What is a glider?

A

Aaron Ford

Well-known Member

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

Okay, this is kinda tractor related... What is a glider? I have seen them advertised on TV and billboard and while I know it is some
sort of tractor trailer, the details elude me. Is it powered? What are the benefits?

Thanks in advance,
Aaron

 

M

Matt from Oz

Member

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

Hi Aaron

Read about this somewhere. It is where people or businesses by an older prime mover or tractor truck, excuse my Australian terminology and refit it with a new engine and generally recondition it. This is cheaper than a new truck and avoids the new emission standards that new diesel engines have to comply with. Have heard it said that these setups get better fuel economy.

Regards

Matt

 

J

johnofnewhaven

Well-known Member

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

In short a glider truck is a new cab and chassis with a pre emissions engine in it. The engine will be a 2007 or older. Prior to 2008 a glider kit was more or less a new cab and chassis you would buy and put what ever components you wanted in it. Since 2008 it is to circumvent emission laws. I am sure someone else will chime in and be more technical about it. I am just stating the basics.

 

I

in-too-deep

Well-known Member

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

John got it. A new truck with no power plant and you install your engine of choice. Do they usually come with transmissions? I don't know.

 

S

SVcummins

Well-known Member

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

Just the opposite. You buy a new truck and stick an older rebuilt engine it , if the engine is 99 or older you don?t have to run elogs on the truck

 

H

Hay hay hay

Well-known Member

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

50 years ago, before emissions standards, glider kits were a way to get a new cab and frame after a wreck to be able to use good engine, trans, rear axles and tires etc. All the ones back then came with front axle and tires. It was odd to see them towed down the road backwards, with the frame up on the tow vehicle.

It sounds like the emissions situation has changed the original idea and objective.

 

T

Trkr

Member

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

The black IH 4300 is a glider I built in 1985. I used the drivetrain from the tan 77 4300 in the pic. The glider was a frame,front axle and tires,rad.,cab,sleeper. I bought it through the parts dept. at the IH dealer,was 27K new back then. Was a way of updating your equipment,and you didn't have to pay excise tax on a glider then. Some companies like White offered a powered glider with a recon engine,add your own trans and rears. Hardest part was drilling all the frame holes for the suspension and fifth wheel. Later on your could order gliders pre-drilled.


<a href="http://s1268.photobucket.com/user/douga3/media/CCF11052011_00001.jpg.html" target="_blank">

</a>

 

J

johnofnewhaven

Well-known Member

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

Great photos! I sure love older trucks!!!

 

M

mmfan55

Member

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

As others have said. New cab and chassis. Put whatever drive line in it you want.

 

M

Mark-Ia

Well-known Member

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

Anderson-Erickson Dairy in Des Moines Ia. Are buying Kenworth Glider kits and installing 60 series Detroit engines. No emissions to hook up.

 

Welding man

Well-known Member

Location

West Virginia

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

Aaron, This is a glider. The best of the best. The Gov't tried to put them out of business a while but nnalert intervened. Not political, just a fact.
Fitzgerald

 

P

Philip d

Well-known Member

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

I never heard of that before. Those are neat

 

A

Al Baker(pumpman)

Member

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

Most folks don't realize that a big truck shakes and vibrates a lot while running, or driving. In time the wiring and air lines start to show their age. Also cabs will get spider line cracks in the doors or even the dash. A good running truck that is always having wiring issues can look and run like new with a glider. Here in Michigan where you can scale 162,000 lbs pulling trains, the drive line can cost a ton of money to replace. Michigan also uses LOTS of road salt. This makes cabs and frames age way faster than the power train. Over the years I have helped build many gliders. Al

 

T

Trkr

Member

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

If you like old truck pics,here's my cabover in 1974,and the tan Eagle shortly after I bought it new in 1977.
<a href="http://s1268.photobucket.com/user/douga3/media/004_3.jpg.html" target="_blank">

</a>
<a href="http://s1268.photobucket.com/user/douga3/media/CCF08082018_00000.jpg.html" target="_blank">

</a>

 

T

Trkr

Member

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

And my 1995 9300 Eagle,had it 21 years. Yeah,I like IH trucks.

<a href="http://s1268.photobucket.com/user/douga3/media/DSCN0244.jpg.html" target="_blank">

</a>

 

jon f mn

Well-known Member

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

You can get them how you want, but the basic version is usually cab, frame, suspension and front axle. They will add axles and trany if you want.

 

D

Dean

Well-known Member

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

If you folks want to continue doing this, stop talking about it, because the federales will shut this down as soon as some 30 year old no nothing sitting in a cube somewhere at the EPA takes notice.

Dean

 

R

rrlund

Well-known Member

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

Yep,they're in Byrdstown Tennessee. We rent a cabin on Dale hollow Lake just a few miles south of the factory. New trucks parked out there by the hundreds,maybe thousands.

 

J

johnofnewhaven

Well-known Member

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

Thanks for the pictures!!! Great looking trucks!!!

 

5

504

Well-known Member

• Sep 21, 2018

• #1

About three years ago our local Freightliner dealer was building a bunch of them. I asked the Manager how much the customer was saving. $32,000.00 with a new engine and a factory rebuilt transmission and a rebuilt set of tandems. That is a lot of cash not to spend on a new truck.