RC Truck and Construction  

Go Back   RC Truck and Construction > RC Truck's General Discussion. > General Discussion

General Discussion A place to post off topic discussions.


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 04-06-2016, 08:46 PM
Prop Shaft's Avatar
Prop Shaft Prop Shaft is offline
Newbie
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: St John's NL
Posts: 147
Prop Shaft is on a distinguished road
Default Why stretch a Semi?

my curiousity on this has gotten the better of me and I need to know. What is the point of stretching a semi to ridiculous lengths? Is it just a show truck coolness factor thing? Or is there a practical use for it? I understand needing extra length to make room for more axles/bigger sleeper, etc. But I see so many trucks with miles of empty frame between the cab and rear axles. Just seems to me like nothing more then a handicap on maneuverability. Im not trying to ruffle any feathers here, id really just like to know what others opinions on this are.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 04-06-2016, 09:16 PM
Northern Farmer's Avatar
Northern Farmer Northern Farmer is offline
Big Dawg On The Bone
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Montreal QC
Posts: 1,513
Northern Farmer is on a distinguished road
Default Re: Why stretch a Semi?

Low and slow Just a style if you ask me but yes I agree at a certain point when the chassis is simply too long the truck starts to look funny looking and odd in my opinion.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 04-06-2016, 09:36 PM
Cooper's Avatar
Cooper Cooper is offline
Big Dawg On The Bone
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Watsontown, Pa
Posts: 2,119
Cooper is on a distinguished road
Default Re: Why stretch a Semi?

I'm not a truck driver but have driven toters with ridiculously short wheel bases and when loaded and unloaded it's like a buck board. I would assume for long haul point a to b drives a long wheelbase is a better ride.
__________________
Always wasting money, as the wife says.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 04-07-2016, 01:56 AM
1985 kenworth's Avatar
1985 kenworth 1985 kenworth is offline
Big Dawg On The Bone
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: brampton,ontario,canada
Posts: 1,845
1985 kenworth is on a distinguished road
Default Re: Why stretch a Semi?

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
__________________
owner/operator.."got to operate to own"
dwayne
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 04-07-2016, 04:41 AM
bigford's Avatar
bigford bigford is offline
Big Dawg On The Bone
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: mastic beach,ny
Posts: 2,018
bigford is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: Why stretch a Semi?

mine is 265'' wb with a 30' sand trailer.. a lot of guys around here buy long
sleeper trucks then remove the sleepers. they think it looks cool
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 04-07-2016, 06:43 AM
Prop Shaft's Avatar
Prop Shaft Prop Shaft is offline
Newbie
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: St John's NL
Posts: 147
Prop Shaft is on a distinguished road
Default Re: Why stretch a Semi?

Thanks for the responses. Ive never driven a tractor truck. The extent of my truck experience was driving a 40' boom truck for a lumber yard in my younger days. It was the overhanging of loads in front of the trailer that I was overlooking. But I guess I was correct in assuming it was mostly a "coolness" thing. Do you guys who prefer long tractors find it harder or get annoyed trying to jockey trailers around? Or is it an acceptable trade off for over the road performance?
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 04-07-2016, 09:24 AM
bigford's Avatar
bigford bigford is offline
Big Dawg On The Bone
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: mastic beach,ny
Posts: 2,018
bigford is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: Why stretch a Semi?

i have 625 hp so there is plenty of power. any longer in NYC and it gets hard to get around
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 04-07-2016, 11:12 AM
Ken Orme Ken Orme is offline
Newbie
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Aurora, Co
Posts: 111
Ken Orme is on a distinguished road
Default Re: Why stretch a Semi?

In the days before interstates most of the highways in the west were blacktop. The idea then was as the front axel passed over a point it would set up a vibration in the blacktop. With a longer WB most of the vibration would stop before the rear axle passed over the same point. Less damage to the road.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 04-07-2016, 11:26 AM
JAMMER JAMMER is offline
Big Dawg On The Bone
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Liverpool New York
Posts: 1,346
JAMMER is on a distinguished road
Default Re: Why stretch a Semi?

Some of it had to do with bridge laws. This is were the load is on the truck and trailer the distance between the wheels and the weight. Ed
Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:39 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.6
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.