My 79' KW just doesnt have enough leg room so I broke out my saw I'm slidding everything back 5 1/2" so I can stretch out. I could have went more but then my nice aluminum rack would have needed work. But with only 5 1/2" everything is going to work out nicely. 1rst, day I tore down the truck. 2nd, day I cut the cab (not me in picture) and slid it back. Took the wings off a sleeper and used them for the the extensions. 3rd (today) made extra supports and started molding tin to fit the roof. After the rest of the screws are in it will draw up and look real nice. Tomorrow I hope to get a fiberglass stip cut from the sleeper roof and install it to the tin. Should be real strong and safe. Wanna do a good job, lots of life left in this old W900 Hope you guys like this stuff.... me cutting up a classic
Good job. We have a 2006 Kenworth T-800 and even though the newer cabs are supposed to be a little larger, I wish I had a little more room. I have my seat slid back close to the back and sometimes I get on a bumpy road and the seat is slapping the back of the cab.
That's fantastic! I used to drive a T-800 day cab and would have payed good money to do that. I guess KW finally got the message and now offers an extended cab, as do some aftermarket companies.
The T800 reg cab dosen't offer an extention, the arrow cab does... now as far as you cutting up a 79 a model....what are you going to do for interior? Looks good BTW! Whoever spec'd your truck did a great job, i love the heavy haul rear spread!!!
Thanks guys, it's sure going to be nice to stretch the legs out. tonka, it's a 5' spread axle to axle and now I'm permitted for 47K on the drivers. Hopefully the interior will be simple :Banghead The plan is to put the corners back in and then make two 5 1/2 matching panels that will butt up to the corner pieces and the door jam. For the headliner, I have 2 liners and I plan on joining them together then put some then foam and felt down to hide the ripples and seam. Anybody ever lower the seat? I'm a tall guy and I usually ride with the seat almost all the way down. So I'm thinking of build a little frame out of angle iron that would allow me to lower the seat frame down into the plywood. This way I'm still riding low but have some ride left in the seat. Then when it's time to show of I can really drop it down Any tips or suggestion please share them. Thanks M-
Just get low ride seat bases....
cool project! if you need a new seat get an elite 80 from sears seating, and take the riser off, seat will go plenty low and still pretty high, and the quality of the seat is way better than a wide ride and way more comfortable.
Jim Davis Jr.'s, Raul Acostas, Jason Keeler's model A's look to be a long nose. How much longer is the long nose than the regular W900? The reason I ask is I've been thinking about extending my front end a few inches. I have two hoods and the capabilities so now is the time before I paint it. I'm not after a show truck since I live in the dirt and the truck is parked in the dry dusty Bakersfield dirt. Like most just want a nice truck. Maybe when done it will make your truck list :beatsme Since you like trucks... attached are a couple pics of my 68 Power Wagon. It's definitely different :usa
My 06 T-800 was the extended day cab. I wouldn't dream of ordering a truck without that option anymore. So much that i can even get passed the lame curved glass and daylight doors.
the PW is ( . )( . )'s man... as for making the KW i long hood. I would do it, by moving the cab back and trading your 2 hoods for a long hood. Granted its a ton, i mean a ton of work! Where abouts in the patch do ya live/work? I cut my teath, i'n the patch around Taft/Bakersfield/Kernridge/losthills area? One more thing is your truck a W925 or a w900?
tonka, yup I work in all those areas you did. You still live in this area? Where can I find a longer hood for my W900??? I can't move the cab back or my nice aluminum deck will need to be modified. Coming off the aluminum frame are some metal extensions that I plan on extending out. Then all I have to do is relocate the shackles. Easier said than done. Hopefully one of those long nose guys will read this thread and let me know how longer their nose is.
Its about a foot longer give or take. I no longer live in Cali, I got out when it went bust in 97-98...i got my start working for Coopers, then got good on a hoe and went to work for Gary Drilling... I also did side work for a guy named Dwayne Emfinger...out of Mckitrick. Last Job i did in the patch was that gas fire in lost hills...boy was that fun!
