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Sterling trucks
- Thread starter Sk1970
- Start date
Coaldust
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 9, 2011
- Messages
- 3,354
- Location
- North of the 60
- Occupation
- Cargo Tanks, ULSD, RUG, Methanol, LPG
Lol. OMG. Let me tell you. Yeah, parts are hard to get unless you are very creative. Best way to describe a Sterling would be if Ford and Freightliner had a illegitimate child.
Cab, body, interior, wiring, accessories are a no go. Engine, Trans, suspension is the regular stuff. Except steering and front suspension, that stuff is available, but difficult.
I kept a unit in Haines going and one in Juneau. What a nightmare. Company finally allowed me to give them both away when the frame broke on the JNU rig.
Cab, body, interior, wiring, accessories are a no go. Engine, Trans, suspension is the regular stuff. Except steering and front suspension, that stuff is available, but difficult.
I kept a unit in Haines going and one in Juneau. What a nightmare. Company finally allowed me to give them both away when the frame broke on the JNU rig.
Tenwheeler
Senior Member
Everybody knows Mercedes owns and or had controling interest of Freightliner and Sterling. When they aquared Ford they changed the name to Sterling. During the 2008-9 financial crisis they pulled the Sterling plug. Told all those long term American workers to have a nice life. The last Sterling left here about a year or two ago. We could get most anything from the Freightliner dealer with a little time. The bit older Fords are getting really hard to get cab parts for. The Sterlings will be following. Get the last 8 of the vin and call your Freightliner dealer.
crane operator
Senior Member
80% of the ones I see for sale, the dash is all cracked and busted up.
Coaldust
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 9, 2011
- Messages
- 3,354
- Location
- North of the 60
- Occupation
- Cargo Tanks, ULSD, RUG, Methanol, LPG
No way to fix the dashes, either. Just a mass of brittle, crumbling, junk. The entire assembly moves about, creaks and makes crackling noises while you drive them.
80’s Chrysler products had a notoriously bad interior plastic. Sterlings are worse.
80’s Chrysler products had a notoriously bad interior plastic. Sterlings are worse.
JTWAT
Well-Known Member
I have one with a busted up dash. I found a company in Miami that makes a replacement for around $2100.00 plus shipping. It's made of fiberglass with steel embedded in it.
Coaldust
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 9, 2011
- Messages
- 3,354
- Location
- North of the 60
- Occupation
- Cargo Tanks, ULSD, RUG, Methanol, LPG
That’s good to know. Thanks
Can you post a link?
Can you post a link?
You can now get new dashes from a place in Florida
JTWAT
Well-Known Member
Coaldust
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 9, 2011
- Messages
- 3,354
- Location
- North of the 60
- Occupation
- Cargo Tanks, ULSD, RUG, Methanol, LPG
Thanks
dieseldog5.9
Senior Member
My buisness partner had one for site work as a ten wheel dump truck, he loved that truck, c12 Cat, 4 way lock rears, heavy front, tight turning radius, comfortable cab.
As a mechanic, the wiring harness and main distribution box are mounted on the splash guard over the left wheel, getting soaked constantly with sand salt dirt and water. Dash board was held together with random pieces of plastic. Half the engine was under the cab.
As a mechanic, the wiring harness and main distribution box are mounted on the splash guard over the left wheel, getting soaked constantly with sand salt dirt and water. Dash board was held together with random pieces of plastic. Half the engine was under the cab.
crane operator
Senior Member
$2,100 is kinda spendy, but much cheaper than getting a new truck. There were a lot of national boom trucks mounted on the sterling trucks, and I've always steered away because of the busted up dashes. That and they liked to put the mercedes mbe4000 in them, which no one wants to work on.
Truck Shop
Senior Member
But in the end you still have a sterling. Some things are best to walk away from.
My advise to anyone looking at a newer used with air disc brakes, keep looking. If your set on it
at least have all the wheels removed while you are standing there and inspect the rotors for cracks,
pad thickness, wheel seals leaking, and the slider boots are in good condition. Because a major
brake job could hit $5,000. Bendix calipers are as much as $1,400 each, Wabco $600, rotors $200,
pads $200 a axle set, air chambers $160 to $190 ea.
AIR DISC BRAKES SUCK.
crane operator
Senior Member
Link belt has a new 100 ton truck crane out. A big selling point in their ad was the all new design hendrikson suspension and all disc brakes. I thought of you and kind of chuckled when I saw the ad.
" Air disc brakes, another first for the hydraulic truck crane market, will improve brake performance and reduce maintenance time. "
https://www.linkbelt.com/article/21_08_19_link-belt-showcase-new-era-truck-crane
Truck Shop
Senior Member
Yup----Over the road crane service-fixing a problem that doesn't exist.
John C.
Senior Member
Some years back I inspected some Demag AT cranes that had all disk brakes. There was an oily mess on the back sides of most of the wheels. You would think that there would be plenty of room in something that big to work on things when needed. These units would have been a nightmare.