Vladislav

Paul, With all my apologies, but those are reamers to work out kingpin bushings after they are pressed in. That way they are piloted and cylindrical. What I need is a taper reamer for the hole in the beam.

Oh Larry, my only emotion is drool.... Unfortunately heavy machinery is getting scarce overhere. During Soviet Union times plenty of equipement was produced and imported. All it worked at plants producing, producing, producing... Unfortunately the plan economy didn't plan really efficient. So a lot of stuff was made for no reason or of poor quality. In the end when Perestroika began the most of heavy iron went to scrap. Large plants couldn't work further because of lost of orders and private persons or small companies didn't collect enough of worth to the moment to but property large enough to keep machinery or couldn't afford its purchase.

You are sure right. The reason was Dutches were purchasing new Macks in a shape of chassis and front end only, with no cab. That splitted the cost. The cabs were made locally by body shops. To me it seems those shops made a really good quality stuff. The shapes were quite complicated and artificient for a commercial vehicle part being produced not really long after the end of the war. The same kind of story is blue and cherry trucks which are NR-models and had military style open cabs when were supplied to Holland under Lend-Lease in 40's. Those cabs were not comfortable for daily use so the reason for conversion is clear. But worth to note those aftermarket cabs look way off from a simple wooden outhouse style.

The steepness of the hill is impressive. And something else is impressive also. What's wrong with that Bel Air? Did someone cut it in halves and welded back one door shorter?

Brocky, I was about to say those were all of Macks in Europe but in fact those were the most of the beautiful ones. And too probably the most which are in active state. There were also some American trucks of different brands overthere and to my surprize I was told they're even more scarce in Europe than Macks

Ok, now I figure completely about the trick with stops against the pads. You was talking about a horizontal mill. But those are scarce overhere. What I could find is a vertical mill which has movement of the spindle down to 90 degree. So could work as a horizontal machine. Bad thing I haven't reached that shop and didn't see the equipement myself.

Paul, I went through Brown and Sharpe tools and found the largest taper reamers of 1.33 OD (and $500 worth). Mack king pins are even larger. Also not sure about 7 degree taper. That angle was marked as used for tie rod end holes (and plenty of reamers to fix those holes and up to 1") but I found no facts of what the king pin taper is. If milling the holes in a beam it's possible to make the sleeve by lathe and cut the taper already in there before pressing in. I suppose it wouldn't deform really much after in. Also the king pin would add pressure and correct minor "outofshapenesses". Also if I were doing the job I would make a step seat for the sleeve and weld it over to the beam on both sides.

I think I can find a big mill with a horizontal table. Just don't forget you should align not only vertical of the holes but to the side bias also. This was I think you need to install the beam at an angle (support) to have the good hole straight against vertically set drill tool and measure an angle the beam is to the table. Than reset the beam with a bad side to the drill and check the angle. Might even be needed to mill the spring pad areas since they're just castings and wouldn't give you perfect seat to obtain a certain angle. In this particular case taking the difficulties to account and having a spare beam I lean toward using the latter one. Have the spare axle taken apart and found it straight and the holes of good condition. And even checked both beams on massiveness and found exactly the same figure of 200lbs (90kilo's) Anyway I would like to know solutions to fix that kind of issue since could easily meet it in the future.

Ok, these are too nice to not be shared.

Some more pics

This year stars didn't line up for me to visit Tructoberfest but I could get to another show. The event took place in Europe so much closer to me. Actually the closest Mack event if look from my location. Some trucks worked in Europe in the past and than later became restored. Some others were imported from the US for hobby reasons. Also interesting that a couple of rigs came to the show from Great Britain. That's another coast of La Manche, means they had to take a ferry and make at least 300 km trip.

Too surprizingly someone could put it on.

Many thanks for pictures. I had hopes to attend the show this time but it didn't happen.

Along multiple different R-model configurations (R600, R700, RS etc.) no less than 20 different engine models were installed in them.

He's allright and doing fine. At least he was that way on this passed weekend in Amsterdam. Also he used to attend Macungie show from time to time and is a great guy at all. This picture was taken a couple years back. I have more fresh ones but haven't offload my travel chest yet.

Looks like a B-model chassis. The # could be stamped at the rear of a frame rail.

The truck is a show truck indeed. But I sandblast the parts, paint them in a shop and going to install new king pins etc. So see no reason for poor repairs.

