Memories for us old truckers

[old-iron-habit]

They always said that properly adjusted wedge brakes would put more pressure on the drums but they sure did not move the shoes very much. That's how I learned to drive, drive like you had no brakes because you often did not. Still drive that way to a big extent.

 

[DMiller]

Then one has to figure against area 15" as opposed to 16" and the ability to transfer pressure from a series 24 or 20 diaphragm as opposed to a 30 along with leverage of pushing the wedge or rotating a S-cam. Lots of variables where the big one on cranes is the space to install and interference items as outriggers, added structural members/bodyworks or the severe styles of suspension where wedge works better. Fully understand the viability just do not care for the complexity nor the tender aspects of the system. Dealt with them all too often on highway equipment where the maintenance was less than adequate and the customer being too cheap to repair fully or correctly to keep them working properly.

 

[Truck Shop]

Wedge Brakes? I didn't read that did I?

On to better things, here are two fine examples of when trucks were trucks.

Truck Shop

 

[Junkyard]

Early in my heavy haul career I helped do a COMPLETE brake job on a dual lane trailer. All 16 tire groups, if memory serves there were 7 groups. ALL wedge brakes. Man it sucked. Add the Oklahoma heat and what seemed like a million tires to change as well. If I never see another wedge brake I will die a happy man!

 

[old-iron-habit]

Early in my heavy haul career I helped do a COMPLETE brake job on a dual lane trailer. All 16 tire groups, if memory serves there were 7 groups. ALL wedge brakes. Man it sucked. Add the Oklahoma heat and what seemed like a million tires to change as well. If I never see another wedge brake I will die a happy man!

Guess it is true that we remember the tough days a lot longer than the good days.

 

[DMiller]

We had 'Good Ol Days'?? I thought they were all Good days so long as went home in one piece!!
Man Oh Man Truck Shop, you manage to quicken my heart with those lovely Good Days machines.

 

[Truck Shop]

Some more KW's and a Star for good measure.

Trucks Shop

 

[crane operator]

I like that big white kenworth with the single front head lights, and the cheater. Looks like a working truck, could see it rolling black past those flapper tips on the exhaust. Also like the tan and red two tone with dual headlights, except for the big visor. I'm too tall and can't see past those big drop visors.

For some reason, the all black doesn't do it for me. I've had to clean too many and they show every speck of dirt and dust.

The thing I like the most about most of those trucks is the front bumpers. I don't like those big drop front bumpers riding a inch off the ground. To me they scream show truck, not working truck. That big white kenworth you could take down through the ditch trying to make a corner on a gravel road somewhere, and come out without tearing something up.

 

[Junkyard]

Those big Texas bumpers also block a lot of airflow underneath. For heavy haul etc I want all the air I can under, around, over and between. Of course, if you have one of those triple digit trucks all that air underneath might make the nose a little light when you've just grabbed the big hole (in the hammer lane of course) and you're letting her eat!!

My brother always called it the "showoff lane".

 

[Truck Shop]

The worst thing about low riders or that silly term [slammed] is working on one. You better not be a fat biscuits and gravy boy. To work on any of
the new trucks today you better be slim {like if you turn sideways and stick out your tongue you would look like a zipper]. And those hammer
lanes only existed in California in the early years.

Truck Shop

 

[Truck Shop]

Here's fine example of too low and a dumb bumper plus asinine rear fenders. Those would look great all wadded up from two sets of singles pulling Cabbage grade
in winter time. Other than that it's good looking truck.

Truck Shop

 

[Birken Vogt]

We had 'Good Ol Days'?? I thought they were all Good days so long as went home in one piece!!

Sometimes someone will say we are on a bad road. No road is bad to me so long as I am not getting stuck right in the middle of it.

Same thing with a good truck and a bad truck. A good truck gets from point A to B without breaking down or wasting money. A bad truck might be faster but broke more often. Manufacturers seem to have lost sight of that lately.

 

[Junkyard]

It's a sharp Petercar but yeah there ain't no throwin iron on that rig.

Come travel the turnpike in Oklahoma...I'll show ya the hammer lane! Haha. The ole Pete haul truck will stroll pretty good.

 

[Truck Shop]

The true Hammer lanes are in the area of Miles City, Montana. .

Truck Shop

 

[Junkyard]

Haha. Yeah. I very good neighbor of mine, passed away a few years ago, was a drilling superintendent living in Williston, ND in the 60's and 70's. Back then he said if he got pulled over in MT the fine was $5 on the spot. He carried a pile of $5 bills. He'd run from well to well in a Chevy Impala (I think) WFO and on occasion his speed was deemed unreasonable and NOT prudent! Haha.

 

[Truck Shop]

Here is a classic diesel car-Autocar between it and the T's and LT's those were the true classics.

Truck Shop

 

[RZucker]

Here's fine example of too low and a dumb bumper plus asinine rear fenders. Those would look great all wadded up from two sets of singles pulling Cabbage grade
in winter time. Other than that it's good looking truck.

Truck Shop









View attachment 175111

Way too many lights for me, had a customer buy a rig lit up like that... told him his PM fee just doubled. The wiring looked like it was done by rodents and I wasn't going to spend my time fixing stuff the DOT didn't require. Needless to say a bunch of junk got stripped off.

 

[Birken Vogt]

Funny thing is there have been a lot of independents around here that are running log trucks that look like the show trucks above. I can't imagine beating one of those in and out of the woods 3 times a day on a dusty and/or muddy road with rocks and potholes and brush. Funny thing is they always seem to look good. Maybe they carry around a tank like a mixer truck so they can wash it when they hit pavement.

 

[DMiller]

The long term O/O guys I dealt with over the years kept their machines simple, nothing to draw DOT Attention, no massive stacks or HD lighting additions. Just a basic looking 'Sleeper' in more than one way.

 

[Truck Shop]

Way too many lights for me, had a customer buy a rig lit up like that... told him his PM fee just doubled. The wiring looked like it was done by rodents and I wasn't going to spend my time fixing stuff the DOT didn't require. Needless to say a bunch of junk got stripped off.

I'm not a fan of mass light's either. If the wiring and connectors are not top quality the de-icer fluid used on the highways in winter will eat it up. Plus cost of LED's
and labor when you have other more important things to repair. And it gives the DOT that many more things to pick on.

Truck Shop