Geoff Weeks

It is almost always cheaper to go back with what it came with. It may look simple to change the spiders, but there can be a ton of stuff that has to be changed that isn't immediately evident. Like: the flange the spider bolts onto, being different for wedges than S cams or even being "clocked wrong" for S cams. What you have now, did at some point in its past, all work together. When you start changing stuff, you may find what "looks like it should work" doesn't. I have one truck with Wedges on the front (built that way). Unless you have an exact parts truck with the same rears and suspension but with S cams, there are a lot more questions than answers. Not only with the spiders be different the drums will be also, S cams need 16.5 x 7" to do the same work. Every once and a while I see "loaded spiders" for sale on the internet for wedge brakes, as the military used them A hobby truck that isn't going to be worked hard and put up wet, should be fine with wedges.

Good for you for attacking the brakes 1st. I would have put them ahead of rim changes. Wedge brakes have their share of detractors, and not somewhat without reason. When working properly, they are capable of stopping the truck with smaller drums and narrower shoes all while using less compressed air, all while being self adjusting decades before auto slacks where common. That is the good. The bad is, they have a tendency to freeze up if the wedge piston seals are damaged or missing. From your pictures I would say they are missing. The key to them is no rust or oxidation, plenty of lube on the adjuster and good "soft" rubber seals keeping the moisture and brake dust out of the actuators. By attacking the brakes first, you will know if you can bring them back. Be very careful to note how things are assembled, and make sure you can get full kits to bring it back. There is a little ratchet spring that turns the adjuster depending on how much movement is required for the linings to contact the drum. When they are all restored, they can be very good, but if it sits they freeze up easier than S cams.

Wonder why they were made that way? Normal wheel studs (for spoke wheels) are course thread both ends. Normal studs for other purposes, the course thread is the stationary thread (on the end of the stud that stays put) and the fine thread is on the rotating (nut) end. That is back-asswards. Course thread resists being pulled out, fine thread provides more clamping force before failure. axle drive studs, course in the hub, fine on the nut.

If I were to have walking beam (and have had), it would be spring. The walking beams, and any center point suspensions strong point is it dampens by transferring shock loads front and aft. The springs themselves don't do a whole lot of deflecting, and mainly on large "swells" where the load is on both axles at once. I don't see the air version as worth the complexity. I have run various spring suspension, and loaded properly they are fine. A lightly loaded walking beam on a short wheelbase tractor can and will "launch" the driver over a rough road. But any suspension will be rougher on a short wheelbase. KW 8 bag is notoriously rough despite haveing the most air bags of any air suspension. The Hendrickson designed Z spring combines the best of both worlds and has been around in some form or another for 50 years, only the walking beam design which has been around for about 100 years can claim longer life. Both are Hendrickson designs. The AR2 was never a big seller, and I have yet to see on a truck.

Voltage reading at the coil doesn't tell you alot, esp if the coils are externally ballasted. Some 12 volt coils are internally ballasted and most are externally. If you are unfamiliar with point ignition, then some help is needed before you go changing stuff that may not need changing. You want someone who has a dwell meter and knows how to use it. I'm assuming (and that is not always a good thing to do) that this truck was 12 volt from the get-go and not something that was changed by someone in the past. I suspect it was 12 from the get-go, but is from the era when that is not a given. You don't want to run a"New wire" from the switch to the coil if there is an external ballast resistor in the circuit somewhere. Taking the Ballast out of the circuit will cause weak high speed spark and could overheat and short the coil. Getting someone who can look over the ign system, set the points by dwell angle and time each distributor with a strobe, is really a must before you condemn anything.

IDK if there are lightweight foam fills, but the ones we had on construction equipment weighed a TON, and were part of the counter-weight system. Company foam filled some tires on golf-carts for the jobsite it was hard getting them going and stopped, they had way too much mass.

It isn't a question on how to measure (or shouldn't be) it is a matter of holding tolerance over a longer distance. Even supposed identical torque arms, when replaced will throw off alignment a bit. Having a aligned rear suspension makes a huge difference in the trucks ride and tire wear. The further up the frame your data points are the better they will show a thrust alignment problem. lasers (laser pointer even) can be a big help in being sure if you are working on a good level concrete floor.

Never did a Camelback but have done walking beam. I don't think the specs are a loose for the walking beam, but regardless the closer to true the better the truck will be.

10-12 years ago I got a low mileage walking beam with optional transverse torque rods on a long frame cut-off. Complete axles less drop-out for $700. Had 40K Eaton axles.

I know what you are saying, but it still requires getting the alignment correct, some suspension have more adjustment possible than other. Both axles have to be aligned to each other, and the whole tandem has to have the thrust line, aligned with the rest of the truck. Some, like Z spring have a lot of adjustment possible, a few thousandths of welding mis-alignment when attaching the cut-off can be "shimmed" out when the job is done, On older walking beam you have little to no adjustment possible. On Neway there is a slotted hole on the front hangers, you align and weld the heavy washer to the hanger, You can move the axle forward or back. On Z spring there are shims that can be placed on the fore-aft torque rod either at the axle end (move the axle back) or at the hanger end (move axle forward) on all four attachments. It gives a lot of adjustment possible. On walking beam, the OEM old style bushing were concentric and required the install to be right on the money, you can't correct after the fact. I guess aftermarket has some eccentric bushings for the through bolt style that will allow a little movement. With my ARDAB the bushing have worn and the thrust alignment has suffered, it chews through steer tires 'cause the rears are trying to push the truck down the road sideways.

