Frieght liner classic, question

I had a 92 WS, before my Classics. It had 250” wb, and turned as tight as a Volvo. It really gripped the road, and felt more like driving a sports car, than a Truck. I really loved that Truck. It had Hendrickson air ride, and always ride rough, otherwise I would have kept it. Once I got my Classic, my back thanked Me. The room inside is the best thing about them. The only drawback, is the location of center fuse panel. It makes it tough to stretch out right leg. That’s a problem for Me. Freightliner never change that, or much of anything else. I’m surprised they improved the air ride on the Cabs. You can easily see the improvement, bigger air bags, and a large space between Cab and frame. They also added an optional air ride system on the front axle. Those are about the only changes I know of, since they brought the Classic out in 1995? Or so.

 

My advice would be to buy a pre emission classic or an owner-operator specd FLD set-back front axle.

The series 60 is the best choice for that era truck. The n14 is good but I understand that they had a lot of electrical issues with their injector harnesses and injectors and what not. Especially the earlier models. But also a very good engine.

Try to find one from an owner operator that is retiring or at least one that has had a recent in frame and has a long laundry list of repairs. Have the money ready in case you need to put 10 or 20 thousand into it because that's definitely possible but when you are done you will have a diamond.

The Volvo trucks of that era around say 98-2000 something like that they did ride very nicely but the front end did not hold the road like the Freightliner. And they also had electrical problems with the dashboard.

The Volvo network of parts is not nearly as great as Freightliner. I understand a lot of Volvo parts are proprietary and you can only get them from Volvo themselves

It is another reason why Freightliner is so great. There are so many parts available and they're really not expensive verses what parts for some other trucks cost.

If you are on the road there are Freightliner dealerships everywhere.

If you enroll in dtna connect you can see wiring diagrams you can see the part numbers that you need specific to your truck and that's really a great feature for getting parts.

I won't mention names because it seems to rub people the wrong way but you know those really expensive trucks that the guys at the Lunch Counter tell you you have to have, you know the ones that when you buy parts for them they cost three and four times as much as Freightliner... you know those junkie trucks that the windshields leak and they destroy all your electrical relays and the bunk heat/ ac doesn't work and all the other many Myriad of stupid problems that they have... anyway you can't get those part numbers in diagrams the way you can with Freightliner. I understand parts for those worthless trucks are problematic to get at times.

My Freightliner is a 1995 and I have not had to wait more than one day for any part.

 

You probably shouldn't talk about kenworths that way...

 

Another great write up. If I get a Volvo it won't be that old. 2018 or newer with warranty still left on it. Not bothering with other brands

 

I wouldn’t get a Volvo, same reason I won’t have another WS. Parts, hard to get and expensive. Even though WS is in the Freightliner system, now , I hear it’s still a problem.

 

Best to think through all your different ideas, and options. I strongly believe in looking for at least a year, and getting familiar, with the Market, and options. You’re just starting the process. In time you’ll know exactly what you want, and will be able to recognize a good deal. Researching, and asking questions is key. I can tell you this, about your current thinking. The Trucks you mentioned are high risk. Once you start looking at anything more than 5 or 6 yrs old, with 700k miles or more, it’s a potential disaster waiting to happen. Things like, recent overhaul, excellent maintenance, and a list of all recent repairs need to be considered. It’s going to cost You money, regardless. Big ticket items, on top of regular maintenance, on top of Truck payments, add down time, can become a recipe for failure.Things like new batteries, tires, brakes, an any other inevitable repair, become very important. They’re a no cheap way out. It can be a crap shot at best. Riding on Luck, that eventually runs out. Keep looking, learning, eventually you’ll know enough to make an educated decision.Your’re off to a good start. No hurry, keep studying the Market. It changes quickly, soon you’ll see those changes, and be able to make an informed decision.

 

That’s a long post!! Good Luck.