H series Macks

[mowerman]

OK, thanks for that. Maybe a part of it was able to hang on.

[Vladislav]

On 5/4/2026 at 5:58 PM, james j neiweem said:

Did the H-65 look like the H-63? What was the difference/upgrade?

Do you like this?

Just go to the top of the page.

https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/collections/item/867-h65/?tab=comments#comment-194

[mechohaulic]

On 5/2/2026 at 4:26 PM, mowerman said:

Also, I was wondering what year tow drivers started removing the driveshaft

actually there wasn't a year involved with the removal of driveshafts. dropping a shaft had more to do with each individual situation. 

[mowerman]

I heard a long time ago alotta transmissions don’t get oiled in neutral  … a couple years ago we saw an import pickup on a car dolly … rearend locked up somehow burnt both back tires clean off and was scraping both rims when the guys  pulled over I’m not sure what happened there 

[mechohaulic]

2 hours ago, mowerman said:

I heard a long time ago alotta transmissions don’t get oiled in neutral  … a couple years ago we saw an import pickup on a car dolly … rearend locked up somehow burnt both back tires clean off and was scraping both rims when the guys  pulled over I’m not sure what happened there 

driveshaft drop during tow done not only lack of transmission lube in neutral , front end up in air on hook took away even more lube . disconnected shaft eliminated all issues of burning up transmissions. there were times (foul weather -rain/snow) when decision to drop shaft or not was challenging. B-81's/DM's don't have a light driveshaft . crawling on the wet ground hoisting that .*^_+><?<:" shaft !!. can look back now a laugh ;except when back /body is concerned. stay in school kids get a real job!!

[mowerman]

Ha ha, touché on the real job my parents trying to tell me the same thing and my pup was a union Freight hauler. They used to preach the same thing.

[Brocky]

I remember in the early 70's as a dispatcher for Matlack supervising a recovery, the shop foreman told me to be sure the wrecker driver removed both of axle shafts on the same side of the R-600 maxidyne / 5 speed and capped them with cardboard. I have to assume this did the same as dropping a driveshaft???? And a lot easier on a snow bank!!!!

[tjc transport]

i was talking to a younger "mechanic" a few years ago about tow/push starting cars with auto trans. he said no way, cant be done!!!

he just so happened to have a 59 Pontiac Catalina as a daily driver. so i challenged him. "take the battery out, and have your wrecker driver push us up to 35 MPH."

they both accepted the challenge. at 35, i told him to turn the key  to run, and drop the trans from neutral to drive. 

he was amazed when the engine started. 

back then, the auto trans had a live pump connected to the output shaft of the trans unlike cars today with the pump connected to the input shaft of the trans. 

[Geoff Weeks]

3 hours ago, Brocky said:

I remember in the early 70's as a dispatcher for Matlack supervising a recovery, the shop foreman told me to be sure the wrecker driver removed both of axle shafts on the same side of the R-600 maxidyne / 5 speed and capped them with cardboard. I have to assume this did the same as dropping a driveshaft???? And a lot easier on a snow bank!!!!

Really you want to remove all the 1/2 shafts, If you only remove one side, the spider gears in the diff get quite a work-out and no lube.   You can chain up the front drive  if you pull from the front, and just pull the 1/2 shafts in the rear drive as long as the front drive tires don't touch the road, it will be ok.