Geoff Weeks

In Illinois, it was a registration for a set vehicle, I don't remember all the specifics, I think a hub meter and bond were needed, but it has been decades since I looked into it.

I don't think it was weight, IIRC it was length laws that were the issue. truck and pup or doubles were allowed many places that a straight 48' trailer was not. There are still many roads (last I looked) where trailer length and OAL are restricted. The other weird thing about Calif in the old days (now unified with the rest of the country) was the "weight" was carried on the trailer plate, so if you went into Calif back then the trailer had to be registered for 80K or you had to buy a trip permit for the trailer.

Just pointing out that it never has been or will be "fair". Some states have or had "mileage based" plates. Illinois used to be one, don't know if it still is. With those the plate came with a set "miles" (often a few thousand) and if you didn't use them up, that is all you paid, if you went over, you had to pay more. Mostly set up for special equipment that doesn't get used on the roads much, like well drillers etc. It allowed them to be driven to jobsites rather than trailering or paying the full registration amount for little use.

It is and it isn't. Compared to what came before, it simplified it greatly. Before you had to register separately for each state you drove it. Mostly it is handled by the trucking company. Leased O/O run company plates and IFTA, the company does all the filings and record keeping. Those of us who were truly independent, ran under our own authority, had to do all the work ourselves or pay some service to do the work for us. A large number of independents, and even some small trucking companies, used external services for this. I did my own, as if I am the one to be held liable for mistakes, I wanted them to be mine and not someone I paid to do it correctly.

That is true of most all registrations, a car that drive 3000 mile/year pays the same as one that does 100,000 miles. It is why the fuel tax exists, those that burn more (drive more/ move more weight) pay more.

Fuel tax and registration fee's differ state to state, so trucks that operate in many states have to "apportion" out the fees they pay to each state they travel in, by the % of total travel they do in a year. There are federal programs to do this IRP and IFTA. IRP Takes the total number of miles the truck is driven, and separates out each states total, then figures out the % of travel in each state, the truck is assessed that percent of that states yearly registration. Fuel tax is done somewhat similar. When you fuel in that state, the pump price includes that states fuel tax. You then take the amount of miles driven in that state, using the adv MPG of the truck, you figure out how much tax is due the state you bought fuel in, the rest goes in a kitty to pay the other states, Since every state has a different tax rate, you will either owe the kitty or get a refund. You have to file quarterly fuel tax filings. all this takes a weekend every quarter and another for plate renewal. I had a lap top in my trucks in later years, and a computer program to enter the days run, logbook, fuel purchases, and miles run in each state and routes used. You have to keep paper records for years and can be audited at anytimes.

Look at it like this: Commercial is determined by the use, not the vehicle design. Taxi's are regular cars used in a commercial operation, if you went to register an ex-taxi for your car, there would be no problem getting passenger plates. RV's can be as big and as heavy as a hobby truck, and can tow a trailer of any size, have air brakes and everything that a truck has, and still be an RV. Then why is there a problem registering a "hobby truck? It is because 99.9% are used in a commercial enterprise, Almost the opposite of the taxi example. From the outside, a hobby truck hauling hobby tractors, looks just like a commercial truck hauling tractors to the dealer. States see weight on the road, fuel tax not being collected and registration fees not being paid, when they see a hobby truck towing a trailer. Being able to shave the distinction between commercial and non commercial is a very hard distinction to write into the law, and unless it is differentiated, the powers that be will treat it as commercial. ATHS has worked to make the difference be acknowledge. In practice, hobby trucks should be treated no different than RV's are. Unfortunately, it is rarely done that way.

Try getting them to find Marmon ("who made that?" Marmon made Marmon, "yes but who made it?") or Dart (Oh, you mean Dodge! no I mean DART!

IIRC it is the Trico's that have air to the motor when in the off position (for the self park feature) and so have air through the control at all times. Sprague (sp?) don't "self park" and shut off the air when turned off and you have to manually crank the knob counter-clockwise past off to park. Both controls are still available last time I looked. Both motors use "back pressure" on the exhaust side to keep them from being "floppy". Too often someone tries to get more life out of a motor by opening up the exhaust restriction, and they you end up with fast-floppy wiper movement. As long as the shaft splines are good, and the case isn't damaged, there is little other than O rings and seals to go wrong with them. They can take being frozen to the windshield with the motor "on" without damage, that could kill and electric.

Hauling things for payment of any kind, (even prize money) puts you in the commercial realm. Fines and impounding can be the result. Hauling your own stuff for no payment is a gray area, just because it is harder to determine on the side of the road if it is commercial or not. Remember, it is not what the letter of the law says, it is what the officer who has you stopped on the side of the road thinks. Yes, you may win in court, after your truck has been impounded and you have fought the fine in court. The 1st two things come before the court date! It is also why very few insurers will write policy's for larger trucks towing trailers that aren't commercial policy's. They just don't want to be paying out for commercial use on a private policy. Then there is the fact that taking it out of state without an IRP plate is likely going to cause problems. Same for fuel tax. Yeah, I know big RV's don't pay those things, but to the officer on the side of the road, a "Truck is a Truck".

I used to rebuild mine HP100's cost $3.75 in O rings and good to go. Trico's area bit harder as they have shaped seals. Haven't done one of them, or needed to (yet).

