Rob

Those two post, surface mounted lifts have a hydraulic cylinder in each tower and use a cable to equalize the lift arms. As they are designed, there is no way to lift only one arm. It looks to me as if the hydraulics failed on the passenger side lifting arm, and the mechanical arm locks either failed, or were incorrectly adjusted. There is no way that arm should have fallen separate of the other arm. This does not look to be a manufactures defect but rather an owner operator installed system that was not setup and maintained as it should have been. I have two of those lifts in my shop and there is no way they can let what has happened in the photos happen here. I do test, and adjust my lifts regularly. This is no joking matter and can snuff the life out of an unsuspecting individual quickly. If you have ever used one of these lifts you know that upon reaching the top of the stroke lifting the vehicle, you let the arms down so the weight of the vehicle is setting on the mechanical locks in the columns rather than trust the hydraulics of the cylinders. One must push the button to engage the hydraulic pump to raise the arms from the mechanical locks, pull and hold a handle to keep the spring loaded locks retracted, and pull and hold a second handle to release hydraulic pressure to lower the arms. The recesses that are built into the columns are on about 6" centers so the lock handle needs to be kept pulled while the vehicle is lowered. Rob

Actually I don't worry about it near as much as the news would have you believe the problem is. These are 10:00R22, (Dunlop, american produced) tires and were stored out of light, and soaked in silicone rubber treatment prior to mounting, and are still sticky. Not negating the concern as I'm sure it is real, but these have not had the typical storage that a lot of older tires have such as sitting outside in a rack, or in an unheated warehouse, nor having weight upon them, (except their own). I would rather place my trust in these, than I would any of this Chinese, or Indian garbage that is available in this size. In reality these will wind up on my A-40 for show duty only in the future. I want her truck to have readily available tires for on road breakdowns. It will probably go to 11RX22.5 rubber when she starts to drive it. I don't watch the news on television. Life is much happier that way. Thanks for your concern. Rob

I now see the point and how it works. I'll still get a good look and this looks like it could be a high wear point unless greased a lot. Thanks, Rob

Decided to install the new steer tires onto my daughter's truck last evening so I could cease storing them in my car wash bay. The old dryrotted originals can go outside. I've had these things on fresh blasted and painted rims for about nine years now, but never installed onto the truck. The truck is nosed into a stall without a drive axle under it and on frame stands. I roll my wide saddle 10 ton floor jack under the center of the steer axle beam lifting both front tires about 1/2 inch from the floor and dismount the passenger side tire from the hub. I've done this so many times without problems I didn't bother with jack stands as I don't have any free at the time being. I remove the lug nuts, and pull the tire/rim combination from the truck, without problems. The weight of the tire/rim combination being removed shifts the truck and it pivots placing the driver's side tire on the floor. No problem here, about four more pumps of the jack handle and the tire is once again clearing the floor. I then remove the driver's side tire and rim assembly by "jerking" it from the hub. This sudden removal of the weight from the driver's side causes the truck to roll to the passenger side and it overcomes it's center of gravity, causing the axle beam to slide on the jack saddle and down it goes. Nothing hurt, or damaged as the brake drum on the passenger side slid along the smooth concrete floor without impact force. However, if someone would have been standing on the passenger side of the truck, they could have been hurt becomming pinned between the fender of this truck, and a spare R model cab next to it, as the truck came to rest about four inches from the cab, (which is sitting on a shipping pallet and is heavy. Now with no tires on the steer axle, the jack saddle stuck in the upward transition of the axle beam near the spindle, and not enough room to insert another jack, I've got a problem cause I can't move the truck. I wound up taking a 10 ton porta power against the floor and front spring pad mount on the driver side to remove the floor jack. While the porta power supported a portion of the weight of the truck. I got a pair of stands from the frame rack, then jacked the thing back up, blocked it, then remounted the new tires/rims without further adieu. I hope others learn from this experience. Nobody was hurt, nor damage sustained (thankfully) but my own complacency could have caused a very different turnout. Don't think I'll make the same mistake again. Rob

Tis!! I have an open mind and am always willing to learn of those things which are unfamiliar. Always been at the receiving end of a dump trailers cargo, so no experience at all with them. Staying busy I hope? Rob

If the rain holds off today it's comming home this afternoon-finally. Haven't received my plates yet but they will be "62 Mack", (antique restoration). Rob

The earlier model R models have a glove box as the fuse an breaker panel is located forward of the passenger's knees behind an access panel. I believe in 1985 this was relocated and the panel was put in the glove box. I have both if you need photos. Rob

Welcome to the site Lester. We all have stories, (good and bad) in our trucking experiences. Feel free to share them all. Rob

Or install a cable operated remote water control valve into the heater core line and have the actuator handle protrude through the dash, or under it like a choke cable on older vehicles. Rob

And you'd be surprised how much of that lower plastic garbage that I've fixed, and/or replaced. Rob

"Stick with me, Don't worry 'bout a thing"; Richard Pryor, 1976 Rob

Actually starting to put some thought to using B model sheet metal on a custom frame modified from an FL-50, or 60 Freightliner chassis a customer owns. This truck is falling apart in the cab structure. It currently has a 5.9ltr but is only 160hp. Then going with aluminum rims. I don't really like the "cut down" conversions of a large truck but for basically a commuter truck, I think I could do this and come it just about 12,500 empty. Rob

People either don't mind, or stay far enough away that I never hear any complaints. Rob

