Rob

Have two friends whom are A&P's and they have that same creeper. Never knew the brand but they do work well in the application. Being aviation related, they are a few $$$ to acquire but do seem to hold up well.

Really wouldn't be too difficult to orient two pneumatic horizontal stroking cylinders through a scissor action linkage to elevate the platform. A small air receiver charged with shop air would actuate the cylinders several times before being depleted.

I've seen several IH RD series engines in B models but cannot attest to any being factory installed.

That gearmotor could be disengaged with a lever but we never incorporated it. A other guy I know had one and you balanced it as you say and was easy to use. Too flimsy of build and returned but he replaced it with another I never seen. I'm done with the tower work but it sure was fun when the weather was warm. Cold, not so much.....

Had a buddy at DFW with one and we installed a reversing gear motor so there was nothing to fiddle with. You'd get in, push a button on the remote and it would rotate you around one way, reverse, and rotate the other. Of course it would just rotate in a single direction too if desired. Did a real good job working both sides. He used it watcing the tube often and it worked good. It had stirrups you put your feet into and a velcro belt around your ankles. No real mechanical closure at all. I never did ride it however. Climbing a 300ft. tower is less of a challenge for me than an inversion table. I wouldn't want something around the house to stretch out with as another fear I have is "Momma" seeing it as another way to go "medieval" on my ass.....

Local Dick's Sporting Goods store sells them and I'm told about half are returned for one reason or another. Don't know why but they must not be for everybody.

I have several friends whom swear by, and at them. Never been on one myself as remember all too well blowing groceries on the "Zipper" ride at a carnival from being upside down.

I used to do that too back around the same time, but haven't in several years now. Having a definite fear of anything resembling work, coupled with a steadfast lack of ability to hold a real job, has kinda made me soft and sluggish; I guess. I've avoided the aches and pains of aging and wearing out by simply keeping a chair planted firmly on the floor for a lot of years. I'm sure there are those that have accomplished less than I in life but you'd be hard pressed to find them. Well that's my take and ya'll know I'm just as honest as George Washington with that cherry tree thing.....

I have a 62 B-62SX and it had a factory tachometer in the dash also.

A tape measure, good spirit level, (or digital if not proficient with the former) along with some string are what you need and are of the simplest tools required. A calibrated tram gauge is even better yet. Take your string and affix it at two points hanging down from the transmission. Tie your spirit level to the string and adjust it so show perfectly level in the vial. Remove your rear engine mounting bolts through the insulators, jack the engine/trans forward till it sets in the front trunion mount correctly, center the transmission equidistant from the frame rails using the rear universal joint as a reference point. Measure the amount of offset needed for the rear engine mount bolt holes to align correctly with the frame mounted parts of the rear engine mountings, and conjure a plan with your existing parts to make them all fit together. After sliding the engine forward and installing your replacement rear engine mountings onto the transmission and with the insulators in place, ensure the spirit level still shows level as this is keeping your driveline angle in the same plane it was. You shouldn't have to mess with any of this but may have too depending on what has been done. It is MUCH easier to change those transmission mounted rear engine mounts when the transmission is not in a truck but it can be done with them installed. After the initial measurements are taken in the truck, measurements of both the existing mounts, and replacement mounts coupled with some good ole fashioned deductive reasoning will lead you to the most efficient path for correction.

Well damn, I'm 60 and feel no different than I did at 40. Maybe I should have worked for a living rather than spend the last 34 years living off taxpayer dollars. Now all I do is nuthin all month not looking for a job, not wanting a job and just waiting for my next government check which comes on the first of the month.

No harm in trying. I know what I build will work but don't have a lot of time for trial and error. This is not an R&D project so attempting to help you. If you got the time then you should go with your "gut" feeling. Nobody on the internet is going to solve your problem using incorrect (by part number) items for the application; only you can do that with your ingenuity and persistence.

Build my mounts without question.

Sounds as if you have it figured out. I know what I would do but that is my opinion. Good luck with your project.

Truck was built with following part numbers: Left rear engine mount on trans: 158GB49326T2 Right rear engine mount on trans: 158GB49325T2 These numbers should be on the parts you need. I can't read your numbers from the photos on my phone.

You will need some toe in or return to center will suffer. 1/8" is usually adequate but setting it without turntables is a best guess scenario. Chasing the steering wheel is usually loose parts and your pins/bushings are really suspect in the leaf springs of everything else is proven tight. Have you checked over center torque of the steering gear? One of the most overlooked sources of erratic steering there is.

The original posting is not a side marker lamp. Neither was it originally for an R series. While most parking lamps were white on the B series, you could get amber for under the headlamps and that is what this lamp was originally for.

Give me the number from the drive gear and I'll let you know the percentage of engine rpm the output shaft turns at.

I would suggest you not start chasing your tail moving to another area till one area is proven sound. Far too many variables still remained unsolved for to interject another area of concern. The mechanic was/is very correct with analogy and the same path I would pursue.

Lost count of how many times I've had to take over a job from a terminated employee similar to this scenario. Think I have three of my Mack trucks fitting within that arena now. Not a really big job citing you can still get most anything you need new from numerous suppliers whom support the older pickup trucks, but it will eat up some time.

need to ensure the rubber isolators in the spring perches at the front of the truck are there and holding the spring ends stable. This is a very often overlooked item. Get a pry and work the axle with both weight on, and weight off the front wheels looking for movement. Spring pins in their mounts at the rear is another place to look closely. The rear spring eyes have bronze bushings in them and they could be worn out. I've seen these spring pins worn elliptical in the housing and any movement in these area really makes for erratic steering habits. Typically positive caster is introduced to assist in return to center at the completion of a turn and to the help the wheels steer to centerline. Steering axis inclination has a lot to do with this also but is built into the steering geometry and normally not adjustable. Increasing caster angles tends to increase steering effort required and is a bit harder on parts, (king pins/bearings) due to the increase from pin rotation centerline. Caster angles should be even but slightly more positive on the rt. side tends to correct for road crown. Can be perceptible to the driver but most times not with hydraulic power assist. Sheppard steering is always "mushy" feeling in comparison to Vickers/Ross, (IMO) although just as good or bad dependent upon your perception. Where is toe set at?

Describe in a bit of detail these steering problems you are speaking of.

Meanwhile with your serial number I'll have it run at my dealer to see what that truck was built with. Parts guy I've been friendly with over 35 years only works a couple days a week any longer so may take a while to get information back. Maybe one of the former parts persons on the site can post up that information rather than reinvent the wheel?

I can get by there next week. It's only about 40 miles distant and I need to look at a job over that way.

yes, that is correct.