I've always wanted to drive one of these monsters. There's a show on SPEEDTV called American Trucker that has amped up my curiosity. My favorite is the cabovers http://youtu.be/G705ElbsIwk So here's a thread for the BIG RIGS.
I used to be a driver. Only drove a cabover once (Pete 362), and even though it was a clapped-out rolling pile it still rode better than the Freightshaker conventionals I usually drove. Here is probably the most famous cabover of them all:
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=541701 I'm planning on getting a Volvo VNL780 for RVing. http://www.us-trucks.eu/photogallery/pictures/Volvo VNL 780 Norwegen 002.jpg
What ever happened to Super Truck Racing?? There was a Super Truck Racing Association of North America or STRANA that was racing in 2003-2004. This Motor Trend article talks about the series a little http://www.trucktrend.com/roadtests/ultimate/163_0402_super_truck_racing/index.html but then it dissappeared. I remember getting a scheduel from Road America when the trucks were racing. I wish I would have gone to see it now. The disk brakes were water cooled. They would glow red when hot, and then sprayed with water to cool them. Any one know what happened?
I drove for over 18 years and my all time favorite was the Freightliner FLD coe with the set back front axle. but since now flat face's are a thing of the past I still believe that the conventional freightliner are the best driver frienly design with the Volvo running neck to neck.
Grandpa, Dad, and my Uncles all drove. I remember riding with them, sometimes all over the country, and hiding in the sleeper at the scales. My uncle Ron had a sweet KW cabover that was my favorite rig ever; all polished shiny trailer as well. this thread could be epic.
This is cool, 1956 White 3000 that some guy bought in VT and is driving to Vegas :huh http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7i06flxQKk And heres a thread about it http://hankstruckforum.com/htforum/index.php?topic=54516.0
my grandpaw drove for over 50 years, started when he was 19! yes 19, he would drive long enough until they figgered out his real age then have another job lined up, of course this was 1950, he quit when he was 68-69, then passed in 2001 from emphasema, smoked marlboros all day long starting at 13years old, this is the truck he hauled my scrawny ass in up and down the east coast from the time i was 12 until i got my drivers licens and discovered girls, i bet dad just got done painting it from a deer hit,purchased new in 1977 as a glider kit, (no rears and no engine or trans. the truck he drug my dad across the country in i can barley rember this truck, it's parked outside (dad's) parts store, he only hauled flatbed, his last truck 1988 pete , purchased in 1991 i only got to ride in it a couple times, once was to michigan to haul a load with a bypass to the speedway to watch the nascar race, he was a MarkMartin fan RIP grandpaw JIM. so when these hot shot truck drivers come into the store whing or braging , i just smile and think ppt, you aint shit. man i'm missing some G-Paw right now
I drove trucks for 13 years, glad I do not anymore, the one in front of the parts store looks like a GMC astro cab (also came branded as a chevy in the 70's), drove one of those for awhile with a 6v92 detriot diesel the one your dad was hauled around in is referred to as a "cracker box" GMC, I am glad they were before my time, built in the days before anyone thought about creature comforts in trucks, no insulation, noisy as hell and rough riding
I guy I used to drive for told tories about driving from Bingahamton,NY to NYC back in the late 30's. Hard seat no a/c or heat,chain drive,worm gear steering,twin stick gear box. If they had a heavy load on or the roads were slick the drive up to the top of the hill in reverse to maintan traction.
Love rigs myself have so all my life. I too make my living with em all be it not from the driver seat my place is usually on a creeper fixen em. Been fixing em and driving em (road tests and pickup/delivery) for 10+ years now and although i get fustraded and dread heading to work every day (like every one else) Trucks still fasinate me. I have a soft spot for the old two smoke detroites as although im some what young (for a licensed tech anyways) my first job was in a shop specializing in old detroites and allison auto transmisions. I was lucky enuff to wrench on a few even put a few on the dyno to run em threw there paces. Now and for the past 5 years have been working for a large Rental/leasing company and get to work on both large fleet and rental trucks as well as a large fleet of show trucks for a local beer brewery. And i gotta say working on the shiny stuff although trying and challenging is alot of fun. Here som of the stuff i fix and drive on reg basis. And this vid i took at the truck rodeo in Quebec in 2008 2008 The light blue truck was the beast i work on and yes it was MUCH slower than the competition but hey its powered by a 425hp C15 cat engine we bumped to 475. and its running in a class for 600+hp modded out rigs. I was just happy to see i run and hold togeather lol. As thats a steep hill they drag racing up with 100,000lbs of lumber in tow. Personally i KNOW that truck has some damn fine grunt. i driven more than a few rigs and that thing hauls trailers by far the easiest of any other truck i have yet driven. That being said my brother drives profenshionaly and runs a kenworth with a 500hp cummins that does quite well as well but i still like my Cats too bad cats gone from the truckin game
all of G-Paw's trucks aside from the gas ford in the bottom were Driptroits, all but the blue Pete (60series) were two stroke screamers, the crackerbox and astro were v-6's, the freightliner was a 430hp turbo'd 8v-92. now that i'm older and we are out and about my ears are always tuned to listen for a screaming detroit.
....and the way he is fondling her ass in public in directly in keeping with the.....um, social strata of the movie's characters