They all have their strong, and weak points. Don't know how many front ends I've rebuilt under GM, Dodge, and Ford pickups. From a collision repair standpoint I see no real differences in the way they are constructed. Personally I prefered Dodge when I purchased my truck new in 1996. It was a good choice I still depend upon. When I decide to replace this truck I will probably rebuild an older one with a mechanical diesel engine that is hopped up a little. Nothing out there currently really sparks my interest. I am drawn towards restoring a B model Mack with a modern running gear using either a 5.9, or 8.3 Cummins although I've owned neither engine in the past. Rob

Momma likes my chapped ass and natural pungence. Don't think I've bought deodorant in about five years or so. I don't know if A/C works in any of my vehicles as I never use it. Rob

But she didn't have a tight seal and leaked, or was just a bad catch. Rob

It's that "heat of the meat", and "angle of the dangle" thing too. Rob

And I find humor because someone I know told them problems were on the horizon for years, and they didn't listen till Paccar, (largest buyer of Cat on highway engines) pulled the plug. Rob

Yeah, that's right. Herb's knowlege is hard earned so don't sit back and take "cheap shots" like that. On another note: I really like that trailer shown earlier. How much you give for the daughter? Rob

I like that!!

Glow plugs are an electric starting aid used to preheat a combustion chamber on a diesel engine. They are not used with most direct injected engines. All Mack engines of the Thermodyne, and Maxidyne series are direct injected meaning the fuel spray from the injection nozzle is directly onto the piston crown. An indirect injection engine contains a precombustion chamber within the head that the fuel is injected into. Since this is basically a two step process to the ignition of the injected fuel spray, a glow plug is used to allow the atomized fuel to ignite easily when cold. Usually this setup is quieter and results in less fuel knock of fuel ignition, so it is favorable in smaller diesels such as used in passenger vehicles and lawn equipment, etc. A larger air receiver will give you longer engine cranking time availability in this application. On a hot day a very small receiver will suffice as engine cranking need will be minimal. A cold start without the engine being warmed by external means will result in the need for a large receiver as a lot of engine cranking has to take place to build heat within the engine to ignite the fuel spray. Rob

I've always been told that Pete drivers find comfort in the passenger side seat of a tow truck. Rob

Hope the smoke stays inside the parts. Rob

The next car I put together was a 73 Vega "Sedan Delivery". It was basically a Vega wagon with body color panels instead of rear windows. Back in those days Doug Thorly made a very nice conversion kit so nothing was cobbled together. This kit had the engine, and trans mounts, (for a manual, or 350 turbo/powerglide from an "A" body GM product) uprated front springs, headers, radiator, and all brackets needed. I bought a kit and sold what I wouldn't use to another guy cause I wanted a Mark IV engine in this one. I bought a 390 horse 427, (minus the carbs and heads) and installed a set of "Brodix" aluminum with large stainless valves. It was a real challenge to get this thing into the engine bay and actually fit. I wound up cutting most of the firewall away and making my own from aluminum sheet that had been "engine turned" like a 70's Trans Am dashboard. It looked really nice. About 1/2 of the inner rail skirts were of this same material. I went with a full manual valve body, race prepped Powerglide and high stall converter. A cut down Nova rear axle, (12 bolt) and spool with "Strange" axles went in the back with a small fuel cell in the rear body. A homemade four link suspension and frame connectors rounded everything out. As I said the front suspension was part of the kit but used large Chevelle rotors and calipers. They were manual brakes, but worked well. From a dead stop and street slicks tires, the front end would rise confidently, and predictable upon hard acceleration. The first time I stepped on the loud pedal really hard and yanked the front tires it about scared the living shit out of me cause I didn't expect it. Momma, (then my girlfriend) wouldn't let me drive it on the street cause she thought I'd kill myself, (pretty wild in those days). The car had decent road manners as long as you didn't need to turn. I tried to bend it around a turn once and rolled the tire off the brand new skinny Centerline rim and broke it on a curb. This didn't make ole Rob none to happy. I was so pissed that the car didn't drive for shit so I sold it to a drag racer who put a full cage in it, and ran in the 1000', and 1/4 mile tracks in the area. I moved onto bigger and better things I guess cause I never messed with another big block Vega. Prior to this I'd done three small block Vega projects, one being powered by a 340 Dodge engine and 727 trans. They actually drove pretty good for a homebuilt. Ahhh, the good old days...... Rob

And this is a very large part of the world economies problem. Credit is much too easy to acquire, operate, and exist upon. Young and old people alike tend to justify the cost of something by the amount of the monthly payment, rather than the true cost of ownership. In our area even the fast food restauraunts and grocery stores are now taking plastic! Convienient maybe, but the lions share of the populace does not pay that card off monthly and no regards are given to the "true cost" of the purchase. I can't speak for everybody but I don't reach into my pocket, pull out a lone five dollar bill, and spend ten!! I'm not a smart man by any means, but that just doesn't add up. Another problem is the "expectations" of the populace or need. When is the last time you seen a new Mack, Pete, Kenworth, International, etc. where air conditioning, or power steering was an option at additional cost? You probably won't because it would be a hard sell to the manufactures. Even the vehicle corporations have been purchasing up the audio manufacturers and installing their systems for years. There are deep rooted problems fueled by greed, credit, market share and the like, that need correction applied. The current democratic machine in power seems to enjoy throwing money at the symptoms rather than the cure. Now an out of work individual doesn't need to actively look for employment as his unemployment benefits have been extended yet again; Yet go to most any large retail establishment and attempt to find an employee that knows their ass from a hole in the ground! This type of job is usually "below them", (meaning skilled labor). Take that unearned compensation away, and that job at the retailer just might deserve a second look. I think there is plenty of work out there. One just needs to be hungry enough to do it. Rob