Geoff Weeks

Handy, yes, but it grows old quick, working out of a truck! BTDT. No one brings parts out to you, you have to go fetch, there are plenty of things "back at the shop" that you know you have but not with you at the moment. No matter how hard you try to think of everything you might need, there is always more that you don't have. Still there is alot you can accomplish with a mobile repair truck.

I don't see a problem. Tire are matched for size (no mis match casings sizes on an axle) I don't have cap tread designs memorized but it isn't the design it is tread circumference that is the thing you want to have even for best wear if possible. I'd run it and not think twice about it, replacing tires when the wear out, or if 1st cap, recapping again if in good shape. I used to run 3 treads off my casings (1 original and 2 caps) before scrapping.

Never used or saw one, but most shops will not have one, just use the time/pressure drop method, but that only tells you there is a leak somewhere. I have a sniffer for both refrigerant and combustible gases, spend your money where the tool will do the most work. I would walk around a truckstop parking lot (taking my dog for a walk) and I would see how many trucks I would "down" just from visual and listening to them while the dog did his thing. It was a large percent every time. One time there was a guy beating on the dunnage under a load of pipe. I asked why? "I'm 1500 over on my trailer axles" Ok, but moving the dunnage isn't going to change that! He almost threw the sledge at me, told me I didn't know jack! Rory and I walked on, he was still beating on that dunnage an hour later!

Lots of connection points on multiple or modular trailers. More tanks and valves to leak. Then there are a air snubbers on the pintle hitch, the valve to control them etc. I towed some jeep, trailer stinger set-ups, they had less valving then triple wiggle wagons with converter dollies.

Yep, everything is all new only once. The leak-off rate while going down the road (measured by time between compressor cycles) is a fairly good indication of system health. The rest can be diagnosed by applying the item is question and seeing how much air is "used". I bet 85-90% of trucks couldn't go 45 min between cycles while running down the road. 60% couldn't make 30 min.

Ah, a potato harvester! (around here no permit required for "farm equipment") so...

Do you have a cylinder chain vise and a HEAVY work table to bolt it to? without those it is impossible to repair some cyl.

I have trucks that will hold some pressure overnight Like 25 psi left. The real test of a system is how many minutes it will go between compressor cycles while going down the road. Best truck I had, truck and trailer on air ride, air wipers, would go 45 minutes between cycles of the air drier. Anything less the 15 minutes and you have work to do. I haven't seen an air system that will hold for several days on the main system. My air start would hold enough air to start for 4 weeks, but the main system will be empty.

Na, it is beacuse if you are a rookie, and trying to pull the loaded trailer with parking brakes on, you need full power available!

Late 2000 teens, I had a recore on my 9670, and it cost $2150.00so not at all surprised by your figure. It wasn't the biggest radiator IHC put in that truck either. I'm sure the biggest would be close to what you paid. add $400 to that price for the used radiator I bought to start the project.

It would seam so, you don't see wrecker like those running the roads of Michigan where trains can run up to 160K and permit loads above that. What is the justification for a rig like that in Conn?

Well I think you have to start with Bolt type chambers or clamp type? Then there is the issue of clearance. Both have to be looked at. The remote chambers were because there wasn't room on the heavier axles for "piggy-backs". There were piggy back conversions for the bolt together chambers, although I haven't seen one in decades.

With today's trucks, a rotator makes sense, but I agree with you. If you want to pull a modern rig off the side of the road with an old wrecker, it is going to take two trips, one for the trailer and one to hook the tractor from the rear. Working wrecks, a rotator can get in closer and take up less of the road to do the same job, that said just close it down for the few minutes it takes the old equipment to do the job. Those million dollar trucks have to be paid for by fees and prices have gone up with the cost of the equipment.

Pull that plug and look inside. If there is a 16 tooth wheel in there, all you need is a pick-up and speedo head. I have or had, I'd have to look to see if I still had it, a bearing retainer that had both ports, one for gear driven cable and one for mag pick-up . It was for a Fuller. Photo of the back of the trans would help.

M's were emission engines of the late 70's early 80's.