Ok, I've started a new thread on my semi project. It started as a 53 crew cab idea, but time and money morphed it into a 53 semi with sleeper. Again, time and money have once again morphed the beast into what is now a 55 F-800(maybe F-8000) semi. I was unable to use the Peterbilt sleeper due to the major variance in height, and floor location. I do not have the resources to perform a body drop on the sleeper in order to make it fit right. I have, however, been offered another sleeper. This one is bigger in depth, a little shorter in height, and sits a little bit lower in respect to cab. It also needs a bit of a body drop to be right, but not nearly as extensive. I also got offered a stainless turbo wing that mounts to the sleeper to complete the big truck appearance. So far, the updated photos are in my gallery, and I am still kicking more ideas around. With the family selling the 20 acres, many of my ideas and plans have ground to a screatching halt. Any how, the big truck is coming round. CAT powered, twin trannies, 14000# front axle, with 44000# rear. Tandem axles, full air brakes. This last week, I accomplished a lot of things on the truck. I got a steering column built and installed, I got a foot pedal mounted for the air brakes, and got a hydraulic clutch master and slave installed. I pulled the glass out of one of my junker cabs, and I also got the air horns mounted and plumbed. I have located a pair of 120 gallon tanks froma Peterbilt, and will probably try to get them this weekend, and get them mounted.

 

Let's have pictures, pictures, pictures...sounds like a great project...

 

geez as a truck driver and more importantly an addict i need a fix of pics and can't wait to see this !!!!

 

pics are in the gallery.I have more, but don't want to flood the gallery with 30+ photos of the begining of the project. I did add a couple more pics

 

Wow. Are you doing a full resto? I would love to have a big un like that , but, my Condo Association might frown on having it in my driveway.
Keep us posted.

 

I am curious about the sleeper! I might give that a try on 1 of the F600s---I like the semi look and that yellow 1 on epay really has me considering wild thoughts!! My patner is a diesel nut and the cummings is near ready to fit the 600 frame. I would dig a sleeper and the big fuel tanks. I also like the chrome stack up the back. I really like those big trucks---just tired of how heavy all the parts are!!!I know how wild it is when you are building 3 projects at once. That really is a nice firetruck. I sold the 1 I had and it only had 14,000 miles and it was nice--it was a 53. Yours will be missed if you sell it!!!!! Bill

 

Joe,

Glad you are making progress. I have a buddy that built a mid 40's Diamond T truck. He added a sleeper to it, mainly so he could have a bit more leg room in the cab. He made his truck a roll back and kept the big truck chassis. He did "Z" the frame to lower it. Here's a link to a picture of it:
http://www.streetrodderweb.com/event.../photo_13.html

Bobby

 

That's a good looking T. Walford, I will miss the truck if it sells. It has been the center of a lot of attention, and like I said before. If things had gone better the last year, I would have the room to keep it. I guess that's why they say life is full of surprises. Dreams are dreamt, and dreams are laid to rest, but we must pick up the pieces and move forward. The fire truck is for sale, and the semi (which was my true dream truck since the beginning) will see the road very very soon. I have to get it running and driving in order to move it off the property, and I may be able to do that as soon as next week. Ideas that I have for it are still on the drawing board, and I am hoping to be able to make a sleeper work for it. I think it would be really cool looking with the 63" flat top behind the cab, and the stainless turbo wing on the sleeper. I got rid of the commercial sized 5th wheel, and am going to mount a 1/4" plate to the frame so I can install a goose neck hitch, and camper sized 5th wheel hitch. The rest of the frame will have expanded, or diamond plate steel installed. I plan on running a pair of 5 or 6" chrome stacks up the side, and will eventually convert the rear to air ride (gotta get rid of the walking beam). I did manage to find an 18" tall chrome front bumper off an international semi that I will be using. I don't know if I will go Alcoa aluminums, or if I am going to paint the wheels. The plan is to make it look like it came from the factory as a semi. If I can pull it off, then I think it will bring some much needed attention to the Big Job series trucks (since so very few people actually deal in them). Hopefully, it will also show the public that a truck can be really wild with out taking the truck out of it. Hey, if you guys have any big rig ideas, post em up here. I am going off of pictures I find on u-pay, and other internet sources in order do design this wild semi. This 55, and the fire truck are my first experiences with anything larger than a 1 ton.

 

Worked on it some more today. Went and picked up a pair of 120 gal OTR tanks with straps. They're a little long, but they'll work. I mounted one. I'll get some newer pics tomorrow. I took our International wrecker out to the property today, and was surprised when I was able to lift the back of the semi with it, and moved it into the shop. I'll finish plumbing the air brakes tomorrow, and will hopefully be able to get at least one of the tanks plumbed in. I remeasured for a sleeper, and I just don't have room, or the resources to make one fit anymore. I am a little disappointed though, I was hoping to be able to run stacks up the side of it, but unless I run em up inside the frame rails, I won't be able to. I suppose I can run the Y and elbows between the rails, and pipe em out to the side of the cab, I've seen a lot of semi's running them that way. I'll hopefully get the door pillars fixed tomorrow too. I have to replace the drivers hinge pockets, and the lower one on the passenger side, and hopefully, I'll be able to get the rest of the front end sheetmetal installed.

 

No pics yet, but I'll try and get them coming. I did get both tanks mounted, and got almost all of the airlines installed. I reworked the clutch arm a little, and I think I've just about got the hydraulic clutch conversion dialed in. Still kickin around the sleeper and turbo wing idea, but I may have to stretch the frame to accomidate it all.

 

Good stuff Joe, a very interesting project. Keep the up dates and pictures coming, I`m following along with great interest.
If I didn`t have all thiese ''little F350 trucks" I`d be very tempted to do something along these lines. I do love my two L8000`s too.

 

Good job Joe, I like it. If you go air ride in the rear, definetly go pete or kenworth rear. In my opinion I would go polished alcoa's all the way around, but if your like me you just get what your budget will allow, but Iwould definetly stretch the frame out some to give a little better ride and accomodate a sleeper configuration that you would like. Good luck Joe P.

 

I would have to argue that recomendation, the Pete air-leafs are known to rock side to side and the KW system is a little odd to set up and the 8 bags seem to be overkill. I have had good luck with the air-ride systems the IH used, it works equally well as a single axle or twin-screw. Mack and Volvo also used a similar system.

 

I personally like the International Air ride set up better, the 8 bag kenworth air ride rides like junk to me, But My dad drove a '93 t-600 KW that had air ride rear and to me it would beat any pete air ride any day. I said peterbilt because that's what everybody wants nowadays. Never thought about freightliner though. Any luck with them? That might be a good idea for under wmjoe's '55

 

I haven't had much dealing with F/L air-rides, most folks don't have much trouble with them. I see so many newer trucks with strange looking suspensions now that I really don't know what works and what to stay away from, I just know the older IH suspension worked well. That is what I have on both of my single axle trucks, one a L8000 Ford that weighs around 24K and a Mack that weighs around 14K and only pulls a 16K 5er.