Thanks prenn, I went and sat in the seat you recommended and the bottom side cushion are to tall and I seemed to be wedged in between the side. Creating a Charlie horse on the sides of my butt and legs. If only I was a little narrower or wider it would have fit better. The Legacy Silver seat fit my bottom side a little better. Either way they both cost $720. Got the cab pretty much finished up, slid the cab air ride back and installed new air bags and shocks. Also got the new plywood installed today. Looking forward to having leg room :drinkup
Looking good! That is a very ambitious project. Leg room is a very nice thing to have. Please keep the pictures coming. I drove a 1979 KW W900. The cab was very small. On the passenger side my knees would touch the dash when I sat in that seat. Also had no heat. The side windows would freeze shut driving down the road during the Northern Alberta winter.
toota, it's pretty much all done. Both little cab shocks we're blown so I installed new cab air bags and shocks. Now I'm just waiting on the 5 1/2" interior panels.
Hey, this is a bit late in the day,but, if you are still around,,I was curious how that aluminum frame of yours has been holding out? Have you had to reinforce any section of it or even replace the rails? That aluminum table behind the cab must give it some tensile strength there as that is said to be the weak point there behind the cab. Beautiful truck. Hope it is still paying it's way! Cheers!
C - fortunitly I'm the second owner of this truck. The O man I bought it from took real good care of it. So far no problems cracking behind the cab. The truck has soft ride limo springs up front so it dosen't like much over 10,500 on the steer axle and I usually run around 9,800 (even when hauling the D8). Hopefully keeping the front light is preserving the frame. BUT the frame did crack between the drivers but the previous owner already repaired it. The drivers are set up with a 5' California spread. I'm always inspecting this old truck so I'll be sure to keep an extra eye behind the cab for cracks. The extended cab has worked out great!!!! Wish I did it years earlier, so nice having 6 more inches of leg room. .
Nice job. All we run are W-900L's and T-800's,but legroom is no problem because they are all Aero-cabs,except the W-900L tri-axle dumps.
So a couple more questions for you. First, did you put a new headliner in the cab or did you leave the fiberglass exposed? Did you re-paint the hood completely or just add the flames? Back to the frame; it must be a concern to you? How were the cracks repaired between the drives? Kenworth in Medford Or told me that frame turned out to be a disaster for KW. A local log bunk builder told me "it is not IF but WHEN" it will crack and never recommend using a truck with that frame for dump or offroad. Spreading the drives would probably reduce stress so that is a plus. Can I asked what you paid for the truck? What do you think you have invested in it so far? I'm putting a link here to my last truck, a potable water carrier in Southern Oregon. /Users/jonathanseidler/Desktop/new water truck 007_2.jpg Anyhow, your posted pics are great. Good luck to ya! Cheers! JS
Well that picture didn't open for some reason. Not sure how to post pics here. How did you do it?
cranky, you must really like taking the wind out of a man's sails? I sure hope the frame never fails. With the truck being a weekend warrior hopefully it has lots of life in it. I stapled/glued two head liners together then put felt over to hide the seams. Repainted the whole truck and flames. I paid 10K for the truck and got a lot in it. Definatly not a cheap toy but I sure do like old trucks. I work on drilling rigs running down hole tools and truck for fun This is a pic of us coming home from a logging/show/play day.
MC, Truly not trying to deflate anyone! I have a lot of respect for work like you've done with out a doubt! I have been looking at some '79's myself and so I have been researching the chassis rail issue as much as I can. Always finding value for money in line with ones search and limitations is a necessity for myself. I think with careful use and missing as many potholes as possible that your truck and chassis will endure! I've got some pics to post but being a "newbie" here the forum doesn't allow it as of yet. Check out Brooks Truck show at http://www.pacificnwtruckmuseum.org/TruckShow.html where some nice rigs show up yearly. Your W900 would feel right at home there for the weekend in August (I think)
I don't know why the thread combined the two replies. It should have separated MC's as a quote. Aw well.....
My truck has been to Brooks 3x's. Once for the truck show and twice for the tractor show.
Cool, I hope to get up there this year for the next one. Then your gear must be in the site photo's. What years?
How did this project turn out? I have a '93 WhiteGMC (think Volvo) that I want to do this to. It is a nice old truck with heavy specs and only 132000 well maintained miles. It is a pure work truck, with no show features or aspirations. The only thing I don't like about it is the top of the back of the cab leans forward, which means the back of the drivers seat does too.
Mitch, if you plan on keeping the truck it's worth it. Sure is nice having the extra 6". This last summer we did a 6,000 mile vacation in the old truck. It would have been very uncomfortable for me being 6'3" all cramped up. We went from California to Peoria to visit the Caterpillar center. After that up to the Great Lakes then west to the Washington rain forest. We took all back roads! She would say "you wanna take this twisty back road over the mountain?" Sure tell me were to turn I liked it so much that I'm making the power wagon an extended cab too ointhead
What kind of frame is your power wagon on and is that a Brownie?
