300SD pulling Big Rig down highway
 

A friend sent me this link.:eek:

http://forum.ih8mud.com/showpost.php?p=2179309&postcount=135

Ha ha! No way man, thats gotta be bogus. Most diesel Mercedes can barely move themselves much less a 30,000 lb rig.

In reality, it's not difficult to get tremendous loads to move. You cannot accelerate at any reasonable level and you cannot climb even the slightest upgrade..........but.........rolling along at 40 mph or less is not a terribly difficult task.

BTW, the tractor weight is probably close to 20K lbs.

I don't see a problem with that on level ground. It would take forever to get going, probably a top speed around 35mph, and it would melt the transmission from the torque-converter heat output getting it going LOL. Get to a 2% grade and he'd be lucky to climb it.

My first BlueBird Wanderlodge was powered by a 210hp CAT, weighed 26,000lbs,was 12'6" tall, and would run 72 on level ground. I lost an injector and had to pound the line shut, drove from Chicago to Milwaukee with one dry cylinder and still held 60mph.

The only thing that makes it hard for me to believe is brakes. If the truck engine wouldn't run, it would have no air compressor. With no air compressor, you get 1-2 applications of the brakes, and then the spring brakes come on. The spring brakes need ~65psi to hold off, will lock up the drive axles, is a safety for air system failure.

He likely used up one applicaton stopping the rig the first time, the airbags are consuming more air, ...

Ahh but here's the catch,the brakes, spring or not, all have adjuster nuts for setting the cam rod free travel (adjusting the shoes), Part of the pre trip inspections require these be checked daily, however, they can be adjusted back far enough to release the spring brakes as a means of towing a dead power unit. I had a trailer one time, got up in the mountains with it, unloaded, went to leave and as soon as I pushed the trailer brake knob in, I heard hissing, dust blew up under it, and my air started falling, the control/splitter box for the individual drums had split. Trailer was stuck in place, I backed the adjusters off, left the trailer air turned off, drove it 120 miles down state and got to a repair place in Tulare on my way to my next pickup. (praying all the way the scales would let me just pass thru,lol )

It's possible that the driveline failed and the engine would run but not move the rig. That way, air could be provided to the brakes. But, anyway you look at it, that's a pretty stupid move. If I was underwriting his insurance and saw that stunt (fake or not), his cancellation would be hand delivered the next day.

On every set of 30/30 brake chambers I've had, you take the TEE bolt from the side of the chamber, open the rubber plug in the spring chamber, and use the supplied TEE bolt to retract and cage the spring so that you can tow the trailer or service the brake mechanical components without air.

I suppose they could have caged the spring brake, ... really really stupid if so.

Go Benz!!!

Probably still got 15 MPG doin it too! :D

LOL!

On a second note, that looks like a newer Kenworth.... I have some clients who are truckers, they were driving a brand new 06 Kenworth that their trucking company assigned to them.... It was one problem after another, delays, missed loads, etc... They requested their old freightliner back........

(It was a husband-wife OTR team..... That way they could get 22hrs/day of driving time hauling fruits and veggies from Cali to MI....)

Posting for the forum in case the other one goes down in the future.