The Kirkland, Washington-based Kenworth Truck Company is a significant provider of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to the North American market. Kenworth has production plants in Seattle, Renton, and Chillicothe, Ohio. In addition, Kenworth has an assembly factory in Victoria, Australia, and a manufacturing site in Ste-Therese, Quebec.
The brand is quite famous for offering heavy-duty diesel trucks with innovative features to the market. Among those innovative features, suspension holds a prominent place. In this article, we will deep dive into the Kenworth AG400L suspension and share some more details about it with you.
History of Kenworth
Edgar Worthington and Harry Kent founded Kenworth in 1923. The Kenworth name was created by merging a few letters from each of the founders' last names. Seattle, Washington, served as the new Kenworth Truck Company's primary headquarters, and it continues to be there today. The PACCAR Company acquired the business in 1944 and remained a wholly owned subsidiary until 1958 when PACCAR transformed it into a separate division.
Over time, Kenworth has developed a reputation for creating a long range of reliable, high-quality vehicles and bringing many improvements to the trucking industry. In 1957, the business built the first Cab-Over-Engine model, and in 1985, it launched the aerodynamic T600A, which completely changed the trucking sector. The roomier Aerodyne Sleeper, which was originally presented in the late 1970s, and the even roomier Studio Sleeper, which was released in 1993, were both designed with driver comfort in mind.
AG400L Kenworth suspension
The Kenworth T680 on-highway flagship now comes standard with the exclusive Kenworth AG400L tandem rear suspension. The rated weight of the disc brakes-compatible Kenworth AG400L is 40,000 pounds. The four-bag, cost-effective rest is best suited for over-the-road, and pick-up and delivery use. Through the use of a tried-and-true trailing arm design, the AG400L offers a comfortable ride. The AG400L series is straightforward to maintain.
"The T680 driver enjoys a smooth and pleasant trip thanks to the Kenworth AG400L. Because there are so few moving components, the suspension requires almost minimal maintenance and doesn't need to be adjusted or lubricated regularly. For our clients, the AG400L delivers exceptional value, according to Kurt Swihart, director of marketing at Kenworth.
The Kenworth AG130 front air ride suspension and the AG210, AG380, AG400, AG460, and AG690 rear suspensions are all part of Kenworth's broad family of unique suspensions.
Kenworth trucks in the future
Kenworth now produces ten versions for both on- and off-road use. The T660 and T2000 models are both heavy-duty, class 8 conventional trucks that are EPA SmartWay Certified, have aerodynamic style, and have greater fuel economy. Class 8 vehicles with a more traditional look include the T800 and W900. Both come in day-cab and sleeper-equipped variations.
There is a bridge between heavy-duty and medium-duty trucks provided by the T470 and T440 types. Each is offered as a class 8 or class 7 vehicle depending on the drive-train configurations and rated weight capabilities. Actual medium-duty trucks include the T370 and T270 types; the T370 is a class 7 truck, while the T270 is a class 6 vehicle. Both have a choice of powertrains and gearboxes as well as aerodynamic design.
The heavy-duty class 8+ C500, which is generally used for off-road, challenging construction work, and the light-duty class 5 T170 types are further versions. The K100 Cab-over from Kenworth is no longer being produced for the North American market.
Final words
The Kenworth Truck Company has a long history of being regarded as the industry's top producer of medium and heavy-duty trucks. Similar to the Kenworth AG400L suspension, we can expect the brand to offer many other innovative technologies to truckers in the future as well. Let's keep our fingers crossed and expect the best from this manufacturer.