B-70 series

[james j neiweem]

I have always wondered why the B- 70 series trucks never made in roads out west especially the L cab. It seems that the LT was making in roads out west and then the B series came out and bombed out west. It couldn't have been because of the demise of the L cab because it was used later on the C model. Pete and KW cabs were not that roomy at the time. Was it better interiors and the use of lighter components such as aluminum. I think maybee Mack was spread to thin and they couldn't give detailed attention to all areas. At the time they didn't have a factory in the west until Hayward came along.

[AZB755V8]

The LT was designed for the west coat with longer WB for the times to take advantage of weight laws at the time. The use of aluminum was a 2000 lbs. savings for on the road units. All the off road and loggers did not use the aluminum components. The quality of casting back then was poor and they broke. Consider that there were only 2001 LT's built in approx. 12 years it was not a high production unit to start with compared to over 9,200 of the B70 series over a 12 year time period. The B was out on the west coast and did interstate duty it was the replacement for the LT. A L cab was an option until the end of production in 1966. There are B70's in California, Oregon,Washington. Lots of B70's in Texas too. That did short run and vocational work as well. I have a west coast B and I am asked why so long, I don't remember them being that long, it was the Cal, law's then.

Remember Mack was an East coast manufacture so there are far more of them the closer you get to the the east coast. Pete and KW plant where more central in the country and easer to distribute units and parts. It comes down to a geographical thing and time. Mack never was known as the over the road truck to have. More cement, dirt and gravel has been delivered by Mack's than anyone. Pretty sells, Pete & KW had that figured out long before Hayward.

Hayward was the attempt to get more placement out West and it was to little to late even with the Superliner as the flagship.