doubleclutchinweasel

Isn't the R-model frame wider at the front than the B? Seems like on the BCRs, which use a B-model frame, the front of the frame rails are visible in the grille opening. I'd try to save the R, but I'm a little weird. The seating position in R is a lot more comfortable, in my opinion. 'Course, nothing looks as good as a B.

Very cool Super Dog.

We discussed the tube-type rims a while back. Yes, they can be an issue. But, if they were all as bad as people say, we would not have successfully used them for all those years. I believe that the condition of the pieces (whether it is straps, rims, or chain binders) and the competence of the user has more to do with it than anything else. But, that's nothing new. Some people can't work a screwdriver safely.

Shows last activity on the JustOldTrucks site as 3 years ago.

I saw a guy killed under a dump body that fell on him when I was fairly young. Never forgot that. If you block it up, use huge, solid pieces of wood. Don't take chances under that thing. I don't think a 4X4 is near big enough. The mechanic at our shop had 10X10 and 12X12 timbers he used under those things. He also had some steel-framed contraption he made that worked under certain bodies. Be careful. Gravity's a bitch.

The year model might also help. There have been a few different brake systems on the Rs. I have some air diagrams, but they are in the service book. Makes them hard to copy.

Had a really well-equipped shop, for sure. That cylinder did have a good bit of "whip" in it when it unloaded, didn't it?!

I wish everybody could be that objective and methodical. There are a lot of old wives' tales and myths that could be dispelled with that kind of methodical testing. Sure a lot more thought-out than the Myth Busters TV show! "Now we know, and knowing is half the battle."

Love those Spicer type u-joints.

20" tires are going to be tube type. That opens that can of worms about the multi-piece rims. 22.5" tires are going to be tubeless. That means 1-piece rims. We've beat that horse to death on here...many times! I have run 20" bias drivers and 22.5" radial steers too. No issues.

I am real anxious to see what you can do with that B. If it comes out as nice as some of the other stuff in your shop, it should be pretty awesome.

Point is, there are a lot of options out there. And, don't forget, you can go the Eaton-Fuller route if you want to . But, that adds a lot of complexity in finding all the right parts. The build sheet on mine had several pages of goodies related to the RoadRanger box they built it with. I still like the 13-speed Triplex and 18-speed Quadruplex boxes for top speed. Just as long as you don't twist them in half with that Maxidyne engine! lots of folks running those boxes in hobby trucks behind a 237 Maxi. But, if actually working it, you have to be careful, because those boxes are not built for the torque of a Maxi. The one I used to drive had 4.17:1 gears and the 18-speed. Direct 4th was good for just about 60-62. Hi-Split 4th would easily go to 65-67. I could never find the limit on Hi-Split 5th (didn't have enough HP on that ENDT-673C 250-horse to get there!).

I don't exactly know what boxes y'all are talking about. Might have been later versions. But, there was a 5-speed with a single stick (TRL-107 series). Then, there was a 6-speed "extended range" with 2 sticks (TRXL-107 series). The "lo" on the compound was supposed to be used only in 1st gear. That's your extra low gear. Here is graphic showing some detail on the ones I am talking about. The TRXL-1070 (or maybe it was a TRDXL-1070) would have been the same as the TRXL-107, but with "direct in 4th", and an overdrive 5th. The "0" on the end of the number is the "overdrive" designation. Model numbers were on the left side of the box. There are several discussions on here that have pictures showing the location. Somebody on here had the one I am talking about (TRDXL-1070). Check out this link. https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/56848-mack-trdxl-1070-questions/

Somewhere around there. Never can remember the exact cutoff date.

Un-freakin-believably nice!

Like I told somebody on another thread, remember there are overdrive versions of those Maxitorque transmissions. And, the 6-speed version adds a lower gear to boot. And, you get 5 reverses. Plus, you end up with 2 sticks, like God intended in a Mack! Check out a TRXL-1070. Or, you could go the masochistic route and put in a 13-speed Triplex or 18-speed Quadruplex. Those are both "double-overdrive" boxes. And, the lo-lo or lo-split reverses are plenty low.

Looks like green Gates heavy-duty belts hanging on there.

It might be a fairly easy swap to change the 5-speed Maxitorque for an old 6-speed Extended Range Maxitorque. That gives you 1 extra low gear. And, as a bonus, you get 5 reverses. These can be found in both a direct and overdrive version (look for the "0" at the end of the model number to get the OD...TRXL-107 vs. TRXL-1070).

If I lost an inch, I'd be in trouble...

I've seen worn tie rod ends cause a side-to-side shake. But, you would hope the alignment guy would have checked that. Most common though is wheel or tire...especially if it "didn't use to do it".

Early RDs had a similar cowl shape, but later RDs had a different shape, like the stork said.

Funny!

We used to joke about the non-turbo 673s in the B-61s we had. Seems they would run about as fast downhill as they would uphill. Not very.

Maybe "B" for "brake" (Dynatard)??? Anyway, it has been a topic for discussion before.

I have been making commercially available, industrial V-belt pulleys (among other things!) for a living for the last 39 years! So, this one hits close to home. "Matched" belts are cut from the same belt of raw material. So, the individual belts are as close to identical as possible. Each raw belt will be slightly different. So, 2 belts of the same number cut from different raw material could be different. Matched sets are ESSENTIAL in an application like this. There are standard V-belt groove dimensions defined by the MPTA (Mechanical Power Transmission Association). I can probably sanitize a drawing and share some of the information, if anybody needs it. Just need to know the belt type (A, B, 5V, etc.) and the outside diameter (OD) of the pulley. The groove angle changes as the pulley gets larger or smaller. To measure the effective Pitch Diameter (or PD) of the belt, we simply measure over a pair of dowel pins. The pin diameter changes depending on the groove type. Lots of manufacturers of pulleys (we actually call them "sheaves") use a form tool to generate the V-form of the pulley groove. But, I have found that this gives bad angles, chatter in the grooves, bad flank finish, and deformation of the web between the grooves...which can throw off the PD of one or more of the grooves. So, for the last 35 years or so, I have been profiling the grooves with a 35-degree insert. This gives far better groove integrity than can be achieved with a form tool. Let me know if I can help with anything on this.