Help spec my truck

not a bad choice if you have all that big specs i hope you're at least going with the 2050tq and 600hp
i would say that if you were not going to be hauling over 105k you would not need the 46k rears. i would not do double frame and depending on your wheelbase you might not even have to go with the largest single if you're not putting more then 12k on the steer. but the dealers spec program can pretty much calculate what frame you can go with.and for your rears i would not doing anything lower then 3.73 or if you can try going with 3.70 you really need to try to get your RPMs around that 1400 mark at65mph these new over the road trucks are being speced with 3.42 and even 3.27's etc with 13 speeds and thats cause the TQ range is big on them now... the dd16 peek TQ ranges from 1100-1425 and with that massive amount of TQ you might get. you might be able to even go down to a 3.55 or 3.58 ratio and still pull the rockies especialy if you're not doing it to often and if you dont mind dropping a few gears.. worst case senario if you did go with 3.55 or3.58 you might just have to downgrade to a LP 24.5 for the rockies and that will get ya better puling if that ratio dont work.... im out in NY pulling 107K on 6 axles and i only have a 99 century with 12.7 detroit 12/40 and 3.90 ratio on 11R22.5 and it does great but i rarely pull more then a 3-4% grade. now im wondering where you are buying this truck from i just ordered a new one from a small mom pop freightliner dealer and i think the price was fantastic for what i got and i went with just about every bell and whistle that i could get. what im getting is 2015 coronado 132 long hood 240 wheelbase 58 inch mid roof XT with DD16 @1850 TQ and 560hp with 18 speed 3.55 rears LP 24.5 with 13.3k steer and 40K rear. i went with these new meritor rears that are approved to pull 145K but thats only at 1650TQ more TQ lower the pull rating... went with every darn option in the cab extra switches all guages heated leather you name it i just about go it and my price with FET is 140k out the door ... hope this all made sense LOL

 

also if you were going to go with a glider and with a detroit you can get the 14L series 60 @ 1850TQ and 550hp NON EGR ... i priced one out and to buy it right from detroit with out a core was $24500 and that was a reliabilt brand right from detroit with 3yr/300k warenty i didnt go that route cause the bank declined to finance a glider but pretty much all the specs as the truck i already speced out was going to run me around $115k ... but im glad they did that to me cause i really am not a huge fan of the older coronado to much like a century class in the cab ... im pleased with my choice now .... another guy on here has the new DD16 and he pulls RGN average 120-135 and he says he can pull a 6% grade and not drop out of top gear but he has a hard time getting truck over 62mph on rolling hills and i believe thats cause he is out of his tq range ..... he has 18 speed with 46k 3.9 gears with tall rubber he has 30K on it and is averge is 5mpg and getting better ... he only has 30K on it so far .... i think he should of went with 3.73 and done just fine .... these sales man like around here are still telling us to specs these heavy haul trucks at 3.90 to 4.10 .... we are from from the old days of 350HP trucks we dont need that low of gears any more with 18 OD tranmissions and big TQ ...

 

LOL heres another post i just rememberd this... i have a gearing power spec program from cummings i downloaded so this will work with any motor ur specing causee its only gearing ... i just ran the specs and with 11R 24.5 rubber 18 speed with final gear at .73 and 3.73 rears its going to put your rpm at 1410 @65 mph now drop to a 3.70 and your at 1399 rpm @65 drop to 3.58 and your at 1353rpm @65 ....so yeah you could probly stick with the 3.73 or 3.70 and do good .... mine with my specs im going to be at 1401rpm @65

 

Good gods man! If you are paying cash, NEVER BUY ANYTHING NEW!!! There is no value to new. Find a truck style that you like, buy it, send it to a quality custom shop, have them cut off the stuff you don't want, have them install the stuff you DO want. Send the frame and cab away (if needed) to a paint shop for non-factory quality paint. You will have the truck you want with the options you want at 60 percent of the cost and none of the headache. As for the other states who might follow The Peoples Socialist Republic of California (yes, that is actually their full name), they have agreed not to do anything for ten years. You'll have worn an engine out by five years time and can consider a newer style power plant at that moment. In the interim, relax. Drive. Learn to smoke a pipe and enjoy. Repeat as desired.
- 24.5 tires seem to be difficult to find in the US but you will likely benefit from the extra inch of clearance.
- As for your axles, buy Mack. They are lighter, tougher, more versatile and invincible with only the barest of maintenance and have four more inches of clearance to the ground.
-With 550+hp, you can use anything from 4.11-to-1 ratio to 3.23-to-1 and run pretty comfortably. If you are likely to obey the speed limit, I'd recommend 4.11 or 3.91.
-Spec a transmission with the lowest reverse gear that is available
-Get a custom built radiator designed to cool 1000hp at 70 degrees ambient temperature and a secondary reservoir of five gallons.
-Don't bother with the push axle on the tractor if you are getting a 20k steering axle unless you have an extended neck on the DD trailer and you really need the weight. You'll save 700lbs.
-Get full lockers. Full.
-Get the lightest steering spring-pack available and install pneumatic helpers.
-Sleeper size, you've never heard anyone say, "There are just too many cupboards in this beast". Just like Scorpions, the bigger...the better. Unless you are hooked on maximum fuel mileage but not likely for the work you are claiming.
-Get a manual transmission. There is nothing more annoying than driving through a parking lot, looking like a total rube as your autoshift tranny jerks back and forth between gears at 1800rpm.
-Trucks with big hoods incur smaller repair shop bills. Your mechanic with secretly thank you.
-Don't get an auto-greaser. The grade of greases that they can operate on is limited to say the least.
-Price out the replacement cost for different styles of brake pads and drums. Some are 680$ for the drum and others are 80$. The same holds true for windshields. Doesn't seem like much at this moment but your blood pump might be alot weaker when the time comes.
-Unless it is a tried and true component style, get something else.
-Splurge on silicon hoses for coolant, oversized stainless steel braided fuel/airlines and greased bearings.
-Pass on quick connectors and have them retrofitted to ferrule style.
-Pick a turbocharger that is just a little bigger than the one you need, make sure it is easy to find and economical. Seems silly to spen 4800 dollars for a turbo that is easily replaced with a 366 dollar one.
-Find a comfortable seat. Sit in it for two hours before you buy it, spinal shock loading is the greatest physical problem faced by career OTR drivers...next to stupidity, short temper and lack of excercise.
-Get a refridgerator.
-Pass on the Microwave oven. Get a stove instead, portable or integrated.

I can't seem to think of anything else. Hope my suggestions have opened a few options to chew on

 

So when you have 130,000lbs. on will you always be starting on nice hard pavement? You should consider 4.10 to 3.90. My 01 FX had 3.90, 11R24.5. When you are at 120,000lbs. and trying to get moving, you don't mind a nice low gear. You can throw the MPG dreams out the window when you haul that heavy.

 

In your shoes I'd go with a DD16 550+ hp, 18 speed manual, 3.90 ratio on 11r24.5, 3/8" frame, 16k steer, 46k meritor axles with a 20k pusher. 20k is overkill for the steer honestly. Make sure you get a big big radiator. That gear/tire combo will put you at 66.5 MPH in 18 at 1500 RPM. The 3.90's will help out a lot on the grades, don't go for anything less than that, 4.11's will put you at 63 MPH at 1500 RPM, also a good option.

 

another great feature of the dd16 is the monster engine brake they have which you will need running those weights to save on service brakes