Owner/Driver #339

“The design was
eventually deemed safe
for road use.”
too feature dual ride height valves for enhanced cornering
and stability.
Distinctive note
The offer of a short joy-ride in the truck by Charlie was quickly
accepted and I was pleasantly surprised by the relative comfort
the truck yielded. There was little of the expected bucking and
pitching to be felt. The only discomfort I noticed came from sitting
in the right-hand side of a moving truck without a steering wheel
in front of me for reassurance.
The deep burble provided from the straight-through exhaust
pipes provided the perfect soundtrack and gleaned many a turned
head and a few waves as we trundled along one of the main
arterial roads that will soon service Sydney’s long awaited second
airport. Charlie’s suspension design concepts are ‘on point’ and
really do work a treat.
It would seem the icy winters of northern Oregon had a
distinct influence on the braking design for this ’58 Kenworth.
It would seem the risk of jack-knifing and front axle skidding
were sufficient enough for the engineers of the day at Kenworth
to regard the fitment of brakes to the front steer axle as a risk, so
brakes were not fitted to the steer axle from factory. Obviously
these conditions in Australia are infrequently encountered,
so Charlie in his wisdom set about adding front axle brakes in
a move that he thought surely worthy of bonus credits, come
engineer inspection time? Perhaps not!
S-Cam brakes were eventually fitted to the front axle, which was
not without its difficulties due to the left-hand drive configuration
of the truck. When it did come to engineering inspection time,
Charlie proudly offered his truck up for examination and was
very forthcoming in pointing out to the inspector that the truck
originally didn’t have any front brakes at all but is now much safer
by their fitment.
At this point Charlie says he saw an expression of uncertainty
wash over the engineer’s face. By fitting brakes, an act of what
Charlie thought to be an obvious improvement in safety, he had
inadvertently inflicted a whole new level of scrutiny the truck had
to be subjected to get the design passed. After much balance and
brake-force testing and general compliance headaches, the design
was eventually deemed safe for road use.
To facilitate the transport of his Mini Cooper, Charlie has added
an electrically operated, hydraulic tilt tray to the truck to enable
easier loading of the car.
Much like his vision with this truck, it seems Charlie is the kind
of bloke that can see potential in all manner of bits and pieces. He
points out to me that the steel angle used on the sub-frame for the
tilt tray was salvaged from his childhood home at St Johns Park,
demolished many years ago.
Brassy lady
Adding to the personal touches featured on the ’58, a brass woman
Meet the Transport Sales Specialist
KARL BARBAN
Karl Barban has enjoyed a successful career in the transport industry for
over 18 years. During this time he owned and operated his family business,
growing the business and ultimately selling and successfully exiting the
business. He has also supported large scale relocation and setups of
manufacturing and distribution companies in the recent past, providing Karl
invaluable experience and knowledge.
Contact: Karl Barban
0406 990 631 | 1300 366 521
karl@benchmarkbusiness.com.au
benchmarkbusiness.com.au
With his extensive network and knowledge, he is able to connect the right
buyers and sellers who are looking to acquire or exit businesses in the
Australian Transport Industry.
Contact Karl today on 0406 990 631 and see how he can assist you.
ownerdriver.com.au
APRIL 2021 27