Hi, just registerd here and looks like there is going to be lots of good information here. I have a question for you all, we just got rid of our old 89 Freightliner FLD120 and upgraded to a 2001 Kenworth T600 and would like to know your comments as far as what i can expect in ride and handling comparing the 2. Our Freighliner had a 3406 Cat, 15 spd, Freightliner air ride, 12 & 40's on 60" spread,c11R24.5 rubber, polished on front and steel rears, 182" WB, still a very nice looking truck, really liked the cloth interior, dual exhaust, had about 680,000 kms on it, now the Kenworth T600 is a 2001, 430-470 Detroit 12.7 liter, 13spd, Kenworth AG100 air ride, 12 & 40's on 60" spread 192" WB, dual exhaust, polished wheels all around, 11R22.5 rubber, i am hoping it will be as stable with a load compared to the Freightliner, i know its going to ride softer for sure. With the Detroit how does the horsepower rate, 430hp and where does the 470hp come into the scene, do i have 430 or 470hp, hope you can explain how this is rated. If you can tell me more about the Kenworth air ride in comparison to the Freighliner air ride i would like to know this too, anything else you might be able to tell me what to expect or look for i would appreciate, thanks for any and all replies and help.

i love my fraightliner have had a few of them

The 430/470 rating means you get 430 hp while driving without the cruise activated. When you set (and use) the cruise, the ECM will bump the motor up to 470 hp. IMHO, the 3406E cat is one of the best motors they ever made, the detroit is good on fuel but I think you may find yourself missing the CAT.

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The Detroit has 430 HP with the pedal and 470 on the cruise control,it's electronically controlled via ECM (engine control module or computer).

I have driven older mechanical Cats, not a lot but some and some of the Detroit Series 60, I have usually liked them with a few exceptions. Some of the Cats were weak and some of the Detroit engines were as well. After a while you get to know if an engine is running right or not, it's what you decide you like that matters. I have driven Cummins the most and the N-14 370 with 1400 ft/lbs of torque is bested by most of the Detroit engines I have endured.
I drove one with 370 on the pedal and 435 on the computer, that was better but as soon as you lost the cruise control, it was as weak as a sick kitten.

The ride should be softer than what you are used to, even a newer FL would ride different, but possibly not quite as stable.

I think an 89 would likely have a 3406B a mechanical engine and probably the best one made by Cat, definitely not the same as a 3406E. I doubt he will miss the 15 that much when he gets used to the 13, the whole package would be comparable when driving unless he had a poor 4 and a quarter or gets a poor Detroit.


The poorest truck of 5 have have driven recently at my present job had a 3406E, it had been turned down after some problems, they should have put it out of it's misery.

Good catch 52- I wasn't paying attention. Yeah it probably is a 'B' CAT, not the 'E' like I thought. And you're also correct, if he gets a strong DD, he may be happier with the new ride than the old one.

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Thanks, wallbanger, I'm a mechanic trapped in a driver's body with way too much time on my hands. There is no way this body could stand up to doing much of what a mechanic does


The B Cat is figured to be the best of the older ones, longest lasting anyway, two of my friends are driving them, one of them hauls chickens on occasion, and it has enough power to do that almost as well as the Redtop Cummins most of the drivers run and they have 100 more horsepower.

Just to answer a couple of your questions as to our 89 Freightliner, it was a 3406B set at 400hp and i really did like this engine alot, would rather have had another but the Kenworth was right for us and had the Detroit in it so i hope it will be as good if not better in power and fuel and longevity. I am more concerned on the air ride suspension on the T600 and hope it handles loads and is as stable as our Freighliner was, i didn't like the harhness of the Freightliner but it did handle the heavy loads well. We will be pulling loads off the farm, up to 120,000 gross when loaded. Both tractors are daycabs too. Thanks again for all your replies and would like to know more on the suspension.

Pulling that much out of the field, you just might miss that 15 speed. I have never been around the Kenworth air suspension that much, most of the heavy haulers have a Chalmers or some other leaf spring suspension. If you have trouble with it, you may have to change something. The older FL had a 2 spring design with the air bag behind the axle, the Kenworths I have looked at have 8 bags.


Brickman might know something about how it handles heavy loads.

I was kind of hopeing there would be a way to get that 470hp other then on cruise, can you get that changed through the computer or is it set at 430 and can't be changed.