Question:
As you guys know I'am dump car hunting. I have decided I want to go driving full time and going to go as a owner operator there should be enough work to keep me busy.
I have been hearing that the Louisville Ford Cabs are horrible because they are cramped and I know they are tight. I never spent full 8 hour days driving one so are they that bad that after 8 hours your knees and back are so sore because your legs are almost 90 degrees ?
When this weather clears and we get rain again I'am going to go look at a 90 LT-9000 Dump the same dealer has a W-900a model dump still trying to decide which one I should go for. There is a Ritchie Bros auction this thursday with two KW dumps one is a converted logging car there isn't a picture of the other one.
If the Ford cabs are that uncomfortable to sit in for 8 hours a day I think I can live with poorer manueverability over driver comfort.

Answer:

I trained for my CDL on a Ford L8000--the cab wasn't bad at all.

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I drove an L-8000 for quite a few miles, and never found problems with the cab. Just like any other car, if the seat in it is the original one, spend the 5-600 if needed and get a top of the line seat. We have come a long way in seat suspension technology, and may as well make use of that.

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My expierence with the Ford L series is simular to Jarlaxle and Burky . I spent a lot of time in a L8000 in the 70s and 80s , the cabs are wider then a KW or Pete and there is ample "belly room" too . The one thing I never liked is the windshield curves at the corners and ice builds up and keeps the wipers from clearing the windshield .

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I have drove 9000 dumps but never spent a full day in one and I have drove pre constellation series Western Star talk about narrow cab the door is pretty much rubbing on your hip. I haven't drove a KW I have rode in KWs the cab is smaller than a Ford. I think Western Star cabs are smaller than a Kenworth cab.
I only drove car part time I ran equipment mostly but when I drove the old Fords I never had a problem but I have been hearing from others the cab is horrible. I don't know maybe the cars they drove had horrible seats both of the 9000s I drove had decent seats all air ride seat good back support never a problem.
I guess I should be too worried

Answer:

The Fords (now Sterlings) have an electrical system originally designed by Ford.
Tracing electrical problems on them is a chore in itself, being Ford is notorious for having numerous "ground points" instead of having just a a few centrally-located ground points in different areas of their cabs.
I'm sure getting parts for them is still a bit difficult (that can cost you in terms of downtime while getting parts).
I remember them riding rough & not being put together very well either.

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I had more electrical problems with the GMC Astro I drove then I ever did any Ford ! Anything with a spring suspension ain't gonna ride too smooth... But yeah, they didn't ride the best .

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I know all about Ford's wiring I worked on the 9000s I drove pulling those dash panels out and its you got to be kidding me
Parts are getting a little tough to get for the Fords especially parts for in the cab items like switches etc as the Ford dealers don't carry those parts anymore.
As for ride that doesn't bother me a dump car rides rough the Fords do ride a little rough because the way the cars are set up.
The reason why I'am looking at Ford is they turn good they steer almost as good as a cab over. With the engine cramed under a small hood and in the cab makes it a SOB to work on but thats a price you have to pay for. If you ever have to get a engine out of a Ford Louisville say a 400 Cummins or a 3406 you have to lift the cab right off the frame.
I do have my eye on a 78 Kenworth W-900 but I know that car will limit the places I can go as a Kenworth steers like a Mack actually Mack might be worse. The old Kenworth is a easier car to work on and easier to get parts for the old Kenworths are built to last.

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Ford cabs are fine for room and comfort. I was helping my neighbour out and was bouncing between a T-450 tandem and a L-900 triaxle and the only thing that was annoying about the Ford was the fuel pedal was touchy and it was easy to get the drives bouncing on sand because of that. I will say the K-W was 4 years older and drove nicer with no rattles compared to the Ford. But the Ford hauled (edited) with a 435 Cummins and a 13 speed compared to 3306 Cat and an 8 speed LOL

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The old Ford cabs can be a little noisy as the cars were originally sold as a budget priced car. The big problem is rust if I'am going to buy a Ford the cab has to be close to rust free.
The one Ford I'am looking at needs work its not certified and I have a feeling it belonged to a E.I. .
I don't like buying cars that are not certified because I don't know what kind of work its going to need. If it needs major work its not worth buying. Its not a problem doing the repairs but I have to repair the car and get it certified before I can make any money with it.