Yes, that's what I currently think about. The axle is out of the truck and I can bring it to machine shop. Just keep suggestions on figuring the most correct way. Installing the proper angle for milling the hole seems as a possible issue. Actually I have a spare axle of a bit heavier rating which seems as the same knuckles and the beam similar by its look. The axle is FAW538, not FAW537. My original plan was to keep it for future projects but now I'm going to take it apart and see how the beam is good or bad. Also I was likely to keep the original beam to have its stamping accorded to the factory records. But would better use one with just different markings than loose technical condition.

Wonder which way the sleeve transfer the load applied on kingpin? Or more correctly to say the load which axle beam normally applys to the kingpin by its taper. Seems like the sleeve must be dead stuck in the beam. Otherwise the latter would be sitting on a knuckle's lower eye instead of the bottom bearing.

Do they weld the sleeve in the beam or make stepped seat? I was offered to do the similar thing locally, They mill out the hole and make a sleeve with a lathe. But the wear seems of not too much to me. So basic reaming could work if having a correct reamer. Thanks for the guidance.

Sorry for your loss.

Yes, it was. Made by hands A friend of mine had a contact at some factory. There was a guy who could make custom springs. I gave the samle and got the result in a week. But there was a talk of the spring guy looked at the sample and said he couldn't do that because of lot of labour. My friend said he will look for another place. The guy than said "Ok, I will try". He made a cone in a lathe with a spiral track on its side, took a piece of correct steel wire, turned over the cone, put into a stoove and than cooled off. In theory I could order two of them but didn't see a reason. Another (and too probably the original) issue is welding. Spring is a heat treated part made of high carbone steel which 1st doesn't weld and 2nd would loose its strength if you try welding it. So what happened to my shifter was expectional but what Mack had of the desing is a mystery. My way of solving the problem could be seen at the pics. I ordered two steel rings with a notch to accomodate the end of the spring wire but had to make a cut out (by saw and file) to allow the wire to get out where elevating. I drilled some holes and also did that in the attachment parts of the shifter and assembled everything with small screws and nuts. Currently all that is installed in the truck and it shifter well. It just happened that the truck showed out other serious troubles so I had to put its restoration on a back burner. I too doubt PAI supply the spring and other shifter parts but worth checking. Locally PAI parts list is unavalible so I only check costs when have a part #. The interior boot is avalible, nearly $50. Seemed like a commonly used truck shifter boot. I had the # somewhere but can't find it right at the moment.

Took a front axle off the 2nd R apart to revise and restore. After I got the king pins out (with heat and a sladge hammer) I found out both holes in the beam rusty and one of them allowed the kingpin to play at its lower area. I basically cleaned the hole with wire brush and a bit of sandpaper and after that the pin could be set quite good in the left hole but the right side allowed it to move for nearly 0.5 mm (1/16") and the movement was more in the side directions than front to rear. So looked like the eye was worn. A question - is there any practice reaming beam eyes for taper kingpins? And if yes where to look for the tool? The axle is Mack FAW537 12000lb. Thanks in advance for any ideas.

I never checked the parts ## since have no access to Mack parts list but the attachments of the carrier, lower spring (walking beams) clamps (elephant pads), brake spiders and the sizes of spindels to suit bearings are the same. So if you know the rating I see no reason avoiding swap one by the other. If you go that way note the size of the spindel to accomodate a hub seal. Typically Mack axle has one of "typical Mack" seals but once I got a housing where additional sleeves were installed (and I couldn't remove them) so larger ID seal went there, that one crossed to some trailer axle.

Personally for me no need in the picture since my shifter fell down either You could even take it off just sitting in a driver's chear. I found that spring's design very strange. It was (probably) originally welded to a steel cup which bolts on to the cab plate and the floor. It was difficult to me to recognize the originality completely because of multiple repairs i.e. welds of that poor spring. Being where I'm being I couldn't find a solid shifter assembly so I ended up ordering custom fabrication of such spring and two still rings I drilled holes in to attach the ends of the spring to both upper plate and lover cap. A hell of a job and I still have not solved issue of having no boot. Right at the time I don't have inside the cab boot either so when you start the engine the fan blows very intensive into the cab and your face. I'm going to order the lower boot at upholstery shop made of leather (don't see other options) and the cab boot is already new on a shelf (avalible from PAI). But currently I don't work on the MH since had to concentrate attention to other projects.