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I think your link did a fine job. If anyone doesn’t understand it after reading the full link, they have no business operating a truck. Much less singling and charging customers. 

I learned about it at Wheels Through Time museum.  They use it on old motorcycles.  It works great to rejuvenate old paint on antique cars and bikes.

It's a lot cheaper if you buy it in the 5 gallon cans.

11 minutes ago, GeorgiaHybrid said:

Hopefully, this link will clear it up,

Beautifully done.  Thanks G. H.

Two myth's down, many to go.........

It's no more dead than the rear.  If the rear was doing all the pulling, those tires would wear out more quickly, which they don't.  I've heard others claim it's the rear axle that's dead.

C'mon Tom, you've worked on plenty of trucks.  Why is the front yoke so much beefier on the front axle than the rear?  Cuz the power gets divided roughly equally.

Do as I did, and google "live tandem truck axles".

Myths die hard.

Spindrift, I think what he meant is that I am incorrect.  But notice, I clearly wrote "live tandem", which in olde pharte lingo is a tandem which has two driving axles with power divider.  I also referenced the possibility of using a factory single or a 6x2.

So, I stand by my statement.  

Agreed on the fuel consumption.  We get anywhere from 6.5 to nearly 10 mpg, for short runs.  But at the end of the day, an average of about 7.5-7.8 is normal, with a total gcvw of just under 50k#.  And that's by hand calculation, not believing the lie-o-meter on the dash.

But back to my original post, I just hit the tip of the iceberg with that one myth.  There are lots more, but that one is fresh in my mind since it's been on the forum recently.  It just bugs me that people who should know better, don't engage their brains and see how silly these ideas really are, and continue to toss them about.

Great catch Rocky.  You bring a question that I doubt can be answered, but I'll counter with the question....why take the risk?  It doesn't cost much to go to a junk yard and get a proper axle, or even better, start with a factory single or 6x2, as mentioned by Georgia in another thread.

1 hour ago, SuiteSuccess said:

BTW I’m replacing the air dryer also so getting the rusted connection off will not be necessary.

May I ask why?  You've already replaced all the wear parts.

In sitting around the campfire or chatting online with folks, I've heard lots of myths and flat out wrong ideas about large trucks, meaning our HDT's.  So, in the interest of putting some of these incorrect ideas to rest, I invite everyone to listen, and comment, on things we've been taught, that just don't seem right.  

I'll start off with the myth that a "live tandem"  (two drive axles in the rear) has one axle being the "drive" and the other just being along for the ride.  UNTRUE.  There is a gear case built into the front axle (called a Power Divider) which houses a differential, providing both axles with the same amount of input torque, so that both axles drive together.  If one axle loses traction the power goes there, allowing that axle to spin.  Unless, you engage the lock in the power divider, then once again, both axles receive equal input.

Now the unfortunate part.  For as long as I've been on this forum (14 years?), self proclaimed experts have been stating this myth, and worse, singling trucks by removing one axle.  Did they not think that the reason they had to have special drive shafts made was because the remaining axle was never intended to have that much input torque?  The proper way to single is to remove the tandem and replace it with a heavier axle built to handle the torque.  Look at any factory single.  I could name at least three participants of this forum who over the years have made this same mistake, and I can also point out customers who've experience axle failures because of it.  Will they all fail?  Of course not, but why do it wrong. even after it's been brought to your attention that you're providing a dis-service to the customer?

So, I'll relinquish my soapbox so that someone else can expose other myths about these trucks.

Carl, crows foot and line wrenches are two different animals.  A line wrench looks like a heavy duty box end with part cut away so you can slip it over the line.  a crow's foot is just an open end wrench that uses square drives (think socket).

I have several sets of line wrenches, from S-K to Crapsman, to Snap-on.  I hate them all.

1 hour ago, phoenix2013 said:

I thought the rear axle was the driving axle and you could lock the middle, what gives on Kenworth, help the Volvo guy.

On a "live tandem",  the driving force is spread among all 8 drive tires.  On most trucks, (all 8 of the tandems we've owned), engaging the "power divider" locks the differential between the front and rear drives.  The notion of one axle or the other being the "driving axle" is a myth.

There are variations.  Our KW has a feature where I can flip a switch and all 8 tires pull together, at the same speed, regardless of traction.

We've talked to others who've had work done at the place spindrift linked above.  All had good things to say.

We'll be in Bandera for the month of Feb. if you care to stop by.

Larry, I'd put both in the category of "land yacht".  Very comfy ride.

I will add, there's a lot more to comfort than just the ride.  Our Lexus rides smoother than our F-150 or our Kenworth, but the car doesn't have the space to adjust your butt or legs relative to the rest of the vehicle.  For instance, our Volvo had my right leg restricted such that my foot aimed straight ahead, and my knee in one spot.  Our KW lefts me shift that leg to the right, and actually turn my foot any way I please.  For an olde pharte with achy joints, that's a big deal.

