Truck Shop

Yes it's a series 60-470 hp Truck Shop

That is a fantastic-wonderful looking LTL, great craftsmanship. Truck Shop

Ran into a snag the outside rails were wrong. They didn't get the sheet square in the press brake and the lips came out tapered. Sent those back,new ones on the way. Truck Shop

Well my day's are about long gone too. That's why this will be my last one, This job will have lull time because of some extra fab work and drive lines. Truck Shop

Yes it's mainly a fashion statement but a 300" WB tow truck with wheel lift is the standard and even longer in some cases. Cement mixers and garbage trucks will tax 300" tow rig.

That's a good question in some cases. This truck will have a permanent mounted wheel lift for towing. With wheel lifts you need a long wheel base for leverage or weight on your steer axle .

This one is the 73rd stretch I've done and my last I hope. There are three in the shop but this job is mainly mine. I always have a plan and I work the plan. I turn down 3 to 4 of these frame jobs a year. Fifteen years ago the Freightliner dealer I Hermiston, Or. brought me seven day cab tractors to stretch all were the same. I turned one out every 3 1/2 days. I ordered all the rails, inserts and flange bolts before hand. I only have 4 hours in it today. Truck Shop

Progress made today. Should have new rails and inserts in tomorrow and some of it drilled up. Truck Shop

That's a nice looking Texas wagon. Truck Shop

We've never lost any tires or suffered any broken studs due to turning. Your not going to turn tight with a 265"wheel base tractor and a 53' 60" spread 3 axle trailer. Truck Shop

Finished some repairs today, tomorrow we will remove the drive axles and strip the frame to lengthen from 230"WB to 300"WB Truck Shop

Another one I remember from years ago is a feedlot next to our dairy had a Studebaker diesel, tandem axle Detroit powered with a feed auger box on the back. It also had a straight pipe, very loud. It had a 4x4 boxes . The cab looked like this one below. Truck Shop

That B-71 is not mine, I have been after it for years. The guy who owns it has the idea it's a gold mine, so it is for sale. But he wants WAY To Much for it. He is talking 25K and up depending on your looks. Truck Shop

Pics from a 1956 B-71 Truck Shop

In the early 60's the company that hauled the milk from our dairy had a 64 GMC like this one below except it was green and black. It had a 702 cu. in. gas pot with a 5sp 2sp rear axle. It sported twin chrome straight pipes you could hear over a mile away. Truck Shop

Our drop axles are spec-ed and installed by the factory building the truck. We order them installed so all mounts are huck riveted. And as far as psi in the bags that is well within range for the axle. But the question I started this thread with is { has anyone experienced or known of any drop axle failures}. I realize the axle has design faults but there has to be others out there that broke. That's all I'm asking. Truck Shop

No that's pretty standard psi that we run on a 265 wheel base tractor. Even when all we had were forged axles that was the psi. We net 58,500 with a 24" pin setting on a 53' three axle trailer and four axle tractor. Actually that's pretty standard psi for any out fit running the same equipment we are. And again the axle is only packing a rough 7,000 lbs. Truck Shop

To answer some of the questions raised above. That axle is a ST13 Hendrickson rated at 13,000 lbs. To be legal on bridge the axle has to 9'6" from center of rear axle to center of tag. Our tags automatically raise when shifted into reverse off the backup light switch. These axles lift plenty high, we have no docks where they could ground out or high center. And as far as cheesy pile of scrap I agree but every company building drop axles have gone the fabricated route, Van Rayden and Watson Chalin also. Bag air pressure is 69 to 71 psi on our tag axles. And no the axle is not so light that if it wasn't raised it would break it, although it's very rough on tires. And again the axle carries roughly 7,000 lbs. Truck Shop

Interesting you say that because a friend of mine that is a professional welder said the same thing. And where there are four there are more. Truck Shop

Question-has anyone had experience or known of any drop axle failures? Such as cracking and ripping apart/ catastrophic failures. I won't mention the brand name but we have had four failures one of them today. Fortunately the drivers have caught all of these at very low speeds. It's not an over loading issue the axles pack 7,000 lbs. The company that built them naturally said we are the only ones that have had a problem. I find that hard to believe, I wonder what the NTSB would say? Pics of the one from two months ago. Truck Shop

The 2017 Isle of Man TT super bike race is at the end of May and the first of June. The most dangerous of all motorsport racing. The ultimate knee drag racing. I don't watch much in the way of sports but this race I fallow every year for years now. Here is a video of last years record breaking race/laps. A race is 4 laps of 34 plus miles. Truck Shop

I've been there, a lot of cool old iron. Truck Shop

I bought this 94 W900 this last monday for the company I work for? Will stretch frame to 295" from 230" and install a Z353 Zacklift. It's for company use but we will probably use it on outside wheelift tows also. The closest wheel lift is 50 miles away. But I am building it to run to N.D or CO. if need be. It will be a permanent mount wheel lift. Truck Shop

Looks like a 50 ton Century, either way it's a nice recovery unit. Truck Shop