Vladislav

I would say about half a day to do for a one man. Or maybe less when it's his everyday job and he has everything for by his hand. I mean just glueing up a hole with sanding to a flat surface. Filling up, primering and painting should be count extra.

Steve, my hats off to your work on dirt roads. Those spider hubs don't seem to me much lighter than alu Alcoa's on any kind of hubs Although there's a kind of trick with a truck loaded and empty. A ride smoothness depends on the relation of unsuspended masses of a rig to its suspended mass. So when you're loaded the second figure goes twice or three times more than an empty vehicle. And as I understand that's the most way a truck is designed to service. But when you're empty with weights of unsuspended parts such as axles with wheels almost the same the relation is different. For example all your axles on a truck weights 2 ton. The rest of the chassis with a cab and engine weights 5 ton. So you have 2:5. But when you're loaded you still have the same 2 ton in axles (unsuspended mass) related to 5 ton chassis and 10 ton cargo. The figure will be 2:15. Here's a big difference. A car hasn't much of load capacity so has its mass relation about constant. It gets to be designed along its figure and keeps ride smoothness good in every most road conditions. A truck is a different ball game. Being constructed to carry loads it doesn't run nice on a rough road when empty. Having a hobby one you might be shacked a little bit when your hooby ways put you out of a wide straight highway. I sure know it's a truck not a boat although taking to account multiple minor factors might work out as a big difference in the end. The picture is what I have passed with my R a couple years back cruising local roads not far from the middle of nowhere. I haven't shifted higher that 2nd gear with my 9 speed during nearly 40 km. The cost was a 250 km asphalt go over.

Thanks the great, Steve. I will check the drillings, just too rainy outside to get under the truck now. I see no reason to worry about that though since I plan to use the beam, the springs and the U-bolts all of one axle, 538. Right at the moment I'm not ready to state for sure the bearings were different between 537 and 538 but my memory keeps it as a right fact. Too maybe the bearings were different since the hubs on my "highway" R seeemed of a light serie, made of alu. But the spindles might be of the same size. I'm going to keep the hubs with drums et.c. of 538 anyway. Getting deeper into the matters heavier steel (or cast iron?) front hubs will increase unsuspended masses and make a ride rougher in theory. Actually I have no idea of how it will be on a wash board road although I'm pretty sure it's better to have good solid heavy hubs on the truck than light aluminium but of a doubtful condition.

Ridge is the reason I asked. Although truck is a big thing and you work looks neat. At least on the picture.

If your plan is to get a good reliable repair on a fiberglass part you should grind the hole or crack over to form the edges biased. As closer the angle of the ground surface to the part's surface as wider the area new material adheses to the part. And stronger the repair. I.e. if you work out a hole of 1/2 you should gring for about 1 or 2 inch all around. This allows also to minimize circular traces over repaired spots after your paint will almost dry in a half a year or so. Clean an area to repair. Grind over or sand every thing you will apply resin onto. Degrease with solvent. Cut some pieces of glass mat of a size a bit less than the area to repair. Mix resine, apply onto the surface. For the best do it with a brush. Than put a piece of glass. Brush again with resin and put the next layer of glass. As long as the resin doesn't show it's hardening you can apply as many layers as you need to obtain enough thickness. Or a bit excessive. After the resin is set completely sand the repair "hill" to the parts's level. Some filling might be required after that but could be done easier with body filler as long as you have your structure fix with glass wires already done. For the best results, especially when you fix a crack, you first grind off one side of a part for a bit more than half its thick and do repair. Then after the resin is set up completely you grind the other side getting up to the material you already applied. And glue up a glass-resin slice-cake again. This way you almost delete a damaged area resting new material there only.

Mike, motociclists do drive in helmets or sun glasses. But I wouldn't advice you to drive your AC that way

Hell, I wonder how could you read my thoughts that sharp??... Neat trucks and the fashion the job was done

If you can make the actual measurments there's a great offer on seals of about almost different sizes on both Stemco and Timken websites. I suppose those producents are of the top level about quality.

The strips look nice. Did you spray them right on the gray paint and than clear coat all together or made the main paint first and than put strips?