20 hours ago, lappir said:

They also seem to find out they are low on power between 1am and 4am on a Saturday or Sunday night.

And if you live in a s/b, and have one smoke detector that requires a ladder in a stairwell, that'll be the one.  That detector has been relocated.

Hmmm...  It makes sense that the floor pan might be different on the heavier trucks.  The cab needs to sit higher in relation to the frame to allow for the drive line.  Low pan allows the air ride seat.

All this said, I tried really hard to justify a MDT before buying the KW.  I just couldn't find anything half as good for twice the money.  The KW, btw, rides nearly as nice as my F-150.

And Larry, you were the first one to spoil me with the nicer ride of the newer trucks.

2 hours ago, GeorgiaHybrid said:

It's all the same diesel at a truck stop, no red dye. It just separates the transactions so the company can file and get the road taxes they paid at the pump for refer fuel reimbursed.

Correct.  The commercial guys fill out the IFTA report quarterly, listing gallons bought by state, and gallons used by state, and off-road use, such as reefers.

I filled out those reports for years. What a PITA.

50 minutes ago, Deezl Smoke said:

The larger frames are made for "hot shot" commercial load hauling and will have a bit more ergonomic cabin and seat combo. Small changes make a big difference IMO.

I can't speak to other brands, but in the Ford truck line, all cabs are the same, from F-150 through F-550.  Seats are too.  I would think GM and Ram would be similar.

1 hour ago, DavidP said:

I do not have a CDL, so how do I go about riding in different HDT's? Assuming a rally might be the only place if someone would be will to take us for a ride.

At the top of this page is the subject "HDT Members on the Road".  Post there, where you are and where you'll be near term, and ask if you can meet up with another member to check out their rig, and possibly drive it.

I'm just west of Cincinnati, and the truck is ready for a spin.  We're tandem, carry a smart, home built bed.

Length really isn't an issue, providing it's long enough.  Cut it in two, get it removed any way you can, and get the new one a couple inches longer.

I'd bet dollars to do-nuts, that how most shops do it.

David, back your original question......

Randy mentions the difference between his older p/up v. a newer unit.  The same is true of hdt's.  We had a 2001 Volvo for 11 years.  I got a chance to ride in a couple of newer units and was quickly spoiled.

So, your assignment, is to ride in as many trucks of both classes, as you can before deciding. Then let us know what works for you.

One more thing to consider, are you the sole driver?  Will another driver be okay with driving the hdt?  My wife had her cdl and drove school buses for 25 years.  She absolutely will not drive a hdt.

23 minutes ago, spindrift said:

Diesel heat as a standalone; replacing both propane AND the CheapHeat system?  In the expense column, it may be a wash.

That's where I was thinking.  You'll likely not spend enough time in really cold places to need a lot of heat other than what your split can provide with some solar.  Small space heaters are handy, and can warm just the area where you need it.

Packaging of the diesel furnace v. Cheap Heat may be a factor, but I doubt it.  Eliminating the propane furnace AND the tank is a plus too.  Spending other peoples money is sure easy.........

Dyed fuel may not be worth the effort.  Right now, I can buy taxed fuel at Costco for nearly a dollar less than I can buy dyed fuel locally.  And then there's the convenience factor.  How much is it worth to go out of the way to save pennies on red fuel?

Besides spending big bucks on a coach and the latest and greatest systems, while trying to pinch pennies on fuel doesn't make sense.

Tom, I'd go with the more expensive diesel fired furnace just because you'll have fuel.  It's likely more efficient to run a furnace than to run a genny to make electric to make heat.  All that heat the genny makes is wasted.

The hdt can work for a daily driver, if you don't do it much.  Short, frequent trips are hard on any vehicle, and the bigger that vehicle, the worse it is.  Never getting it fully warmed up, (idling doesn't count) puts condensation in the various drive components.  Climbing in and out of a taller truck on short hops is a pain.

So, as a long time hdt owner ( 12 years ), I say it isn't for everyone.  The additional comfort on moving day may not be worth the inconvenience the rest of the time.

EDIT:  If you were pulling a larger trailer, or intended to do so in the future, that might tip the scales toward an hdt.  But 16,5k isn't so bad behind your current truck  Bump that up to Hatrack's 24k trailer and everything changes.

And then there's the issue of licensing.  Where do you domicile?  How does that state handle whether an hdt can be a private truck v motorhome v commercial?  

Most folks don't realize that many places/lanes on the digital maps are placed there by people like you and I.  The only reason Pope Farms shows up on Google is because I put it there, in the proper location.  OTOH, Google shows a Godfather's Pizza on our road, in a construction fill site.

3 hours ago, SuiteSuccess said:

😳😳

Gotcha.