Yes sir that's a low-direct-high brownie box behind a 201 divorced transfer case. It use to have a 10 speed in it but every time the Mrs. drove it we got into a fight. Now it's got an automatic so I can sit passenger on long drives. The video show the undercarriage. Kinda hard to see. https://youtube.com/watch?v=FSkgfrQ6goQ The front half is the original W300 frame and the back half is '01 F350. This made my life a lot easier. Removed the 17 gallon fuel cell from behind the seat and now it holds around 38 gallons. Also came with rear discs, shocks, sway bar, e brake.
I have a brownie that i was going to use in my pickup. I have a friend with one in a 450 and he said not to use it because of several things. We have a 5? power wagon it has the same cab as a Bighorn. It is a 3/4 short bed 3 speed.
Doug, wonder why he didn't like the brownie? So far it's about the only thing that hasn't broke are gave me any troubles. Not sure how its going to work behind an automatic but I'm fixing to find out. Here is a pic of the two frames. The F-350 frame in the rear has worked out real nice.
Nice Work there Mike! I love the Power Wagon. Did you stretch the frame too, or just shorten the bed?
Thanks JD. No I just shortened the bed 30" to allow for the 30" cab extension. Yesterday we cut out the floor board so the low ride air seats would sit lower. I'm kinda tall and now I sit in the middle of the cab. If I wanna be I can low ride.
He is older and owned drove trucks. He said it was hard to shift. The one i have my dad bought it years ago. I talked to the guy that my dad got it from 40 years ago. He had it in a IH pickup he also told me not to use it.It seems like a great deal. I know a guy that had one in a Ford van/pickup deal behind a automatic but i never talk to him about it. I have a overdrive that goes on the back of a sm465 GM 4speed. I may get it hook up before long.
Doug, I just leave the Brownie in whatever range I want it. If I'm towing-direct, towing in the hills or maneuvering-low, just running around leave it in high. Here is a video I took a while ago shifting. Didn't have much trouble with it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Neh0wrBjVn8 If you guys like this kinda stuff I'll go a head and share it with you. Since I had an extra KW air ride system, I built an extra frame for the cab to ride on. This extra frame pivots on the front bushings and the air ride is about 3/4 ways back were the back of the cab use to be.
Looks Like you have done alot of work to it. I would like to build one from the ground up some day if i ever get time. I need to have a gear between 3and 4 so i need to have something that is easy to shift. I would allso like a lower 1st. The sm465 has allmost the lowest 1st of any trans and is very tuff. I would go with a 5speed but they havent made one in a pickup yet that is any good and most truck 5 speeds have a big input shaft needing a 13" clutch and allso from what i have found most dont have as low of a first as the 4 speed. One thing that i wonder about is will my gas milage be hurt by alot of gear drag from a brownie or a big 5speed?
"Looks Like you have done alot of work to it. I would like to build one from the ground up some day if i ever get time." Old Doug, not sure how old you are but if wanting to build a truck from the ground up you need to get started. I've been working on this one for about 9 years. Or send me a bunch of money and I'll build it for you. Shouldn't be much drag when the Brownie is in direct, in high yes since most all over drives rob power. My opinion the best set up for power, reliability, mileage, and ease of installation is around a '96 Dodge Cummins with the later model Dodge NV5400. It's a 6 speed so it closes up the gaps between 3rd and 4th so it doesn't bog down.
Mike Looks like some upgraded studs are in your future. I love the air ride cab idea. I am sure that helps ease those long trips. Keep posting, as I know there are a lot of us here who are interested.
I still have time. Wright now i have a 1967 GMC. It started out as a v6 3speed. I put in a 350 4speed. I cut the trans crossmember lose and moved the engine as far forwards as i could,changed out the front end to a 3/4 ton,it had rear leafsprings i put in new 1 tons and moved them out closer to the tires by building new mounts and installed a 14 bolt GM rear end with a custom drive shaft,cut off the rear of the frame to have less distance between the hitch and axle,built a 7' flat bed and frame mounted gooseneck ball, it allso has a custom radiator that is made to cool a 500ci engine. I rewired it so it has seperate system for trailer lights. It has worked good and i dont know how many miles i have driven it pulling a trailer i think around 500.000 but my buddy thinks more like 700.000. I am on my 3rd engine and it is useing oil and every thing is worn out. I just got a 84 chevy to use while i build something.
