[1985 kenworth]

there is a reason for the longer wheelbase ..back in the day when transport companies would haul steel...bridge girders or rebar for the highways ,the dot did not want it to overhang too much out the tail of the trailer in case if someone got hurt.So the transport companies started ordering tractors with longer wheelbases so the rebar could hang over the the front of the trailer hence the longer wheelbase tractor for the swing ,so the rebar would clear the back of the cab .When the West Coast guys (california) started seeing these tractors up and down the highways they began to get trucks with the longer wheelbase because they thought the setup was cool.It just skyrocketed from there .i myself like longer tractors .I don't like the trailer sitting that close to the back of the cabs ,i prefer the longer wheelbase.My own 85 Kenworth W900B has a 250"wheelbase which is about as long as i can go to be legal to haul a 53ft trailer and stay within the legal length law in Ontario..hope this helps you and others out understanding some of us crazy guys ...lol