Owner/Driver #339
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“The design was<br />
eventually deemed safe<br />
for road use.”<br />
too feature dual ride height valves for enhanced cornering<br />
and stability.<br />
Distinctive note<br />
The offer of a short joy-ride in the truck by Charlie was quickly<br />
accepted and I was pleasantly surprised by the relative comfort<br />
the truck yielded. There was little of the expected bucking and<br />
pitching to be felt. The only discomfort I noticed came from sitting<br />
in the right-hand side of a moving truck without a steering wheel<br />
in front of me for reassurance.<br />
The deep burble provided from the straight-through exhaust<br />
pipes provided the perfect soundtrack and gleaned many a turned<br />
head and a few waves as we trundled along one of the main<br />
arterial roads that will soon service Sydney’s long awaited second<br />
airport. Charlie’s suspension design concepts are ‘on point’ and<br />
really do work a treat.<br />
It would seem the icy winters of northern Oregon had a<br />
distinct influence on the braking design for this ’58 Kenworth.<br />
It would seem the risk of jack-knifing and front axle skidding<br />
were sufficient enough for the engineers of the day at Kenworth<br />
to regard the fitment of brakes to the front steer axle as a risk, so<br />
brakes were not fitted to the steer axle from factory. Obviously<br />
these conditions in Australia are infrequently encountered,<br />
so Charlie in his wisdom set about adding front axle brakes in<br />
a move that he thought surely worthy of bonus credits, come<br />
engineer inspection time? Perhaps not!<br />
S-Cam brakes were eventually fitted to the front axle, which was<br />
not without its difficulties due to the left-hand drive configuration<br />
of the truck. When it did come to engineering inspection time,<br />
Charlie proudly offered his truck up for examination and was<br />
very forthcoming in pointing out to the inspector that the truck<br />
originally didn’t have any front brakes at all but is now much safer<br />
by their fitment.<br />
At this point Charlie says he saw an expression of uncertainty<br />
wash over the engineer’s face. By fitting brakes, an act of what<br />
Charlie thought to be an obvious improvement in safety, he had<br />
inadvertently inflicted a whole new level of scrutiny the truck had<br />
to be subjected to get the design passed. After much balance and<br />
brake-force testing and general compliance headaches, the design<br />
was eventually deemed safe for road use.<br />
To facilitate the transport of his Mini Cooper, Charlie has added<br />
an electrically operated, hydraulic tilt tray to the truck to enable<br />
easier loading of the car.<br />
Much like his vision with this truck, it seems Charlie is the kind<br />
of bloke that can see potential in all manner of bits and pieces. He<br />
points out to me that the steel angle used on the sub-frame for the<br />
tilt tray was salvaged from his childhood home at St Johns Park,<br />
demolished many years ago.<br />
Brassy lady<br />
Adding to the personal touches featured on the ’58, a brass woman<br />
Meet the Transport Sales Specialist<br />
KARL BARBAN<br />
Karl Barban has enjoyed a successful career in the transport industry for<br />
over 18 years. During this time he owned and operated his family business,<br />
growing the business and ultimately selling and successfully exiting the<br />
business. He has also supported large scale relocation and setups of<br />
manufacturing and distribution companies in the recent past, providing Karl<br />
invaluable experience and knowledge.<br />
Contact: Karl Barban<br />
0406 990 631 | 1300 366 521<br />
karl@benchmarkbusiness.com.au<br />
benchmarkbusiness.com.au<br />
With his extensive network and knowledge, he is able to connect the right<br />
buyers and sellers who are looking to acquire or exit businesses in the<br />
Australian Transport Industry.<br />
Contact Karl today on 0406 990 631 and see how he can assist you.<br />
ownerdriver.com.au<br />
APRIL 2021 27