No Front Brakes?

Discussion in 'Trucking Industry Regulations' started by peters359, Nov 24, 2009.

  1. peters359

    peters359 Bobtail Member

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    Looking at purchasing my first truck from a friend. I've had my eye on it for over five years, just sitting there waiting for me to take it home. It is somewhere between a 73-76 359 Short hood with a 350 cummins in it. I heard today from a gentleman that some companys won't let you haul with an older truck. Is this true? And what about it having no front brakes? He said he would sell it to me for $5500. It's real clean, but it needs injectors. (It smokes white and he said that's what it needs.) I would really appreciate some help with this one. Thanks.
     
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  3. Yatista

    Yatista Medium Load Member

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    Are you looking for a toy to play with or a working truck?
     
  4. stranger

    stranger Road Train Member

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    Has the truck been sitting or being run. If sitting, lots of parts will need replacing. Trucks built before 1978 did not have to have steer axle brakes. I think that is the right year. The white smoke could be injectors.

    Does this truck have the original engine, or could it be a later model with step timing. If a step timing with timing problems, that could cause the smoke. If it is an original small cam 350, 3.8 to 4.5 MPG will be normal.
     
  5. Peanut Butter

    Peanut Butter Road Train Member

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    If your wanting it for a work truck for over the road, most insurance companies wont allow a trucking firm to hire on that old of a truck. I have heard of some guys that have put in new motors, new rear ends, new transmission, and everything and still not be able to contract with a company cause the truck just is to old. Now maybe if you go owner operator with your own authority and use load boards or a broker you might be able to get away with it. But if the truck is just going to be a toy to play with, great, have fun, i would love to be able to do that myself.
     
  6. Mike_MD

    Mike_MD Medium Load Member

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    FYI

    Be safe.
     
  7. Working Class Patriot

    Working Class Patriot Road Train Member

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  8. Peanut Butter

    Peanut Butter Road Train Member

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    Peters359, if you get this truck could you post some pics for us to see, we would all like to see it, thanks.
     
  9. RickG

    RickG Road Train Member

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    Part 393.52
    http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regu.../fmcsrruletext.aspx?chunkkey=0901633480023927

    For a while owners of later manufactured 3 axle tractors disconnected the front axle to give better steering control when braking . Some of you may remember the switch on the dashboard which would disable the front brakes when operating on wet roads . I remember when the regulations were changed to require front axle brakes on later model trucks and all the media reports about trucks with inoperable brakes . There was also question about the effect of front brakes on safety .
    http://pubsindex.trb.org/view.aspx?id=348940
     
    Working Class Patriot Thanks this.
  10. peters359

    peters359 Bobtail Member

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    Thanks guys for info. I have not made up my mind on what I'm going to do yet. The truck is awesome in my eyes, but going over the road with it seems like a bad idea. Does anyone know the year cutoff when it's hard to get the insurance required? I really like the 359 as a truck, but in all reality I should probably find a newer model to eliminate a lot of frustration. If I do purchase the truck for a toy, I will definitely post pictures.
     
  11. Working Class Patriot

    Working Class Patriot Road Train Member

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    Older trucks are great if you like wrenching on them......

    But......Anyone who is in the biz knows that all of the CARB regs for example will bring pretty much all pre 2004 rigs to the junkyard....
    Those same regs are the model for the rest of the country as well....There are no such thing as "California manufactured" and "49 state manufactured" any longer....

    Many of us are going to have to bite the bullet and buy new rigs or get out of the biz completely...
     
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