Steve, that's very good point you cleared me up with that. The springs have similar width (my MH has them wider) and as far as I could measure the leaves on the truck they are about the same thickness. If the king pins are different it's not a trouble as long as I might find correct ones. Or they don't and just the eyes are more massive? They king pins seem tight though and I haven't resolved yet to take them apart for revision or not. Not sure about the wheel bearings in my case, what I have seen they had different marks. But those in the "new" axle are perfect so no need to swap. One thing that bothers me a bit is the track width. I suppose if both trucks had similar hoods (and axle beams) the tracks should be similar either. Although the hood of the truck with the newer axle had fender flares. Wider front wheels - floaters as American guys call them were there installed? Unfortunately I don't know. Actually I can just measure the distance between the hub flanges on my truck and than relate to the axle. But it's not pretty easy and smooth with the wheels on the ground.

Thank you for sharing!

I would say you should replace. If no one put any other happy way to solve the problem though.

Thank you for the tip, I will twice-check tomorrow. But it seems to me stamped FA W 537 and 538 in the markings I posed above

If I go fabricating metal plates to put round headlights in I would make a couple of test designs. With the lights offset to the outside of fenders (as R-model earlier had) and with dual lights. For instance just using pieces of cardboard. And it might be paint silver with a can to get more realistic look.

Evil bay is also a place where some junk parts suppliers advertize used Mack hoods.

Steve, do you mean the spring pad as just an area of the axle beam right below the spring? If the memory serves me right my 1945 WW2 Mack has figures stamped there. R-model looks as another story. At least I saw no other marks on those two axles I have. Maybe Aussie R's have their especiallity? My one (I have them two though) was made in Canada.

The cab color matches the trailer nice. Kids like toys. Many of them are easily satisfied with an I-phone. Looks like not all

Here's the donor axle

Here is what I have in my truck

Recently I bought some chassis stuff off an R-model that was scrapped. Or maybe it was RD-600, I don't know. All I know is the hood was classic R, not a late one. There was a complete front axle off it. I would like to use it for my R688ST. Going to take it apart, clean, blast, paint, reassemble and put on my truck some day. Although I found some differences relating to what I have. The springs with the hangers and the axle beam look similar. The hubs with drums is another story. My hubs are aluminium and the outer races of the bearings could be spinned in their beds. Not sure it's nice. The axle I purchased have iron hubs with different style drums. Too probably different knuckles and spindels with bearings. One more thing that took my attention is the different steering arms in the knuckles you put tie-rod ends in. The axle I bought have them fatter. I suppose I can use the axle all together and it will fit and work fine but some questions bother me. From seeing steel hubs and wider drums I assume the axle is heavier. Doesn't it meant the springs are heavier also? I don't want to get the ride harder. The truck is a hobby one. Aren't those different tie-rod ends arms applied due to the different track? And the same about the hubs? I'd like to avoid possible track geometry adventures. There are figures cast and stamped on the axle beams. Does any front axle chat exists or another way to identify who the beast is who? All thoughts on the matter are very appreciated. Thanks, Vlad

The MOST sharp way to determine a ratio is to remove covers and count the actual number of teeth. You sure can also count revs. But you should keep accuracy along the count. As more sets of revs you do as more sharp figure could be achieved. I.e. you better make 10 or 20 rews and then divide the count to get result correct.

Looks like a nice project basis. As as the folks stated above, the ready Macks you have tell that you have good chances on bringing RWS to its new life style.

Wow! Just wow! Looks like the time to start polishing over the wheels and tanks now

Neat set of pictures, Randy! I was just about getting in a trouble recognizing my favorite shot between the Mack firetruck, the Great Cooker, you together with FWD and your better half... umm, ehh, I meant that girl you had luck picking up that evening... and some another thing I forgot of while typing the above. Some important thing though... Oh, yeah, the Alpine green leaking engine! So sorry you made a picture of the oil pan only. Hope for the next time though. Already out of likes.

Tom, thank you for sharing. The girl in the blue T-shirt seems to me as a one I would like more if I never go over it, seeing her back side only. Maybe it's just a question of the hair style, I don't know. Nice shot with the plenty of trucks for sale in Tennessee. They trucks look good when put in a row of such a big number. Wonder what actual size that Praying mantis was? Seems it was large enough to cook some soup of. Not too fatt soup though. And I don't remember ever seeing anyone sunbathing in a truck stop