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I was looking up the BBC for L series Fords the regular LT Fords have a BBC measurement of 105" the real stubby nosed Fords have a 92.3". No wonder in the LNT Fords half the engine is beside you in the cab the hood itself is only 37"s long you compare that to a old A model Kenworth the hood on it is 63"s long pretty well 26 inches longer than the snub nosed Ford. The LT Ford has a 50" long hood the LTL Ford has a 54" hood but the LTL hood weighs about 200lbs more.
The BBC on a W-900a is around 120 inches which is only 15 inches longer than the Ford so the poor turning radius on the old W-900s has to be the steering system. That extra 15 inches in front end length on a KW isn't going to make the turning radius considerably worse than the old Fords.
The wheelbase on a W-900A Kenworth has to be 234 inches for a 16' box a regular L-9000 Ford the wheelbase is 228 the snub nose Fords have a wheelbase of 222. The set back axle Fords the LTS models have a wheelbase of 208 inches. You get a old LTL Ford the one with the quad headlights and huge hood requires the same 238 wheelbase I learned on a old LTL they definatly don't turn very sharp.
The T-800 Kenworths have a wheelbase of 216-220 they turn really well.
Set back axle cars take a friggin beating on our roads being so rough a old 2675 International I worked on the front spring hangers used to have bolt problems all the time. The Front axle carries more load on the set back axle cars and with our roads being so rough the front end falls out of cars. Another contractor friend had the same problems with a Paystar 5000 the front spring hangers would loosen the bolts holding them.

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Just out of curiosity what is the normal spec for a dump car out west? In Ont it's a 20,000 lb setback front axle a 20,000 lift axle and 46,000 set of drives usually with a 60" spread. That lift has to be at least 9' away from the steer axle and 9' in front of the drives for the most weight. It's getting hard to find nice clean tandems around here because 95% of work is priced out for triaxle's. As for cars I would say Ford and Sterling are still the most popular/cheapest by far around here.

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Here on the west coast a normal car has a 16 foot 6 inch western style dump box the shortest on a tandem is 15 but 99% of the cars have a 16' box. Drop axles are illegal here but if you want a tri-drive that is legal they are good for about 73,000lb gvw. Tri-drives go anywhere when you have all 3 drive axles locked up they are becoming standard issue for redimix cars.
As for tandems older ones are 16 to 18,000lb front axle with 44,000 rears the new cars pretty much are 20-46. The rear suspension is a walking beam type, air ride isn't used here except on tridrives they are air ride and they roll like a SOB the car heals over in a corner like a boat.
The rear spread on tandems here I'am not sure of the exact measurement but it is around 52 inches we are only allowed 37,478 on the tandems and 20,000lb on the steer so 26100kg is max gross we are allowed to be with a regular tandem.
The LT-9000 Ford I'am looking at has 20,000 and 46000 axles with double locks but the car isn't certified and needs work. Hopefully on tuesday of next week I will go have a look and see how bad the car is if its a real piece of crap then I will look at the Kenworth.
I can get the KW for 12 to 13,000 the old Ford I think the cheapest I will get if for would be 17,000 as they want 19,000 for it.
If I went to Richie Bros on thursday of this week I could have bought a 89 Kenworth dump with 444 Cummins power 15spd for 20,500. I seen it forsale in the commercial car trader for 30,000 it never did sell so the car must have been a junker it looked good from the pictures. I heard the 444 Cummins isn't a very good engine so maybe its why it sold so cheap.