ted Posted March 10, 2023 Share Posted March 10, 2023 My Dump Truck was involved in accident and about 11 months later and 11,000 miles. Trans dropped and bolts were found sheered off missing and the rest pulled out. Could the bolts have broken or cracked from impact from accident and when they finally broke off months later caused the others to pull out. Our Insurance company is saying no. Because there was no impact directly on trans. What is your opinion does anyone know the rate at which these bolts fail under normal wear and tear. The tranny was replaced around 4-5 years prior to accident. All the mechanics we have spoke to say they don't see this as wear and tear, but that is what the insurance company is saying. Just looking to see if there is anyone that could offer any advise or expertise to help us fight the insurance company. Preview image7.jpeg 1.3MB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjh Posted March 10, 2023 Share Posted March 10, 2023 27 minutes ago, ted said: My Dump Truck was involved in accident and about 11 months later and 11,000 miles. Trans dropped and bolts were found sheered off missing and the rest pulled out. Could the bolts have broken or cracked from impact from accident and when they finally broke off months later caused the others to pull out. Our Insurance company is saying no. Because there was no impact directly on trans. What is your opinion does anyone know the rate at which these bolts fail under normal wear and tear. The tranny was replaced around 4-5 years prior to accident. All the mechanics we have spoke to say they don't see this as wear and tear, but that is what the insurance company is saying. Just looking to see if there is anyone that could offer any advise or expertise to help us fight the insurance company. Preview image7.jpeg 1.3MB Sorry to go against the grain here however! I have seen this happen with out an accident! That little bang you had May or may not have had a bearing on these coming loose it MAY Have contributed ! More Likely scenario is ! If trans had been removed to service a clutch and the mounts removed at that point its more likely the bolts were stripped when tightening! A yearly truck inspection should have picked up on this! I personally in the last 6-10 years had been doing truck inspections and this is one of many things I would look for and find! So in my mind you would be only hopeful to get the insurer to pay for it! So If you don't want to remove the trans you may be able to remove the clutch fork assembly install longer bolts and put nuts on the inside! It Takes some patience and some bitching and whining but it can be done! It does appear you have one broken bolt so this idea may not work in your case! Just sayin! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freightrain Posted March 10, 2023 Share Posted March 10, 2023 If the transmission moved far enough to shear the bolts, I'd say the fan would have hit the radiator. The front engine mount would have damage/broke? The hit doesn't look bad enough to throw the engine and transmission out of place. Sorry, my .02 is the previous work on the transmission was the root cause of the bolt failures. 1 Quote Larry 1959 B61 Liv'n Large...................... Charter member of the "MACK PACK" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Mack Posted March 10, 2023 Share Posted March 10, 2023 I don't see how that Mackccident caused the tranny mounts to break.. I have worked on trucks with crushed cabs and roll overs that still had the tranny in place. I'm curious about how tight the bolts were during tranny installation when it was pulled out.. Are the bell housing bolts loose? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67RModel Posted March 10, 2023 Share Posted March 10, 2023 I'm sure this thread will get many responses and many different answers. Just from what I'm seeing in the pictures no way whatsoever did that collision cause those tranny bolts to shear or come loose. I think they would have broke / come loose whether you got in that accident or not. Just going by what the pictures tell me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67RModel Posted March 10, 2023 Share Posted March 10, 2023 And hopefully Johnny law didn't write you up for illegal steer tires when he did his investigation. That sucker looks mighty thin..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67RModel Posted March 10, 2023 Share Posted March 10, 2023 And everyone please take note of that fine-as-wine DM in the background of the first picture. Still earning its keep.....😍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowerman Posted March 10, 2023 Share Posted March 10, 2023 Hello, I didn’t even notice that I was too busy looking at the torn up car, but it looks like some other guy saw it as well. It looks like it’s all pinstripe, which was very big a few years ago and yes, I have to agree with these other fellows transmission had nothing to do with it, sorry but I guess you were probably looking for an honest opinion to begin with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjc transport Posted March 10, 2023 Share Posted March 10, 2023 i have to agree with the others, that looks like the person who replaced trans may have stripped a few bolts. Quote when you are up to your armpits in alligators, it is hard to remember you only came in to drain the swamp.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsmackpaul Posted March 10, 2023 Share Posted March 10, 2023 Im thinking everyone's comments are pretty spot on Guessing as others have suggested the bolts were stripped when the trans was put back in Someone maybe just done them up with abig ass rattle gun some how and the bolts were cross threaded, we can only guess now as to how or what or why Need to remember just how mjch of a pizziling a truck takes on high speed off road use in plenty of spots around the world and the bolts dont break after years of abuse so a love tap from a little car like that is like pissing in ocean and watching the tide rise I just dont see it's gunna happen, but I probably am wrong Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjh Posted March 10, 2023 Share Posted March 10, 2023 No you’re not Paul! