1979 Kenworth K-100

[Goodwrench3]

Some photos from the ATHS show in Des Moines last year.  Lot of KWs at the show with Peterbilt air rides.

 

Edited April 29, 2018 by Goodwrench3
Added picture

[72 Charger]

Im a little confused about the Peterbilt rear Air Springs on a KW?

[bigred63]

That an unusual set up! They do a rear rebuild? 

[359 Germany]

I have a Freightliner Cab Over kit here from AMT...very basic kit to say the least, and I was toying with the idea of bolting the rear frame of a Kenworth W900 kit to it, also with Air Ride. So things like that are done in real life...hey, will give it a try! ?

cheers

Uwe

[KJ790]

On 2/13/2020 at 6:53 AM, 72 Charger said:

Im a little confused about the Peterbilt rear Air Springs on a KW?

This was a common upgrade for Kenworths that had torsion bar suspensions back in the day. From what I hear. it was easier to replace the torsion bar setup with a Peterbilt air leaf setup than to try to swap on the KW 8-bag air ride suspension. I have seen quite a few KW's that have been swapped from torsion bar to Peterbilt air leaf suspension.

[Mr mopar]

This is a good swap because the Torsion bar ride was so rough where the air ride was much smoother ! 

[Force]

Wasn't the torsion bar suspension obsolete in 1979, I mean Kenworth came with the 8-bag Airglide 100 the year before in 1978.
But I have read the Peterbilt Air Leaf offered a smoother ride that the Kenworth AG100 and I have seen lots of pictures of Kenworth's with Peterbilt suspensions.

[lapazleo]

Actually Peterbilt air ride was a factory option on Kenworths in the 70's. Yes the 4 bag Pete rode much better than the AG100. The torsion bar rode decent if well maintained (daily greasing) but had a high center of gravity. The ride problem with AG100 was too small of air lines to the bags. Air just couldn't flow fast enough for a smooth ride. By the late 90's that was corrected with bigger lines. The Pete air ride also required less maintenance as the AG100 had bushings that need frequent replacement. Even today Pete air ride is a factory option on KW's  the AG 380 is Pete flex air and the AG400L is Pete low leaf

[KJ790]

20 hours ago, Force said:

Wasn't the torsion bar suspension obsolete in 1979, I mean Kenworth came with the 8-bag Airglide 100 the year before in 1978.
But I have read the Peterbilt Air Leaf offered a smoother ride that the Kenworth AG100 and I have seen lots of pictures of Kenworth's with Peterbilt suspensions.

The torsion bar suspension continued to be popular into the early 80's. It took a couple years for the AG100 to become popular.

9 hours ago, lapazleo said:

Actually Peterbilt air ride was a factory option on Kenworths in the 70's. Yes the 4 bag Pete rode much better than the AG100. The torsion bar rode decent if well maintained (daily greasing) but had a high center of gravity. The ride problem with AG100 was too small of air lines to the bags. Air just couldn't flow fast enough for a smooth ride. By the late 90's that was corrected with bigger lines. The Pete air ride also required less maintenance as the AG100 had bushings that need frequent replacement. Even today Pete air ride is a factory option on KW's  the AG 380 is Pete flex air and the AG400L is Pete low leaf

That is the first time that I have heard that the Peterbilt air leaf suspension was a factory option from Kenworth back then. KW had its own 4-bag air ride suspension in the 70's, but it was different from the Peterbilt suspension at the time.

Edited March 14, 2020 by KJ790

[lapazleo]

5 hours ago, KJ790 said:

The torsion bar suspension continued to be popular into the early 80's. It took a couple years for the AG100 to become popular.

That is the first time that I have heard that the Peterbilt air leaf suspension was a factory option from Kenworth back then. KW had its own 4-bag air ride suspension in the 70's, but it was different from the Peterbilt suspension at the time.

Kenworths 4 bag prior to the AG100 was a late 50s design and wasn't all that good it had very little travel and was problem on other than smooth surfaces. I didn't know Pete air was a factory option till a friend of mine who collects extended hood A models with v8 Cats found one with factory Pete air. Apparently it wasn't very common (maybe expensive). I was an O/O with Metzger and sons in Silver Lake In. for years as many of you know they are big KW fans and they liked the torsion bar and 4 spring much better than the early AG100. Most of the KW's I remember with the KW 4 bag were from Canada.

[Force]

I thought the Torsion Bar went out when the AG100 came, well you learn something every day, I have also read somewhere that a well maintained Torsion Bar rode at least as good as the early AG100.
I know Tyrone Malone had the old KW 4-bag on the Boss Truck Of America wich was a 1971 model and on the 1970 Mama Truck transporter as well.
The 1976 Papa Truck Transporter had the Torsion Bar and the 1978 Hideout Truck Transporter had the AG100 wich appearantly was new for that year, the 1974 Super Boss and 1978 Bandag Bandit Racing Trucks both had Torsion Bar single drive.
Peterbilt's first air ride, the Western Unit Stabilaire, was as I hear quite rough too like the old KW 4-bag, but the later Air Leaf was much better, the Stabilaire was taken over by Freightliner and was called Airliner.

[Goodwrench3]

On 3/12/2020 at 4:01 PM, KJ790 said:

This was a common upgrade for Kenworths that had torsion bar suspensions back in the day. From what I hear. it was easier to replace the torsion bar setup with a Peterbilt air leaf setup than to try to swap on the KW 8-bag air ride suspension. I have seen quite a few KW's that have been swapped from torsion bar to Peterbilt air leaf suspension.

I talked to several guys at the ATHS national show in Des Moines a couple years back because I saw a LOT of KW's with the Pete air leaf suspension on them.  I asked "why ?" -- similar answer -- the KW 8-bag was very expensive and didn't ride as well.  Here's a pic of Paul Sagehorn's "Movin' On" KW with the Pete suspension on it.

[Force]

It looks like it's quite common to change to the Peterbilt Air Leaf.

Regarding the Movin' On truck, Paul sold it some time ago and the new owner (user name Sundance on the ATHS forum) is restoring the truck with a Cummins VT903 and a torsion bar setup the truck originally had.
http://forums.aths.org/140735/The-REAL-Movin-On-Kenworth-W-900s

Edited April 5, 2020 by Force