harrybarbon

Hi Thomas

We are in the process of rebuilding a 1985 Neway ARD 238-6 suspension. We need to replace the all bushes and fittings, etc on all 3 sections, that is the frame hangers, equalizer beams and transverse beams and both sides of the suspension. Your pictures and information here is just in time for us. The maintenance manual is also very helpful.

2 questions please,

1/ The kit you paid $138 for the transverse beam, did this include the 4 split / beveled (wedge shaped) steel bushes and the 4 rubber bushes and other parts? If the beveled steel bushes are not in the kit, do you know if they are in stock/supply? Our transverse beams beveled steel bushes are history - rusted and we had to oxy/cut them to disconnect the transverse beam and equalizer beams.

2/ What was the supply time, from time of ordering the kit to receiving and did you buy direct from SAFHolland, the Neway manufacturer?

Thank you again for the pictures etc

Harry

I am going to have a go with the Cyclo buffer and the Nuvite compounds on my 2 storage box lids - maybe tomorrow, if not by next Tuesday, so will post my results with a picture, test will be how the cotton nappy sheets will perform on the alloy checkerplate, if a few are chewed but the result is good then worth the effort -

I worked on our aluminium storage boxes this weekend. 1 end side had a number of scratches and 3 long bumps maybe 3 inches where the internal support bracket was welded. Not happy with my previous poor result using the polishing wheel and bar polish,  I decided to re-sand the end side with a Bosch circular sander that has the velcro sand paper, got nearly all the scratches and leveled the weld bumps.

Using the cyclo double head polishing machine, separate double cotton nappies wrapped around the twin pads (to protect the pads) for each of the 4 Nuvite pastes, the final polish is mirror finish - so good I could shave with a razor. Plus a small amount of Nuvite goes a long way, expensive but damn good.

Time permitting after work hours I hope to finish 1 box next week, then I will post pictures

Yes it has 3 gear sticks, total of 38 forward gears, I was told when in first the driver could walk beside the truck and maybe even faster, and it pulled like a train engine.

Here is picture of rear of cab, see the extra gear box mounted high in the frame about 3 feet from rear of cab. If you look closely, you can see the gear selector arm going to under the cab.  all original

Vlad

We have been having same issues polishing our aluminium storage/step boxes. We have first sanded the rough metal and then used the wheels with the 4 grade polishing bars. The steps with the perforated plate and sides and edges came out with mirror like shine. However the flat plate no good, all looks like milky finish. we found out the wheels are not right for the flat or rounded plate like your tanks. wasted a lot of time and no result, awful actually.

Fortunately a guy who makes and polishes old aircraft wings showed us the way.

First you need a dual pad orbital polishing machine, baby nappies to wrap around the pads, the nappies are polishing not the pads and the nappies can be replaced and use different nappies for each compound grade. He has lent his polishing machine - cyclotoolmakers.

Buy the 4 grades of NUVITE polishing paste/compound, not cheap but excellent product and works on stainless steel as well.

We have started using the Nuvite and after 30 minutes with the polishing machine great result - we will get a mirror finish

Here are some pages from the 1995 Truckin Life article. A couple of points of interest are

1 - all of Eric Ballard's trucks had names because the drivers were illiterate

2 - the ledge over the top of the truck cab was the drivers sleeping bunk where they put their swag at night and they were off the ground and safe

We bought MaryAnn and it's number plate was NES-260 same as in the pictures, this bent number plate was on the truck up to very recent, and the same plastic sun visor which is on the truck today. There are 2 pictures of MaryAnn on page 4. The bull bar was likely modified after Eric sold MaryAnn. MaryAnn was name of Eric's wife.   

We bought the truck around 1997 from Jeff MeHarg, Big Orange at Gatton, the Cat motor was in pieces. We were told the truck had been sold some years earlier to a cattle station in outback Queensland, to work on the station pulling trailers around the station. During the drought there were problems with the CAT engine, the truck was taken to a mechanic's workshop some distance from the station, the motor was partly dismantled and work stopped because the farmer could not pay for the repairs. Then Jeff bought the Mack and it was in his Gatton yard. He advertised the Mack in a truck sales magazine which is where we found it. My partner went to see the truck and we decided to buy it. In between us buying and time it arrived in Melbourne the emblems were gone. We put the Mack into storage until we were ready to restore the truck. About 2002 vandals broke into our storage shed and poured the paint over the cab. We decided to not restore the truck and it passed to the guy you bought the Mack. The information we got came from a Ballard family member around 2003, we had no way to dispute the family member. We also got the truck build information from the Mack museum, built red colour and was ordered to be an oil rig in Northern Australia hence the joey gearbox - third gearstick, the sale did not proceed, Eric Ballard bought the Mack and Mack Australia dealer painted it yellow to match Eric's colours, the Trucking Life magazine lead article 1995 about Bush Ballards (Livestock Transport of Longreach), we cannot recall how we got this but have the copy and the number plate in the picture was same as the bent plate on the truck that we had when we bought it, hence it's name Maryanne. Also the sun visor on the Mack is the same as in the Trucking Life picture. You can see the original red paint on the back of the cab where the yellow paint has peeled off. 