Broaching is typically cutting a slot, like for a keyway. Reaming is sizing after installation of a bushing. The bushing on mainshaft gears shouldn't need a keyway, just clearance for lube. There isn't load on the bushing when the gear isn't in use, it just has to let the gear slip on the shaft. Multi countershaft transmission the gears just "float" on the main shaft without any bushing. I haven't seeing anything of goggle that applies in this case. Here is what broaching can do

I suspect he means bore to finished size after install.

Almost always cheaper to repair than replace, cheaper to replace like for like than to change to something new. Often it is the little stuff that keeps cropping up that drive the price up. I was surprised I didn't have much trouble when I was going through the British bus trans or rear axles getting bearings or seals. They used some odd bearings also.

SQHD's don't have the best reputation, I know one guy who calls the "sure-quitter's". They have an idler gear between the power divider and the front pinion. Later SQHP's and SQ100's don't. They beefed up the powerdivider section and eliminated the idler gear. They are way obsolete, Heck, the SQHP and SQ100's are obsolete. The 3.70 gear ratio is also not made anymore, they went from a 40-10 (40 tooth ring gear, 10 tooth pinion) to 41-11 for 3.73 ratio so finding gearsets (should they be needed) may be a problem. Before making one big change that would require a lot, it may be time to re-assess and decide if you want to stay with that model and ratio or if you want a whole new cut-off, or just repair what you have. Later SQ100 housings will not be right either I don't think, so you'll be needed SQHD housings unless you weld brackets to what you have now. The SQHD's both pinions turn the same direction and are on the same side of the ring gear (front and back) SQHP, and SQ100's the front pinion turns the opposite driveshaft rotation on the front and are on the opposite side of the ring gear. SQHP rear-rear is amboid (essentially turned upside down) with the pinion above the centerline, SQ100, they went back to the lower hypoid gearset with the rear-rear pinion below the center-line. All this means is although all the models are related, the housings can be different for the different models. edit: Hadn't had my coffee when I posted the teeth count! 3.70 is 37-10

That tag must be off the rear-rear not the front?

Hyd detach, if ground bearing or not, spring is fine. Nothing wrong with the Rayco air, it looks like a Hendrichson clone. just hard to find I suspect. One thing to be careful about, if the mounts need to be moved, so does the crossmember. If only moved a small bit, it means holes welded and new holes in a limited area and that can weaken the frame. Personally, I don't think the change is worth the trouble. 4 spring is simple and has few wearing parts. Not the best suspension, I'll agree but dead simple, doesn't need bushed torque rods, which are always a maintance problem on all air suspensions. People over estimate air suspension comfort. All trucks have air bags between them and the road, they are called tires and you can see how well they do! If the issue is my comfort, air suspended cab will do much more for ride comfort than air truck suspension. I had a short wheelbase tractor on walking beam, mechanical T bar drivers seat, but suspended cab (coil spring cab suspension) and it was very livable. If the wheel base was longer, it would make far bigger difference than if the rear axles were on air.

Not sure he is, just said detach, but if mechanical, air ride has an advantage.

Mechanical RGN with any spring ride is more trouble than air ride. Walking beam Hendrickson is a great suspension, but starting from where he is starting from, either Rayco/graining air ride or Hendrickson or one of the corp clones would be the easiest. I don't think he is planning to put a cut-off on.

Does it have an oil filter can sticking off the front? That "R" may be a "P"

If mechanical RGN, then yeah, air ride is helpful with the gooseneck, being able to drop the suspension and lift back up helps. It should be fairly easy to find Hendrickson housings with the torque arm weldment on top. Do you have SQHP, or SQHD's? By the time SQ100's came out I think the ratio switched to 3.73. The reason I ask, is the rear, rear is Amboid (pinion enters above the axle centerline) on the SQHP and the housing is different then the later SQ100 (which is hypoid) essentially the rear-rear housing is "upside down". I may have the bracket weldments off a IHC Airride, but will have to look, then getting them from Omaha to NH would be the biggest problem. That way you could use your housings and weld on the bracket. They may have got tossed in my last clean up.

The Hendrickson, and the various OEM clones are about the best out there for most applications. Neway is expensive and difficult to maintain and need brackets welded onto the axle housings. Neway might be worth it for heavy haul. Easier to align than Neway. Rayco is fine for 4 spring, and it is almost always cheaper to fix what you have then start over. 4 spring isn't so good off highway, but properly loaded, you'd be hard pressed to tell it from air ride on highway. I ran both, 4 spring and IHC (Hendrickson) air ride. What ever you do, run away from a Neway ARDAB suspension. No parts, expensive and always need bushings.

Look at what Atro has to offer on any bushing for a truck. they have a large selection. https://www.doverbrakeinc.com/downloads/catelogs/ATRO BUSHING CATALOG.pdf

I think he is installing where it never had them, Not excusing the price quote, but not just replacing.

Heck I remember going as far as Lincoln before 95 was completed then came 95 that was 2 lanes (was 2 lane from Orono) Was up that way to bury my Dad's ashes a few years ago and 4 lane divided all the way, almost like being in the lower 48! Dysarts, was on Hampton rd IIRC