Pete 335

[Hay Dude]

Found a really sweet 2009 Pete 335 4WD with a Paccar PX8 (8.3L Cummins), Allison 3000 and air brakes. 33,000 GVWR. Has air to rear. 10/23 axles.
However, it only has 12’ of frame and 108” cab to axle. Makes a 16’ flatbed kinda tough. Ideally should be 120” cab to axle for 16’ flatbed.
I really like this truck, but sliding the axle back a door is pricey. Body installer says ”it‘ll be ok”, but as I told him, I want to pull a 10 ton hay trailer behind it and 6 ton hay on the bed (square bales).
Thoughts?

 

[BravoXray]

You should stretch it out so it makes it safe to haul or tow what you intend do.
Just depends on whether you want to do it the right way or not.

If you stretch it out, you will probably have to add a midship bearing and make a two piece driveshaft.

 

[Jstpssng]

Keep looking? As you said lengthening it can be done but...
Among other things just as soon as you bought this one, a deal on the right truck would appear immediately.

 

[Hay Dude]

I haven’t found a truck that “checks as many boxes” as this one.
I want a tandem all wheel drive, but they are as rare as a month of perfect farming weather…
Not many Pete’s with 4WD or 6WD, auto, good engine with good power, and oh I didn’t mention, has driver controlled locking axle.
Im trying to put together a budget for frame lengthening and 16’ steel flatbed

 

[Hay Dude]

Pic

 

[Citydude]

If it's going to haul out more hay and haul in more money ( no pun intended) then it makes sense.

 

[Gee Ray]

I would shop around for prices to do the stretching. With the lack of new trucks to sell there must be some shops that need the work.

What would the price difference be between longer truck vs short truck plus the stretching?

Would you be able to travel to buy the truck? I would think that there would be some used trucks along the areas where the Keystone pipeline was to go.

 

[Hay Dude]

Good points
The truck is close by (~50 miles away).
It would be spendy to move the rear axle back, double the frame, lengthen driveshaft, lines, etc.
I cant even find a 4wd thats longer and spec'd out this way.
But this truck is twice the truck of an F-550 4x4 for 1/2 the cost.

 

[4570Man]

I’d move the axel or put a shorter bed on. My 750 sticks off about 18” and it’s a pain in the butt. I totally agree about medium duty trucks vs tons and heavy tons. You can pile all the load on and the truck just doesn’t care and they’re cheap. Even if you’re not using the truck to it’s full potential which I’m usually not my 750 with air has WAY more brakes than a ton.

 

[Hay Dude]

I could also add an air lift axle behind the rear axle. That would increase my GVWR, allow 16' body with no overhang and increase available tongue weight for towing. Shorter than 16’ is not an option. Adds cost, too!

 

[4570Man]

That would probably be cheaper than moving the axel. Plus the turn radius would be better.

 

[Hay Dude]

Adding frame and air lift axle gets me close to the cost of a tandem 6x6.
However, none of the 6x6s are Peterbilts and none have an 8.3L and all the features.
Most are IH with a DT466/530 or one of the junk MaxForce engines,or it’s a Freightliner with a C7. Former digger Derrick trucks. Very underpowered and usually beat to death

 

[RickB]

If you want to play you've got to pay. You are mixing wants and needs. When your wants become necessities the budget goes up. Putting a tag on a 4x4 would be about the last thing I would do. Just go to a marine salvage yard and get an old ship anchor, get most of the same results.

 

[Hay Dude]

If you want to play you've got to pay. You are mixing wants and needs. When your wants become necessities the budget goes up. Putting a tag on a 4x4 would be about the last thing I would do. Just go to a marine salvage yard and get an old ship anchor, get most of the same results.

Huh?
How is increasing payload a “ship anchor”?
It has more power than most tandems, so adding payload won’t make it slower than a factor tandem.

Its definitely a need. I had 3 trucks last year. Now I have 1.
Im at my wits end needing another truck

 

[4570Man]

Huh?
How is increasing payload a “ship anchor”?
It has more power than most tandems, so adding payload won’t make it slower than a factor tandem.

Its definitely a need. I had 3 trucks last year. Now I have 1.
Im at my wits end needing another truck

Power isn’t the only consideration. Most tandems are geared better for the job. Could you just stick a 12’ bed on and call it good?

 

[crashz]

That what I was thinking. Can you live with a 12 or 14ft body instead? Seems like that would be the easiest and cheapest option, but you did say 16ft is an absolute need. Is that because the 6tons of hay in square bales needs that length?

 

[blacktruck]

Found a really sweet 2009 Pete 335 4WD with a Paccar PX8 (8.3L Cummins), Allison 3000 and air brakes. 33,000 GVWR. Has air to rear. 10/23 axles.
However, it only has 12’ of frame and 108” cab to axle. Makes a 16’ flatbed kinda tough. Ideally should be 120” cab to axle for 16’ flatbed.
I really like this truck, but sliding the axle back a door is pricey. Body installer says ”it‘ll be ok”, but as I told him, I want to pull a 10 ton hay trailer behind it and 6 ton hay on the bed (square bales).
Thoughts?

It does have decent specs and appears to be a nice looking truck. If you are intent on a 16' bed, you have two options. Stretch it or pass it by. Finding a good used medium/heavy duty single axle with FWD is challenging. I personally would not be interested stretching one with FWD. It can be done but at a cost. For me unless I had my heart set on a white Pete, I would keep looking unless the seller is willing to really deal on it to offset the cost of making it suit your needs. Good luck on it.

 

[RickB]

Huh?
How is increasing payload a “ship anchor”?
It has more power than most tandems, so adding payload won’t make it slower than a factor tandem.

Its definitely a need. I had 3 trucks last year. Now I have 1.
Im at my wits end needing another truck

Putting a tag on a 4x4 will be a huge negative when it comes to traction. Claiming an 8.3 has more power than most tandems is just plain silly.
You might need a truck but you don’t ‘need’ a Pete. There are other brands just as good.

 

[4570Man]

Putting a tag on a 4x4 will be a huge negative when it comes to traction. Claiming an 8.3 has more power than most tandems is just plain silly.
You might need a truck but you don’t ‘need’ a Pete. There are other brands just as good.

You can lift the tag when you’re off road. If it’s sunk and still hitting the tag you’re probably stuck anyway. I’d like to see the specs on the 8.3 but I’m guessing it’s 250 hp 800 fp of torque. But it’s gears that get the job done and single axels are usually lacking on gears. I’d bet money on a tandem truck with lockers on the back and no power to the front beating this truck off road pulling the same 16 tons. 8 tires pulling beats 6 and that’s assuming the 6 wheeler has lockers on both ends which it probably doesn’t.

 

[Hay Dude]

Putting a tag on a 4x4 will be a huge negative when it comes to traction. Claiming an 8.3 has more power than most tandems is just plain silly.
You might need a truck but you don’t ‘need’ a Pete. There are other brands just as good.

Well, if you call 250Hp DT466s or CAT C7 at 275Hp more powerful than an 8.3L Cummins @ 300Hp “plain silly”, there not much left to discuss.