We could only rely on the information given to us. We had the truck for approx 15 years.

We are pleased the Mack is back with 1 of it's former owner operators and that it will be restored. 

I guy who makes vintage aircraft wings put me onto Nuvite polishing products, not cheap. We have been trying to polish or alloy storage/step boxes with the polishing wheels/pads using the polishing bars - the steps with the button holes and the rounded ends come up good with the polish bar and the wheels.

But the flat areas are awful, the wheels create a mess, shadows etc. and dull. This guy lent us his double head polishing machine and we started with some of his old Nuvite polish on our flat alloy sides and within 30 minutes the surface was starting to shine up and removed the scratches. You have to wrap a baby nappy over the 2 pad heads and put dabs of the polish onto the surface and the bay nappy does the surface contact. You have use separate nappies for each grade of Nuvite polish.

We will post pictures of our storage boxes when we finish after new year.

We put lizard skin first the sound proof lizard skin and then lizard skin on top as per lizard skin manufacturer's specs on our B model custom truck under fenders and hood, took it out on the road 3 - 4 times, no damage to the underside of fenders and fantastic for sound absorbing control, good decision to use the 2 lizard skin products.

Tap the alloy hood and steel fenders they feel and sound like fiberglass!!!!!

The reality is that poor senior management is the reason for the company's failure, look back at the separation of Toll and the Patrick businesses after Toll purchased Patrick the public company, the public company offshoot that was named Asciano - who ran that and what happen??

The good operators/managers under former Patrick CEO and now chairman Chris Corrigan, from the old Patrick pubic company are back in the transport business after laying low for approx 5 years, after Toll took over Patrick's.

They have formed a new public company named QUBE Logistics and it is performing. Corrigan has brought back most of the old players into the QUBE team - same as the Blues Brothers - the band is getting back together.

Corrigan and his team of operators/management and his core investors have a long successful proven record and they rewrote history on our waterfront transport, ultimately for the good of our economy and the port operations.

And to top it off, QUBE has now recently completed the takeover of Asciano, they have bought back the old Patrick businesses that they created. They also bought the newly recreated Westgate transport/Container/Wharf businesses from Sam Tarascio, another astute and successful long term excellent transport operator.

Why is QUBE performing whilst McAleese failed!!!!! 

The rent issue is just a diversion, McAleese buying Cootes from private equity was like a cow fattened up for sale with ????? to make it look good. And the HHA business - just watch the TV series of HHA - the arrogance on public TV, we don't see the good operators like the QUBE guys on TV, mouthing off !!!!!

Sadly, it is the honest hard working employees, sub-contractors, small private business suppliers and mum and investors that depended on the company for their daily living that have and will suffer the most from this failure.

Please what is the difference between the Mack 10 speed overdrive and the 12 speed overdrive boxes - is it only the 2 deep reduction gears?

What difference is there between an E6 - 350 with a 12 speed overdrive versus a E6 - 350 with the 10 speed overdrive? 

We have used the Lizard skin products extensively, first apply the sound control and then the lizard skin, very simple and easy to apply, non toxic and wash with water, it dries quickly in the heat, apply a thin coat thickness of a credit card let dry and you can do another thin coat. It is sprayed on and it gets into all corners and hard to get joints etc, it becomes a sealer to stop rust - but sure any rust is first removed if any exists in the joints etc.

This is inside our cab with a light coat of left over green paint on top, all the hidden joints welds etc are fully sealed and there is no drummy sound of the metal - actually sounds like fiberglass when tapped

Check the lizard skin web site

Add said motor was 350 then engineered to 450 by Mack, anyone know if it was a 4 valve and what was done to engine to boost to 450?

Consider the hollow rubber tubing for the weather strips, (similar to that on new cars) we removed the solid foam type rubber from our B model and fitted the hollow tube, better fit, they mold into the door frame and better for wind proofing. Restoration Specialties should have the hollow rubber tube or your local rubber store.

Have you considered Lizard skin for sound and temp proofing!!!

I saw the remaining Mad Max Mack R model was on display at a hot rod car show at the Melbourne Exhibition building late last year or earlier this year.

I did not take any photos, but I recall that it is black colour and is pretty rough but runs and was complete.

I will do some research ans see if I can find information and a picture, even track down the owner.

Does anybody know what year air bags were first fitted onto the rear of the R model cabins?

Please what was the original engine in your B67, those alloy shutter radiator set ups were mainly for the B615 with Mack 864 V-8 and the B73/75 models. Although, here are some Mason Dixon B models that look same as your B 67, there are no emblems on the hoods to indicate motors such as the V8 for the B615. maybe Mason Dixon had a special build spec for their trucks and with the bigger radiators to cool the motors 

Any guys know more about Mason Dixon macks, I have wondered for a while what the set up was with their B models

And before Howards bought it - great truck, one of the best looking trucks, especially 1952.

The exhausts behind the cab complete the truck appearance

It deserves to be cared for and appreciated,

What is size is the cummins motor and what is it like to drive?

Have fun.