SpreadAxle

My favorite part of truck models(although not the easiest) would be the engine details, and you definately outdid yourself with this one. How different from the 3406E is the C15? Or is the C15 just a 3406E with a different part or 2? I don't know much about CATs except that they're yellow and expensive. Anyway, great job.

very well done.nice work.

Every time you upload a pic to the post you're typing, just click the link again to upload another. When you uploaded all you want, they will be there when submitted. You just have to upload them one at a time.

Nice job so far.

Cool idea Tim. Goes great with the road const scene.

So you're the guy I call once a year for my weight reciept, huh, Jarius? Thanks for all the input from everyone. Jim, the nice thing about spread axles is that you can load them to 40,000#, instead of 34,000# like a standard tandem. One thing to mention, though, is that you still have to stay under 80,000# to run the interstate. However, some of your western states, like Colorado, allow 85,000 on secondary/US Highways, just not the interstate. New Mexico allows 86,000# gross if you stay off the interstate and run US highways. This is if you have a 5 axle truck with the spread axles. I probably will shrink this down to an 8ft spread, as it seems to fit with pix I've seen of older spread axle trailers.

Incidentally, I removed the wheels to give a better view of the suspension, but the spread measures to about 114".

I bought this trailer back in 1993 at a swap meet already built. I only added the air barke lines. I have some repairs to do, but I was thinking about one thing. This measures out to be almost a 10'2" spread. It's 8 scale inches too short, but convincing enough. My question is, since this is a 40 ft trailer, and represents a late '60s thru early '80s trailer, is this too long of a spread for these axles to be legal? I know spread axles were around at the time, but were the axles this far apart? Or was the 8'6" spread more appropriate for this time period? I can tell that the kit's sliding suspension was cut in 1/2, and the long center spring added. The suspension isn't totally accurate, but I think the builder did a good job. I have some definate ideas for this one. Also, what were the other stock colors for Fruehauf flats at that time? Anyone know? Or were they all red except for customer spec? Thanks for looking

Thanks, Dave. The rivets were there from AMT. I may have to add some more, but I left what I could. I've been just doing this from what "looks right" according to the pix.

Ok, it's been a few weeks since I posted pix of it. I haven't gotten much farther, but the basic cab structure is almost done. I just need to make the left rear corner, which is notched inward to accomadate the exhaust pipe. It's not perfect, but this is my first attempt at something like this. The only other thing I need to do is finish off the back wall of the cab. Minus lengthening the frame rails, and the engine which was ssown in an earlier post, this is as far as I've come. I'm missing some parts, after, this is made with 2 ebay glue bombs. Thanks for looking. I will post progress as I can.

This turned out very nice. I love the color.

This is a neat idea.

cool. very cool

very nice work

Oh boy. Talk about high. I have to wonder how many of these guys are online buying when the wife isn't looking. I would hate to be the one who's wife found out what he really paid for those. :shock: Definately a duck-and-cover moment. :wink:

I finally got it back today, and in the morning, I pick up my new trailer. We lease these and trade in every 2 years. This will be good because it needs brakes and I didn't want that expense right now. Feels good to have it back. Now I can build again without stress on my mind. Thanks to all of you who kept me going.

cool

I used to collect 1/87 myself. It is a bit pricey.

I know. I recently sold just the hauler body from the Papa truck, and still got $31 for it. Not bad for part of a kit. I have to agree with the statement about having to have it even if they can't afford it. Some resin kits I've seen, which isn't even a whole truck, have gone past the $200 mark. I still think of the Revell AG triaxle Kenworth cabover I saw at $405 with 2-3 days left to the auction. I wonder what they sacrificed to pay for that one.

The truck was down due to several things. #1, when the turbo was replaced in Jan, they installed the wrong one. #2, the valve camshaft failed. Only the injector cam was replaced last time, the warranty only allowed bandaid treatment. #3 Head damage. The intake valve on #2 cyl ground its way through the seat and into the head. Other little things have gone too. If it wasn't a constant thing, it wouldn't be so bad. I hate having to do the job 1/2 right. As to your friend, the one thing I can say is that it won't necessarily matter where he starts, as long as he listens to everything they say before getting hired, as trucking companies tend to promise the world. If he goes to a larger carrier, tell him to stay away from the lease purchase programs. They will try hard to sell him on that. You don't always end up with a bad truck, but usually, if you and the company don't like each other after awhile, you can't leave until the truck is paid, unless of course, you let them have it back. Research is your best friend in this business. Although, sometimes looking closely doesn't reveal anything until it's too late. I know of a dark blue T600 that fits that description well. :roll: I wish him luck though. He can make money if he's willing to try. Just make sure before he spends the money on school that he really wants to do it.

This looks good

We may very well be hurting ourselves on ebay. I would use the A64B kit as an example, but our beloved Autocar is coming home. However, there are plenty of others. Any of the Dual drive Freightliner cabovers would be prime examples of this. We've all seen them cross the $100 threshold. The KW Challenge mixer would be another. I could be wrong in my theory, but I've been noticing that some sellers know what they have, so when they see that we're willing to pay 3 digit prices for certain things, that minimum bid starts creeping up. I'm seeing more and more $40 and $50 minimums. I've only been on ebay for less than a year, so many of you may have noticed that starting a long time ago. I was used to seeing the minimums lower than that. I think this is why the kits listed in the links above had such high prices. People are entering higher and higher max bids right at the start, before anyone has a fighting chance at it. So those of us willing to go beyond $50 may be setting ourselves up for really high prices later. My theory may seem silly to some, and maybe others are saying I just pointed out the obvious. I'll admit I've paid more than reasonable prices for certain things, but only because they were so hard to find that I thought,"Ray, you may not have this chance again, so do it". In the long run, though, it adds to the problem. Later on, someone is going to pay more than reasonable for the same or a similar kit. Maybe nothing like $200 or more, but more. My biggest ebay beef is the reserve price. I don't knock someone for wanting at least a certain amount. After all, why give it away when you can make a few dollars, or at least get back what you spent for it. But then, why show me that the minimum bid is $15when your reserve price is $50, or $75, or $100. I know that MAYBE(and it's the maybe that turns me off) I'll get it if my bid is highest below reserve. However, the low minimum bid attracted me, and if I see reserve pricing, I don't bid. I figure if you wanted $50, start near $50. It may not get as many bids, but it would sell unless it's something no one wants. It just seems a little more fair to me. Although I jokingly called the high prices robbery, no one points guns at our heads. After all, we dictate what we'll pay. Upon the announcement of the A64B's reissue over in the Yahoo group, we had fun comparing our list of what else we would like to see come back. In my personal opinion, bring them all back. Except that Revell AG "Marmon". At least they could've went for the old "correct body parts on a Freightliner chassis" trick, instead of the joke that kit really was.

Looking good. It definately represents western Pa's dump trucks well.

Slowly but surely it is. The truck itself is sitting there ready, taunting me so to speak. There is a mountain of papework and a few more phone calls to make before I get the final bill. So close, so close.

Now if you're refering to the really cool truck in your pic there, that is a Peterbilt 379