Camelback ID

[sodly]

So I've always been fascinated with the famous Mack camelback suspension.  Of course, there are several different versions.  Can anyone elaborate on the differences in the various versions?  I know the heavy ones have "elephant ears" on the outside of the frame rails and cones on the axle caps.  And there are obvious differences in the thickness of the leafs themselves for the various weight ratings.  But what about the more pedestrian versions you might see on 1970s-90s trucks?  I understand that some had bearings in the trunnions rather than rubber.  Can someone illustrate that?  Can you tell by looking?  What are some of the other differences?  

[Timmyb]

Some have rubber bushes, some have brass. Some have hollow tubes, some are solid. 

From what I've seen just by looking around is rubber bushes on hollow tube and brass on solid tube. 

Not sure if this is strictly the case. 

Springs are best identified by the part number. 

[sodly]

So is there any easy way to spot one type vs another by looks?  I know there are different end caps on the various trunnions.  Some have a cap with Mack stamped into it.  Some are just a bolt drilled across the end of the tube.  

[41chevy]

16 minutes ago, sodly said:

So is there any easy way to spot one type vs another by looks?  I know there are different end caps on the various trunnions.  Some have a cap with Mack stamped into it.  Some are just a bolt drilled across the end of the tube.  

 A picture is worth a 1000 words, Google photos for  MACK CAMELBACK 38000 and do it for 44,000 50,000 56,000 and 65,000 pounds. You will see the different spring packs (number and thickness of leaves), different axle caps (flat , cone, etc) different spring pivot bushing and bearing mounts and cap and last the 44,000 and down trunion mount and the 58,000 -65,000 trunion with "ears"

Edited February 17, 2017 by 41chevy

[Maddog13407]

the elephant ears weren't heavier, they were just the older style, you could get them in 38, 44 and 55's. the 34's were usually internally mounted on the frame. the cone hubcaps were for ''full floating'' axles and the flat caps were for ''semi floating'' there the axle was formed to the hubcap.  34 and 38's were rubber mounted trunons. 44's you could get brass or rubber mounted. most 55's I have seen were brass. the 44's also usually had a flat web welded in the seam of the rear end housings to strengthen them.

[6368]

12 hours ago, Maddog13407 said:

the elephant ears weren't heavier, they were just the older style, you could get them in 38, 44 and 55's. the 34's were usually internally mounted on the frame. 

This is true for the older trucks  but at some point( probably around the time r models came out idk) 44 and down moved to inside the frame mounts.  "Elephant ears" remained on the bigger stuff.   Also 44's which at one time were a two piece axle eventually became a  one piece.  Do the current volvo framed macks still use "elephant ears" on the 58s and 65s?