoying living vicariously through your truck adventures. Actually, enjoying remembering working on these beast, and enjoying not having to touch it. But think of the children....

And yeah, your pretty much stuck with those back wheels unless there is a complete rear end change. They are a pain to get the wheels rolling without any wobble. Those wheels is probably why the front axle was changed out.
 
If nothing else, you may qualify for a Guinness Book of World Records award for shortest term of ownership for a semi! Kidding of course, I'm sure there have been people who bought one for a weekend haul and sold off the next week.
 
Selling it?!?!? :( I was enjoying living vicariously through your truck adventures. Actually, enjoying remembering working on these beast, and enjoying not having to touch it. But think of the children....

There are no shortage of toys that the children get to enjoy rides on/in. They also seem to have gotten their fill, they haven't really been too interested in semi truck rides the past week or two. The go-kart is really the biggest one they like now since my son can drive it and give his little sisters rides.

If nothing else, you may qualify for a Guinness Book of World Records award for shortest term of ownership for a semi! Kidding of course, I'm sure there have been people who bought one for a weekend haul and sold off the next week.

This is nowhere near the shortest period of time I've owned a vehicle. I've had vehicles I've owned for mere weeks, either taken on trade and decided I didn't like them or ended up flipping.

For the replacement pickup I'm probably going to look at spending more money on something newer than I typically look at/spend. Normally we buy older vehicles with higher miles but that still have life left and keep driving them. The problem with trucks is that if you do that they tend to be beat to hell and have no life left.
 
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