Geoff Weeks

1st, make sure the tires and rims are on with minimum run-out. Use a trammel bar and scribe to mark each tire at as near the center as possible at the highest point you can across the front or the tire, and take the measurement, or lock the trammel bar and the rotate to the back and check the difference. you can use anything to mark the tire, but the smaller the mark the more accuracy in the measurement. No difference for disk or spokes.

I would keep and eye out at truck junkyards for good used. I can think of better uses for a grand than a bumper. Remember, a bumper can be replaced at any time in the future, so no rush.

I don't see Toot's complaining, she is changing them if bare feet!

Only time my spokes got noticed by the DOT was at the Echo POE in UT when the inspector wanted to show a trainee what spokes looked like. I had "baby moons" and nut covers. Never even wanted to see my paperwork. Explained to the trainee, he might come across these, then sent me on my way! That "shiny truck" myth has never seemed to pan out in my book. If the truck looks cared for, but a working truck, that is all they care about. If you all that time to shine wheels, are you spending time and money where it counts?

No disagreement from me on that! Late 70's to early 90's was the hayday for equipment. Designs of components had progressed to the point the chassie's could go over 1mil before major work and were strong enough for anything you wanted to hook to, while still being simple to repair. Cabs were aluminum, and while plastic was used for dashes were still fair durable. Modern stuff has a slight advantage on fuel consumption, but fail in just about every other respect.

I had to do one that lost #5 crankpin. Took out the rod (hot) and #5 piston. (855 Cummins) Once the damage assessment was done, a used engine was dropped in, ($2500 IIRC) and the truck back out on the road. Original engine had rear head pulled, new piston and rod, then flipped over and a re-ground (.010/.010) installed (about $750 IIRC). The engine was then installed back in the truck and run to 1.3mil on the original build (not counting the new crank) and then out of framed and re-installed in another truck. $2500 was the cheapest and quickest way to get back on the road, that used engine is still in my shop "core" pile and is complete. (also listed for sale on this site) I did call around for an in-chassie crank grind, but in both time and money, a used engine was faster and cheaper. IIRC it would have taken -.030 or .060 undersize on that pin as well, not a good bet. So don't lecture me about time and contracts, I know all about it. Not only did it speed things up, I had a complete set of cores/parts to continue on with.

If you think about the in-chassie crankshaft grinding, it is a band-aid repair, and the real problem will have to addressed at some point. When a rod journal goes, often the main that feeds it also is part of the problem. Doing 6 rods and 7 mains in chassie is not cost effective. I'm not saying it doesn't have a place. An antique truck that isn't going to be working year in year out, can be given a 2nd life for minimal cost. I have knurled many valve guides myself with excellent results, but also know the life-span of the repair is not the same as a new guide. Labor costs "back in the day" were a tiny fraction of labor costs today, that is both good and bad. I don't want to be slaving away for $5.00 or $6.00/hr grinding crankshafts from below on a dirt floor. I don't want to get into an "in frame" to find all different under-sized bearing either.

While true, it is also true bearings lasted around 100-200K vs 1mil today or even more today. So likely needed regrinding more often than today's engines. Be careful about being nostalgic about a past that didn't exist. I'd prefer inframes that last 1mil+ miles over getting the truck "back out of the shop quickly" every 100-200K miles.

Oversize shoes, and drums went away when max drum diameter became law. This was done for good reasons. Hot spots on the cast drum reduces the coefficient of friction. New drums "bite" much better than drums on their 2nd set of shoes. sometimes the old ways go away for good reason.

I did it that way up to about 6 years ago, but around that time I realize I would pay for it later (I am now) I guess a slow learner in that regard. Get it close to position, hang on the rear bearing and adjust stance and finish the job. With tires on the winch truck made short work of it. Single line with the lift point high, allows for lots of adjustment with little force from me.

If you pull the wheels you can get in further and closer to the balance point. It depends on the engine crane how wide the front legs are, how far in you can get. when I had my gin pole truck out and was doing other stuff with it, I have used it also, but never went to get it just to pull a hub.

If I put everything away, I'd never know where to find it!

Jack the wheel up, wrap a 2" strap around the spacer band and hook to your engine hoist, slide them off and back on. No red neck required.

I've seen a school bus chassie turned into large fork truck! With rear and side access, I bet it worked well as a yard goat.

Years ago when I was looking for a domestic source for a British Bus clutch, I remember coming across a Mack 17" clutch of some kind, close but not a match. The Bus clutch was very similar to the one pictured above, but the disk was between 11/16th and 3/4" thick. The cover plate "fingers" had square "adjustment blocks on them giving 4 settings and the throw out had 2 sets of pockets for the levers to ride in, allowing a long service life before the clutch needed to be pulled. Had to put one in down in Tulsa, Ok, the cover wasn't correct ( I wasn't involved in getting it) and had to change the pressure plate and springs to the old cover in the field before installing it.