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masterwelder Posted March 11, 2023 Share Posted March 11, 2023 I would check the grade and type of the bolts for starters. From the factory I believe Mack uses a special bolt where the shoulder of the bolt is more or less a press type fit when drawn down and through the frame and mount. On the trans side, should be grade 8 in there also. I’ve seen the trans side helicoiled. If the shop used grade five they could have sheered in an accident or fractured over time. But loose or striped bolts should have been caught during regular pm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Mack Posted March 11, 2023 Share Posted March 11, 2023 yes Master welder.. Grade 8 SAE, or 10.9 Metric. The frame bolts are Huck Bolts,, Very strong.. jojo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeH Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 Having trouble seeing exactly what's going on with the bolts... One sheared off and the other walked out?... They're supposed to have locktite on them I think, so they can't walk loose.... if they walk loose they're subject to all sorts of fatigue as the engine/trans flex under power. It's not "normal wear and tear", I'd suspect it wasn't put together properly when the trans was replaced. We're getting ready to retire our 1979 mack, it has a trans bracket that keeps coming loose on the aluminum bell housing. 1 bolt hole is stripped out and the other 3 keep walking out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayseed Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 On 3/11/2023 at 3:36 AM, ted said: Just looking to see if there is anyone that could offer any advise or expertise to help us fight the insurance company. Sorry Ted, but depending on how well you get on with whoever replaced the Transmission all those Years ago..?? You're Gunna have to chalk it Up to The Price of Truckin' Quote "Be who you are and say what you feel...Because those that matter...don't mind...And those that mind....don't matter." - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted Posted March 15, 2023 Author Share Posted March 15, 2023 Hey thank you for all the comments. So even though the trans was replaced over 4 years ago you guys think it is definitely who put it back in? And not any sort or impact from accident? Or some sort of force when the truck at 60mph that could have cracked the bolt without coming into contact with the trans itself? The truck ended up sideways as he tried to avoid the inlicensed driver making an illegal turn out of a gas station in front of him and said she didnt see him. Turns out it wasnt her car either. I believe my insurance company is still in subrogation. The accident was nov. 2021. So if it was installer error? Would it take that long for a bilt to sna Or cross threaded bolts to finally give way? The other bolts we believe pulled out when trans dropped as there was no rust and shavings were freah.. Did Major damage looking at over $20,000 to fix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted Posted March 15, 2023 Author Share Posted March 15, 2023 Hey and what about the plowframe on the front of the truck. What abouy the plow mount bent do you think that could have traveled back to the frame and done damage that noone caught? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeH Posted March 15, 2023 Share Posted March 15, 2023 I'd bet a few bolts walked out, and the remaining bolt that stayed in finally had enough and snapped. Again, these bolts are supposed to have locktite, and the mechanic probably reused the bolts without putting any on. Certain bolts come from Mack with locktite already on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freightrain Posted March 15, 2023 Share Posted March 15, 2023 My .02 on the plow frame: It would have had to rack the frame rails to shear the transmission mount bolts. Not impossible but I would think there would be more issues now(alignment, tracking, etc). 2 Quote Larry 1959 B61 Liv'n Large...................... Charter member of the "MACK PACK" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67RModel Posted March 15, 2023 Share Posted March 15, 2023 3 hours ago, ted said: So even though the trans was replaced over 4 years ago you guys think it is definitely who put it back in? And not any sort or impact from accident? Correct. On 3/12/2023 at 12:06 AM, Hayseed said: You're Gunna have to chalk it Up to The Price of Truckin' ^^^This.^^^ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark T Posted March 15, 2023 Share Posted March 15, 2023 Plow frame ??? Anything that falls under severe service usually doesn't have much recourse as far as warranty. Face it, you're eat'n this one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayseed Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 10 hours ago, Mark T said: Face it, you're eat'n this one. ^^^^THIS^^^^ Quote "Be who you are and say what you feel...Because those that matter...don't mind...And those that mind....don't matter." - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Mack Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 Yep.. sorry.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vmac3 Posted March 17, 2023 Share Posted March 17, 2023 On 3/15/2023 at 9:50 AM, Freightrain said: My .02 on the plow frame: It would have had to rack the frame rails to shear the transmission mount bolts. Not impossible but I would think there would be more issues now(alignment, tracking, etc). Totally agree with this. V Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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