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almost new 1985 R688st


Tinman22

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I'm sure some movement is normal but it seems a bit extreme. My 9 year old daughter can lift up on the heim joint and completely compress the spring. when i drove it home i hit the bridge joint going over the mighty mighty tiffin and thought the bolts had fallen out. There is about 1 1/2" of adjustment left but the springs don't really get firmer as they compress. The hood isn't cracked like most of the others i've seen. maybe tighten them up to loose some bounce but leave some flex.

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I think thats the right answer. I thought they were just made that way but maybe they are just worn out. I found severel pics of them online and they all look more consistently wound (left)then mine (right)wich look almost collapsed. 

I wonder if they are available and how much they are? 

 

 

Edited by Tinman22
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I know they are generally pretty expensive but McMaster Carr would have what you need. They have literally any variety of hardware you could possibly ever need in a dozen lifetimes. Plus they make finding what you need very easy with their online catalog. For one off things like these two springs I always check there first.

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A lot of guys get major heartburn when you tell them to just go to the dealer and get the parts they need. Honestly, by the time you do all the leg work to make it happen in the aftermarket or trying to find something used out of a salvage yard its most times cheaper to just get it from the dealer. Plus you have the best quality parts you can get and have less of a chance of them stranding you on the side of the road. 

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already ordered a new alternator. water pump was new last year i think. 

I live between 3 mack dealers 2 said the cooler was discontinued. Vomac in ft.wayne got it for $510.00 plus tax. in 1 day. without fail they have matched or beaten everyone's price and have never failed to get a part. The hood springs i thought we're a no go for sure.

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19 hours ago, Tinman22 said:

I think thats the right answer. I thought they were just made that way but maybe they are just worn out. I found severel pics of them online and they all look more consistently wound (left)then mine (right)wich look almost collapsed. 

I wonder if they are available and how much they are? 

B06B248F-18D0-4EDE-99C7-894B5ACF60A8.jpeg

C3D0C33E-B5B9-478D-9313-80DD8A4E729A.jpeg

i go with the idea someone changed the springs at some point. left picture has possibly the factory jam nut which is thinner. your truck has a regular nylon nut. considering the thickness of the nut , yours has more thread above the nut. springs  sure looks different. 

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I think the non nyloc set has either been changed or possibly different year or model maybe. I'm sure mine are original. Ive got all of the service records since 11/85. vomac said the old number was superceded to what he had just ordered. i'll see on monday when they get here. 

I can say working on this truck has been downright enjoyable compared to the others even the freighliner. everything is easy to get to. unnecessary engineering is almost nowhere. Even parts have been easy to get (except interior). 

I even found 8 24.5 stud piloted aluminum wheels today for $600..woohoo.

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great deal on the wheels,,,right on man....from what i hear all the plastic pieces interior are no longer available thru mack i thought i heard a while back there was aftermarket,but not sure...good luck and congradulations on all your progress...bob

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Cant believe I have missed this until now 

Lucky lad to have such a truck, found the MIG welder to be really handy for getting broken bolts out, even just a drill and a jigsaw with a steel bit works wonders on bigger bolts 

Have never seen bonnet (hood) supports like yours so am learning more everyday

These blokes are gunna be salivating waiting on photos of your whole truck

I would of thought 350 hp would of been plenty for highway work, as in cruising down a highway at the speed limit but I dont live in the U.S. so dont really know

 

Paul 

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Paul, back in the good old days a 350 mack was indeed a "big dog" 

we has 237, and 285 hp in the DM. if you had an R model, you had the 300. 

only the road runners had 350's or V8's

 

 

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when you are up to your armpits in alligators,

it is hard to remember you only came in to drain the swamp..

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Ya I really liked mine…east coast rusting issues are a bitch glad we don’t have them here…. I worked in a service station in the 70 s fixing cars back in Massachusetts and I hated doing exhaust systems manafold bolts would almost always break off uuuurrrrgggg. Bob

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