Doug, fuel prices are going to continue to rise so put you a mechanical Cummins in the old truck. JD, there's a simple solution to the lugs breaking-tighten them before driving . Fortunately I got it shut down before while the last three lug studs were still in tach. Here are some pics and a couple of the underside as it was getting a tow truck ride home.
My pickup has need to be rebuilt or replaced for some time and the price of gas has stoped me. We put a set of the adapters on a freinds dodge. You need a big torque wrench to get them tight. Do you have a pto wench?
In order to have room for the inline cummins 5.9 I set the engine 9" back into the firewall. This required me to move the go go pedal back and now my right leg is cramped up. Today I worked on moving the brake pedal and brake master cylinder to the left side of the steering column. This will allow the go go pedal to be moved over were the brake pedal use to be giving me a lot more leg room. Here are some pics of what the truck looked liked when I bought it.
what axles are you running those brakes look absolutely tiny in those 22.5's
What is the PTO shaft to chain drive running? Any plans to lower the front end at all? Maybe it's just the photos, but looks like it's quite a bit higher than the rear.
In front there's a '75 GmC Dana 60 and the rear half of the truck is an '01 F-350 service truck. Firewood, the truck did ride a little high in the front. I think it's all corrected now with the cab ride. In the rear I pulled several leafs and put in air bags with an air ride lever controller. Hopefully loaded or empty in will sit pretty level. The rear pto operates the 25,000 lb bed mounted winch and a 16,500 lb electric winch up front. The electric winch up front has been very handy winching it up on my goose neck trailer. The first time it died I used a chain hoist...... that sucked!
What a great ride!, but I love your KW being stretched. It looks great, but the fact that you just chopped the cab and went for it is what I like the most. An end vision, that came to life.
mike thats a very cool old ride!!! not many people know the hard work,sweat,& tears that go into a truck/project like that. iv done 1 for myself & have help buddies build dozens of trucks over the last 20 years. i just sold mine 2 weeks ago & am ready to get started on a kenworth next. dont know yet if i want to make a motor coach outa it or another service truck. keep up the good work!! looks good
F, last summer I needed a break on the Mc Mobile (Power Wagon) so I did a quick build on this 1968 D100. Rebuilt the engine, put under dash A/C in it. Sooooo much easier to restore a truck the customize one like the Mc Mobile. Before http://youtube.com/watch?v=NL6PP7pyekY After http://youtube.com/watch?v=K4h5d4oNs7U This is my 3rd time taking the Mc Mobile apart. The 1st time I did 50/50 quality work. Like mounting a GM steering box on the same side as the shackle. This caused it to bumped steered like crazy with dodge having the shackles at the front of the spring. Next mistake was the DT 366 with a 5 speed direct tranny and 4:88 gears. Top speed about 50 mph. 2nd rebuild I set out to do a good job but made some mistakes. Put in a Cummins 5.9 with a 10 speed direct and homemade bell housing adapter. Also installed the Dana 60, F350 rear frame, F350 hydro booster, brownie, winches and painted the cab. To solve the steering issues a F350 steering box was installed along with cross over steering kit. It steered beautiful now but the steering box was rolling the frame in and out because there wasn't a drag link from the frame to the axle. Ford 4x4 have a drag link to support the frame from twisting. 3rd rebuild info to come.
Nice! I had seen videos on YouTube of the truck a while back, I may have even commented on them. Username nate379
Was the dt366 alot heavyer than the 5.9? Did you use off the shelf clutches both times or did you have to do something else? One More?? Why did you mount your winch were you did the back one? I am going to put one on my 84 chevy.
