leversole

...been living with a loose cab with no rubbers on one side...tried steel shims but they vibrated out (the nut and bolt are loose and frozen)...tired of the hard banging and feeling that the cab would fly off onto the road decided to try and fix it today, I didnt know about the rubber mounts till I saw them in my service manual the other day...any how, had some leftover 1/4" rubber from the pad I made a floor mat out of and thought I could make some rubber shims, to raise the cab back up to where it should be and tighen it down with a new nut and bolt...success, it is like driving a new truck!

Had previously broken loose "frozen on stud" lug nuts by using the impact and driving them into the hub to break the nuts loose...well, today, in a fit of stupidity, I tried to do the same with a socket and breaker bar...If I had only known that the local parts store has Euclid studs for only 98 cents, I might have avoided 3 hours of cursing, heating, drilling, tapping, etc..Anyway, lesson learned!

The Tie rod ends were Meritor #R230024 (left hand) and R230025 (right hand). They had the correct taper and if your cross tube has 1.125"-12 threads, and is threaded left on one side and right on the other these will work. If yours is like mine, it had 1.125-12 right hand on one side, and 1.125-? Extra fine? (I have not measured them yet), but there was no way I was going to be able to find a replacement. So I found the correct crosstube with right and left hand threads, this was Meritor part number A-3102-S-3451 which was 55.5 inches long and worked perfectly. Forgot to mention, the tie rod ends are male, and the cross tube is female...not all are the same! Hope this helps someone... Leslie

Wound up with about 80% engagment...I had a choice of a 53.5 or a 55.5...I went with the 55.5...threads go all the way past the slots...

If you have been following my tie rod end saga...you know that I ended up needing a new cross tube as well as new tie rod ends...anyhow, NAPA came through with the tie rod ends, but I was still in need of a cross tube...I found an Arvin Meritor number that would do the job. Searching the internet turned up only one hit! Raney's Truck Parts in Florida...ordered online Monday afternoon, said they would try to get it to me by this Friday...low an behold, the UPS man brought me a great gift today! All is well with the steering and I was able to put a few miles on her today! Really feels good to be "back on the road". Raney's was a pleasure to deal with and really came through for me. Raney's Truck Parts

How about some pictures! I sure more than just me would like to see some! I keep a camera out in the garage for quick shots when I am in the middle of something! We would all appreciate it! Leslie

Anyone know anything about Harwood Transportation out of Boston or perhaps know where there might be a picture of a truck that they owned? This is who my truck ws sold to origianlly. Thanks

I think everyone is correct! From the highway service manual covering the B-Models... "Minor toe-in corrections, where a straight cross steering tube is used, are made by loosening the clamp bolts and turing the cross steering tube. This is accomplished by either using right and left hand threads, or threads of different pitch on the tube and ball sockets." Mine MAY have been changed, as Don from the museum sent a drawing for my truck that shows female sockets on the tie rod ends (mfg by Thompson)... Leslie

I am having a GREAT time! It certainly is not boring!...I think I have been in denial, I was thinking that my cross tube was factory bent, maybe to clear the oil pan on the original V-8...But I believe now, especially since the threads are different but both right handed, I think the damn thing is just bent! I am hoping to find an aftermarket straight one of the correct dimensions and will use the left-right hand tread combonation to make adjustments easy!

Okay, this S**T aint funny anymore...I had pulled only one tie rod end out of the cross tube...thought my problems were over Ordered right and left hand threaded tie rod ends from NAPA...the right hand threaded one was next day, which I got Saturday morining,left hand would not be in until Monday...Okay, I thought i was good to go... After wrestling and cursing I got the other side broke loose from the cross tube...wait a second, this thing is right hand thread also! Okay, I remember in the manual it said something about a "dropped" cross tube needing to take loose one end from the steering arm to adjsut the toe, Okay, must be what I have, luckily NAPA is still open so I order another right hander, will be here Monday, NOW everything is ready, so today, I figured I would get ahead of the game and install the tie rod I have, get the wheels lined up, get some string lines set up, but WAIT! WTF, these two tie rod ends have different threads! I cant seem to get ahead of this thing! Looks like tomorrow I will try to find a straight cross tube the right length with the right threads! Maybe this time, as dont see anything else that can go wrong!

Thanks...I found the part (by measurements) I needed and NAPA delivered today!

New mystery...does anyone recognize this style of tie rod end and center link... Don at the meuseum sent a drawing of the tie rod that came with my axle and it is a different type (female on the rod end), so what I have is not stock...took the end to NAPA and cumberland truck parts and they cannot match it with measurements. The closest they can get has the nut end at 7/8" (mine is 3/4") and a bigger taper. The local Mack dealer is ordering a part he thinks will fit Wondering if anyone recognizes this... Measurements are as follows. Big end threads are 1 1/8 x 12...small end threads are 3/4 X 16 Also just found a part number...24-5000...also a 3 with a small diamond shape next to it...ring any bells? Thanks

The parts books (at the parts store) only list Mack axles as FA511-8000#s, FA514-9500#s, or FA532 (or 536)-10500#s... Mine is an FA517, our wiki lists the weight at 9500#s, would this take the same tie rod ends as the FA-514 (9500#s)? I would take them off and measure them, but cant get to it until Thursday...plus, I dont think the parts store can get the measurements anyway (they are not in stock)! Anyway, any help would be appreciated... Leslie

I was referring to breaking them loose from the spindles! I have removed them (cars and light trucks) with a wedge fork, and with a puller, some have "fallen" out when I loosened the nut...just wondering what to expect...Is there a preferred/required method?

Do they come loose pretty easy? will I need heat? a fork and hammer? puller? Or is it hard to tell.

Thanks Rob, I'll post some pics tomorrow, I think mine is just bent!

Got lucky on this one...tie rods ends are externally threaded... Is the tie rod supposed to be straight? Mine has a nice bow towards the crossmember... is this the design or did someone try to back over a stump? Thanks

My tie rod ends are garbage! Is this a standard stock parts item? Mack dealer only? The steer axle is an FA517. Thanks

I have stemco seals on the steer axles...I read an old post that indicated gear oil runs in them, correct? Would normal valvoline 90wt gear oil work? Thanks

Do the two volume Mack highway service manuals cover the B-models? Thanks

As Rob said, in the frame rail...mine had two air lines, one from brake valve, one from column trailer valve, and two wires, you should be able to track it by any of these three. Good luck

Acetylene should never be stored on it side...the tank is filled with a porous solid and the gas is dissolved in acetone to keep the pressure below 15 lbs. It is very dangerous to have acetylene above 15 psi!

Thanks...I got it working, will post some pics and pitfalls later...charges great at idle! Thanks for your help

Thanks...did you use an indicator light in the switched circuit? Many of the conversion digrams on the internet talk about the need for a indicator light in that circuit to make the alt work...Also, how did you keep the ammeter in the circuit, pull the bat wire off the the old regulator and attach to the bat terminal on alt? Thanks again

Not getting any voltage out of the generator battery terminal. Tested the generator the old fashioned way, ground the field, chevk for voltage with engine running and regulator disconnected. No voltage (.048 or so). This tells me the gen is not putting out...BUT, another test is supposed to be applying 12 volts to the gen battery terminal and the thing will spin (no belt tension) like a motor if it is good, it did?!? So, two conflicting stories... Just want to make sure the gen is bad before I dpend the money on an alternator... Thanks Leslie