No, I think you are correct on the newer walking beam ends, I just never had any newer style, and was talking from memory/experience on my old stuff. I remember talking to Rob Swallows about having to re-do a cutoff change that some else had done. They got the thrust alignment so far out, there was no other choice but to cut it off and re install.

The point I was making is either the whole cut-off or the suspension alone, With walking beam, you have to be extra careful to make sure they are aligned before welding. Unlike Z spring where there is a fair bit of adjustment possible to compensate for any mis-alignment (within reason). I am reading that there may be some aftermarket eccentric axle adaptor bushing made to correct some very small mis alignment in the older style. OEM's were concentric. So I may not be technically correct but walking beam is more critical on initial set-up than many other suspensions. On the Z spring, you shim the fore-aft torque arm and have a lot of adjustment.

I'm not sure what you are refering to? Axle mount is a weldment on the axle with a rubber bushing, I don't remember any shims there? https://www.stengelbros.net/RT-RTE-380-400-440-460-RT2-RTE2-400-460--Tandem-Suspensions_c_978.html The newer style must be what you talking about, my stuff is all the older style with a round hole and through bolt at the axle connection. I forgot about those that bolt on. My bad, good catch.

If walking beam has a drawback, it is that there is no alignment possible after the brackets have been welded onto the axle housings, and the brackets are attached to the frame. So choose a good installer that can be sure the suspension in alignment.

There are several good suspensions that have been around for years, and parts are readily available, for years after they have fallen from favor. Then there are the odd ball ones that never lived up to expectations. I think the choice has to be made to either get rid of the truck or put something else under it. Hendrickson Air ride (Z spring) has been around for decades, and used by almost every Mfg in some form or other, including Mack. Good air ride for on/off road combo. Camelback and Hendrickson beam are both great off road and fair on road suspensions. Various 4 springs are fair on road and lousy off road (not enough articulation for off road) I have never seen the one in question on a truck. The 1st one shown that wasn't the one in question I knew as Volvo T ride, but I guess it went under other names as well. My experience has been fixing it once, it will just push the problem down the road, and that is if parts can be had. My ARDAB once took 18 months to get a part for it.

It says right on the form, his mother was from Kansas, not on any "visa". That and the fact he was born in a US state both makes him a citizen

It reminds me of a totally different suspension that was supposed to be new and great, only to have no support and sky high prices on replacement parts. The Neway ARDAB or "Air Beam" suspension. What a piece of crap, and I can say that 'cause I own one, and have had to build some replacement parts for it. My advice is decide if it is worth putting something else under the truck, or get rid of the truck and get a better supported truck/suspension. Truck suspensions are a "wearing" part, so if you fix it today, you'll go thought the same hassle down the road when it needs something else done. BTW the ARDAB also used twin bushing on top of the axle, and they wear and are very hard to find.

Jesus Christ, where do you come up with this stuff? Obama's mother was a white woman from Kansas, his Father from Kenya, and a student. His mom and father met in HI where he was a student. He was raised in Kansas by his grandparents. There never was any question about it.

1st what makes you or I a citizen? If I were born with one parent a citizen and one not, does that make me 1/2 a citizen? If a similar child was born into such a family, and the citizen abandons the family does the child loose his citizenship? We don't require our children to grow up and take citizen test before they are protected by the rights in the constitution. No matter what, we consider the child an innocent, and receives the full protection of the constitution. Regardless of the child having citizenship, it doesn't give that to the parents, if they were not already. In our society, you are born a clean slate, not burden with the sins of your parents. Our constitution put into writing that fact. Took it from subjective to a clear,"you are born here, you are a citizen" which applies as much to me as someone else. When I pop out onto US soil I am a citizen. The ridiculous argument trying to evade the 14th is that the child is somehow not subject to US law, but can be deported under the same US law? The only foreigners not subject to US laws while here are "invited guests" of the state, Diplomats, their staff and foreign military personnel invited in for training. These people can not be held on most if not all US laws, military are dealt with in the military justus system and Diplomats can be expelled but not prosecuted. Children of these people born here are not US citizens, as they are not subject to US law. That is how the 14th is written. Only Native Americans can claim their lineage weren't subjects of other countries, the rest of us came from somewhere else.

4 wire is for the tractor lights, 7 wire is for the trailer.

Unless Mack is vastly different than most other transmissions, the driver has a far bigger effect than the engine in terms of transmission life.

There were "employment" brokers that took people right off the docks. Study a little history, people did come without having someone here.

It was written exactly the way it was so someone in power can't decide who and who is not when they are native born. Until its passage it kept blacks and American Indian's from citizenship! Can't get more native born than American Indian! How would you feel if Biden suddenly said all Republicans are not citizens? He could not, and the constitution was there to prevent it. If you want to change what is written, then follow the procedure to do so. BTW it is very clear and has be upheld multiple times by the supreme court.

Many here seam to mistakenly think "birthright" in someway conveys legal status on the parents, it does not. It applies to the baby, they are not "stateless". If your father is a convicted murderer, that doesn't make you one by birth. Sins of the parents should not be applied to the children. What make you or me a citizen? Is it that our parents were? or that we were born here? In that respect we are all birthright citizens.

No, you don't nor did you ever need a sponsor, most that came though didn't have one, Think about it, if you are the 1st how do you get a sponsor? Many came with next to nothing, then started bringing their family after they got settled. A Sponsor makes life easier but not a requirement. I personally know someone who emigrated from Britain and didn't have a sponsor.