Kenworth Expands T680 and T880 Options

Kenworth is offering new severe-duty suspension, collision mitigation, and DEF configuration options on its heavy- and medium-duty trucks, the company announced at the NTEA Work Truck Show.

The truck maker announced that the T880 work truck will be available for order with the Hendrickson Ultimaax severe-duty rubber suspension.

For the T880, the suspension is available with axle ratings from 46,000 to 52,000 pounds, axle spacings of 54- and 60-inches with 11-inch ride height for applications such as refuse, sand and gravel, crane/boom, platform, construction, and logging.

“Fleets that operate trucks up to 52,000-pound capacities can now specify the Hendrickson Ultimaax severe-duty suspension with the Kenworth T880 to provide their drivers with a consistently smooth ride while running loaded or empty on the harshest roads and terrains,” said Kurt Swihart, Kenworth marketing director.

The suspension features bar pin end bushings, a progressive load spring design, and a rugged axle connection to extend its service life. The progressive load spring design also makes replacement easier and the rugged axle connection can reduce re-bush time.

Rubber shear springs carry a majority of vertical load in the empty condition, creating a smoother ride. As the load increases, the suspension’s ride and stability characteristics change to meet the application’s needs without an abrupt change in spring load.

Kenworth is making the Bendix Wingman Fusion driver assistance system available for its on-highway T680 and vocational T880 truck models. The system includes safety features like collision mitigation, lane departure warning, stationary vehicle braking, and overspeed alert and action.

Wingman Fusion integrates a suite of Bendix safety technologies into a comprehensive driver assistance system that uses radar, camera, braking and Safety Direct by Bendix CVS.

“This system is designed to help drivers keep their trips safe and uneventful, and do it with minimal interference,” said Jason Skoog, assistant general manager for sales and marketing at Kenworth. “Bendix Wingman Fusion can help drivers maintain safe distances, mitigate collisions with other motorists who change lanes suddenly, and safely operate in rapidly changing and difficult-to-see conditions like snow, rain, fog, dust or smoke.”

Also announced at the Work Truck Show was a clear back-of-cab DEF tank option for the T680 and T880 models. The option is designed to increase fuel capacity by removing the DEF tank from the frame rail and mounting it above the fuel tank and under the cab.

The configuration features a light weight 7.3 gallon DEF tank that is about 25 pounds lighter than the standard mounted DEF tank. When combined with an in-cab battery box, right-hand under-cab aftertreatment and left-hand under-cab fuel tank, this new option can provide clear back of cab to assist in body installations.

“Kenworth was the first in the industry to introduce a clear back of cab DEF tank design for a Class 8 truck with 2010 EPA emissions regulations,” said Skoog. “Customers can more easily accommodate service bodies without requiring a lot of customization, and body installers can also more easily relocate all the tanks and pumps to meet their own requirements because the DEF tank will be tucked out of the way above the fuel tank.”