We just sold our old setup and are looking to buy this international 4900 DT466 6speed with a 40ft lowboy, I’m just wondering if it has enough power to pull everything, the lift weights around 24k and I have a lull 644g reach lift I will be hauling some too. Any input would be greatly appreciated thanks!
Here is the set up we are looking at
How many times a year do you haul it, how far, and what's your terrain like? Coastal flats or appalacian mtns? City or rural? Doesn't look like a very heavy built trailer to me, (looks more like a gooseneck type trailer with a semi 5th wheel) and its awfully long just to haul a telehandler on. The 466 will pull it with the right gears, just not very fast. Any idea what rear end ratio is in the truck? 6 sp auto or manual? air brakes truck and trailer? On the trailer, what's the tires on that, and what's the trailer rated for?
Trailer is 40ft and is rated for 35klbs and we are half flats/ half mountains. And it’s a 6 speed manual. And it would be somewhat regular from job to job,
Also truck and trailer are both air brakes. And I have no idea on the rear end ratio
Better angle on trailer
I think it would get along ok. I would guess empty weight of that rig to be around 20k, put your lift on and you'll be 44k. Less than a fully loaded tandem, and there are a LOT of IH tandem dumps with a DT466. The 6 speed is definitely going to take some patience, but we don't always need 500 hp and an 18 sp to get a job done.
It'll do the job, but you won't be getting in a big hurry. We regularly gross 50,000+ lbs with a mechanical DT466, but it's got 9 gears. It does the job, but it's slow in the hills. If you're not running all day every day I think you'll do fine.
Will I be having to constantly downshift hills with this because if that’s the case then I’m going to think about a little bit bigger setup.
How much experience do you have driving? All rigs will need down shifting in hills. It's just how it goes.
I have plenty experience but what I’m saying is our last setup for the lift was a GMC TopKick Gas 427ci with 2 speed rearend and going over speed bumps were hell lol. And it was governed at 65 no matter what so you couldn’t climb hills at all, all I’m hoping is to greatly increase driving experience with the DT466 and not be disappointed and it do like the 427 preformed
We have a 1988 IH DT466 18ton boomtruck and it’s like a damn snail going up hills, all I’m hoping is that trucks needing a tune up badly and this 92 will preform better because if not the GMC will come out as pulling better and I should have kept it if that’s the case haha
6 speed...there will be some long days in your future..granny gears for u lol...i have an ht530 in mine with a 10 speed and some hills are very long lol ...and only 20000lbs on trailer.
Haha 65 mph is the stuff of dreams with a 466 and trailer...
d down hill with a tailwind its easy
One of my customers scored a really nice older Peterbilt at an auction with a 365 HP Big Cam Cummins because nobody wanted it. It works great for hauling a Telehandler around the country to load hay trucks. I think they paid 12K for it and its super nice for an '86.
Mexican overdrive
Oh....and 466 has NO jake...just to compare...my old 466 had 210 hp and i think 650 torque...my ht 530 has 330hp and 1150 torque...and i am still very lonely on hills.
Only a 6 speed in there with no 2 speed rear axle, that can't be right.
there`s thousands of them running around
I'll throw in with the DT530E not being a powerhouse on the hills. We can mostly keep up with traffic, but we sure aren't passing anyone on the hills. 4 ways and the slow lane it is. I think mine only has 270hp and somewhere around 900-1000tq. (Someone correct me if i'm wrong) I sure wouldn't want to take a step backwards to a 466 for 40klbs. I will say that with the 6 speed Allison that we could definitely go deeper on the rear end, because we can't even hit overdrive until almost 60mph.
You will be shifting all the time, it will be better than your big gasser was, but not easy driving. I'd go bigger. There's no shortage by me of mid 90's tandem trucks, some that have been cut down to single axle if you really want single axle. I don't care for that style of step deck, especially rated at 35- that's a load spread over the whole trailer, equipment is a concentrated load. I'd look for more of a lowboy style trailer, with the heavier outside beams, I find them less "tippy" when in tight spots, turning on a slope etc. Is that trailer 40' in the flat? It looks long. I think you would be a lot happier with a M11 or a 11.1 detroit , older 350 big cam, maybe a mack 300, with a 9 - 10 speed or whatever. Even more happy at 3406, 12.7 or n-14 big cam, but that's probably overkill. The first picture shows my smaller truck and trailer in the background that I use for hauling my forklifts. Its a '95 international M11 (set at 330 hp) and super 10. Trailer has sliding axles and tilt deck. Its great under 70,000, between 70 and 80,000lbs gross- you're doing some shifting. The M11 are available from 300 to 400+ hp, but the torque curve kind of stays the same, and that's what your looking for- torque. Hp isn't as important. I pulled a couple pics off local craigslist, of what I would be looking for. Trailer/ truck wise. You'll want covered axles for loading and unloading on the trailer. I don't think you would have to spend any more money to be into a heavier tandem and trailer, vs. what you are looking at.
If you're pulling hills on a highway a lot I would try and be patient and find something bigger than the 466 like most have said here. Torque will be your friend, putting four ways on and shifting till your arm is tired gets old fast, plus, my feeling is that it draws unwanted attention from a potentially bored/over interested DOT officer.....
They screwed the pooch on that one, I would stay away from from a 6 speed if you are hauling anything like you say you are going to and go with what everyone else is suggesting more gears more power. Haven't put my International on the road yet and it has DT466 6 speed but I have 2 speed rear end that will offer some comfort.
We had a service truck with a 466 in it you couldn't kill it 5 speed with a 2 speed rear maxed out 65mph You could put a tag on with a backhoe and on flat ground you would do ok you get an incline like a freeway ramp and you merge at 25 mph that was a gross weight around 45 thousand If you want an engine that will run forever buy the 466 if you want an engine that you dont need to run forever cause it got you to the job yesterday morning and not tomorrow night go with an m11 ism or 3306 range there are plenty out there Stay away from anything max force powered
th that two speed rear won`t help one damn bit
Thank y’all all for the input. We found a couple bigger trucks we are going to look at.
Well if it doesn't then I'm tossing it and the current transmission and slapping an air system on the DT466 then wiping the slate clean and put different drive train in there. Only paid $750 for the truck $250 for new transmission (Thanks lg junior) $400 for air seats (LKQ Heavy truck parts) $350 for new clutch (Ebay) and I see no reason in buying another rig "yet" when I can swap something else in.