1972 Loadstar , my love for loadstars continues .

[mowerman]

39 minutes ago, 85snowdog said:

I agree with you on the spokes Bob. Couldn't have been too many like that . 

 

i have never seen one except yours,,,,even in my area,,,where most everything is bud wheels

[Geoff Weeks]

disk or spoke was up to who ordered. What is uncommon was the 10 hole disks. most would have been 6 hole.

IHC was weird in someways, you could order a Loadstar heavier spec'd than a heavier class Fleetstar.  Most cases the Fleetstar would be the heavier truck, but not always. As I stated earlier, I have seen tandem axle dump Loadstar's in the 40-44K GVW range, all on juice brakes.

[mowerman]

thats just wierd,,,,i would think they would be required to have air brakes with all that weight

[Geoff Weeks]

There wasn't any "requirement" other than being able to meet stopping requirements. I think the heavy dumps were marketed to county road depts. So no special training would be required. A 392 would be lucky to move that load much over 40 mph. Weird to see vacuum PDL's and brakes on those heavy axles tho.

[mowerman]

that makes sence,,,,my first class A was in massachusetts i remember reading any straight truck over 18,000 lbs and air brakes required a class 2 i think california and nevada read the same,,,,maybe its the same  everywhere

[Geoff Weeks]

When I was in Ma, it was all by weight, 18000 and under was a "car" lic (3?) above that was straight truck (2?) and semi was class1.  That was back in the 70's Once the CDL came in, the classes were standardized.

[mowerman]

yeah i remember   i had a class one there,,,then in California,,,thay were calling it class A that was way before the CDL came about,,

[The Rubber Duck 006]

Speaking of International and the Harvester Home Coming. My Friend Troy Link Won Heavy Weight Champion Acouple years ago With this 1979 4070 B Brahm Edition Cabover. He restored it from the ground up in his shop in Homer Michigan. Unfortunately he lost his battle with Throat Cancer Last year. He was Affectionately known as Chicken Troy due to his love of Chicken lights 😋.

[mrsmackpaul]

Wow, sorry for your loss 

But a cool looking truck

 

Paul 

[The Rubber Duck 006]

2 hours ago, mrsmackpaul said:

Wow, sorry for your loss 

But a cool looking truck

 

Paul 

Yeah it's been kinda hard Honestly I met Troy When I was about 4 or 5 yrs old. He was kinda like a big brother to me especially after I started truckin'. He told me couple months before he passed "Junior You ain't a Truck driver You're a Trucker. You're part of a dying breed that embraced the old school ways and Driving a truck is a way of life and will always be for you". Kinda hit me in the feels when he said that. ♥️ 

[85snowdog]

1 hour ago, The Rubber Duck 006 said:

Yeah it's been kinda hard Honestly I met Troy When I was about 4 or 5 yrs old. He was kinda like a big brother to me especially after I started truckin'. He told me couple months before he passed "Junior You ain't a Truck driver You're a Trucker. You're part of a dying breed that embraced the old school ways and Driving a truck is a way of life and will always be for you". Kinda hit me in the feels when he said that. ♥️ 

Thanks for sharing the story and the truck .  Sorry for your loss.  And he's 100 % right on the truck driver and trucker.   It seems we have a lot of drivers now but very few "truckers" . The truckers have either retired, passed away or quit because they are tired of how the industry has changed. 

O.... and I used to have a pic on my wall of a cabover International just like Troys .  They were my favourite cabover. 

[Joey Mack]

I like the part about the difference between a truck driver, and a trucker. I tried to be a trucker, but found after almost 5 years that it is not in my blood. Being a truck mechanic was in my blood.  I have great respect for the Trucker... My brother-in-law is a Trucker.. Hell my wife is more of a Trucker than I am. Stay proud Duck,,,  I know what its like to be part of a dying breed. Maybe one day you will influence a new Trucker....

if you havent already..

Edited 4 hours ago by Joey Mack
More info needed

[Geoff Weeks]

I maintained and sometime drove a Loadstar school bus with air brakes. still used the driveshaft mounted E brake (no spring brakes) so was an odd duck. No idea why it was spec'd like that.

 

All I have left (other than the frame) of a Fleetstar. Grill became a vent on the building.

[Geoff Weeks]

IHC's history in on road trucks and tractors is in interesting one.

In the late 70's through the early 90's they offered the Brougham and Eagle trim as top of the line O/O spec's, while still holding onto the vocational and fleet market.

White, GMC (and Chevy), Mack, Brockway, and Ford didn't really have anything that directly crossed.

Unfortunately for IHC, these O/O spec'd trucks were still looked down on as "Barnyard Cadillac's". 

Once Freigthliner  started going after the fleet market in a big way (IHC's bread and butter) they really pulled out of the higher end and got into a race for the bottom with Freightliner that continues to this day.

With the ending of the 9300,9600,9700, 9800 series, it was IHC's exit from the O/O market in the US. The Cabovers were(are?) still made overseas.

[Mark T]

IDK that new HX (?🤔 or whatever it is) is a pretty good looking truck. Not only as new trucks go either. Saw a couple day cabs pulling East dump trailers, they looked great.

[Geoff Weeks]

IHC used to have deep "fish belly" frames that were more expensive to produce but made for a stronger truck, beefing the frame up inbetween axles where it is most subject to flexing.

 I was not talking about looks, so much. I am talking about sturdy, well thought out.

 I did my biggest moves with a single frame IHC truck that was fish belly. 169K. 

Older trucks had back to back cross members, newer are single. Bolts and rivets have been replaced with Huck-bolts which make assembly quick but are harder to repair. As difficult as a rivet but without the advantages of rivets. 

[mowerman]

i never drove a transtar,,only rode in one,,,,they used to be everywhere,,,,i have driven a few eagles,,,i really liked them,,bob

[mowerman]

3 hours ago, Joey Mack said:

I like the part about the difference between a truck driver, and a trucker. I tried to be a trucker, but found after almost 5 years that it is not in my blood. Being a truck mechanic was in my blood.  I have great respect for the Trucker... My brother-in-law is a Trucker.. Hell my wife is more of a Trucker than I am. Stay proud Duck,,,  I know what its like to be part of a dying breed. Maybe one day you will influence a new Trucker....

if you havent already..

lol i dont know how i made it 49 years,,,,,except for the green,,,,i way actually sick of driving after 16 years ,,bob

[mowerman]

oooooohhh forgot to mention i would up running lotsa lanes where there was lotsa CB chatter,,,that makes it a little easier

[Geoff Weeks]

The 4300 Transtar and 9300 conventionals shared the cab. The Transtar cabovers  didn't share with the 9670 which replaced them. The 9670 was more "squared off" but had less wind resistance than the 4070.