D, It tipped the scale at 10,300lb so taking the 366 and 10 speed out was part of the trucks diet plan. The 366 weight was 1,700 and the 5.9 is 1,000. The automatic tranny is about 400lb lighter the Fuller 610 10 speed. I used a homemade bell housing and the local clutch shop made me a disc and pressure plate for the larger 10 spline input shaft. Basically I wasted a bunch of time and money on these transmissions. Hopefully this auto will solve all my troubles. I bought the winch for scrap price of $25 so I couldn't resist putting it in. Its mounted to the frame but the back half is a F350 service truck so the frame is flat. Pickup bed frames are raised were the axle sits but not service truck versions. It already came in handy rescuing a dead D2. I simply backed up to the Cat and it sucked it right up on the trailer :notworthy
which auto trans are you using?? 1 out of a ton & a half or outa a dodge? I have a 5.9 setting in my shop & thought bout the 10 speed thing just for the wow factor but im over that now that I have saw what you have done!! thanks for the inspiration sweat & tears I have my dads old 72 Chevy service truck that I want to use as the body. iv got a 91 chevy 3500HD that I think im gonna use for the rolling chassis. u have me thinking on if I want the extended cab version now. ( I had gave it a lot of thought even got on net looking at pics, how there were some made but all by customizers none factory)
I'm running the '94-'95 Dodge Diesel 74RH auto. So far it's been my one single biggest expense on the truck. I tossed around running the older Allison but there was several draw backs. 1. No Park 2. No lock torque converter 3. No overdrive. If you plan on keeping the truck an extended cab is the only way to go. If you travel were you going to put your luggage and pets?
I wanted to make my 67 GMC into a 4x4 by useing a newer frame. The frames are alot diffrent were the cab sets. Just a heads up before you start.
I am considering running some wheel adapters on an International I am working on and I am concerned with seeing your wheel studs broken. Was that from the adapters or was it something else. I've had wheels fall off before and it is not a pleasant experience. I love what you have done with the truck and it is similar to what I want to do with my IH. I am in the process of deciding what axles I want to run. I have some Dana 70's that I was considering putting under it but I have an opportunity to purchase some F550 4x4 axles. if the wheel adapters are stud breakers, I will probably lean towards the F550 axles.
Truckdoc, the secret to wheel adaptor sis to make sure the studs are tight before you hit the road :Banghead. Also check them ever so often. Now I've logged 10,000 miles on the wheel adapters with no troubles at all. I wanted to put 4x4 tires on the truck but now I'm really happy I went with the low pro truck tires. I got the sand wheel balancers and they ride perfectly smooth, no wheel shake at all when slowing down. F-550 axles would be awesome cuz of all the braking power. my truck weights about 9,300 empty. That's why I put the ford hydro booster on to give me the best stopping power possible when some dumb ass pulls out in front of me. Speaking of hydro booster what kind of booster is needed for the 550 axles? Make sure you get the correct booster for what ever axles you run. We can get in a lot of trouble running into someone if we can't stop in a modified vehicle. Ford runs dual piston calipers up front on their Dana 60's. My older GM Dana 60 only has single piston calipers. I've been searching for better calipers for my GM Dana 60 but haven't found any yet. Anything I can do to avoid attorneys is good business.
I have a chance to purchase the whole truck with the powerstroke and the 6spd. The truck has a hydroboost probably similar to yours. The engine is missing some parts. The guy wants it out of his yard so he is willing to deal. I'm not sure if I want to run low pro 22.5's on the truck. I don't know if I want the truck that tall. I was thinking of running 245/75/19.5 tires on it. From the pictures it looks like you have 255/70/22.5's. I am just guessing. Thanks for clarifying what happened to your adapters. Where did you get your crossover steering kit from? I haven't kept up on all the four wheel drive advancements so I don't know where to buy this stuff. Thanks for the help and the info. It is nice to see what you have done with both of your old Dodges.
I keep finding all the week links and upgrading them as they break. To help preserve the drive train, when taking off my foot doesn't touch the gas pedal till the other foot is off the clutch pedal. I'm hoping since I changed the gear ratio from 3:73 to 4:10 it will help relieve some drive train stress. The auto should help too.
Couple more pics.
She's getting close boys!!! Should pick it up next week and start putting it together. Since there's a bed mounted winch Im going to try and make the bed rails fold up to make gin poles. With a pulley up on top of the poles and the cable ran over the top it should be able to lift the front tires off the ground . Be nice having the capabilities of lifting 2,000 lbs in the field.
lookin good!!! thanks for keepin us posted on the progress..
Two good looking trucks you have!
The paint job had a few transparent spots on it (yellow is a very difficult color to spray) so we sanded it and repainted it one more time. Now she ought to really look nice.
Taking it to paint shop. I'll get a bunch of pics on the way home
Got the power wagon painted, hoping to take it to the Tulare antique show the last week of April. Amazing how dead lines get things done. Got the glass put in. All LED lights including the 7" round head lamps. Should have around 40 lights total when finished.
Looking Good!
can you tell me about that "bed" you have for the KW? I have never seen something like that for a tractor