"New" B67ST - Not sure where to start

[mowerman]

looks like you got some pretty good sheet metal,,,which is a big plus,,good luck and welcome aboard,,bob

[Will100]

The truck is setting on 11R22.5 wheels. I will look for the transmission tag tonight. 

44 mph isn't really practical. The non-highway roads around here are 55 mph between towns. I'm not out to win races, but no one has patience to follow 44 mph these days.

The first purpose of this truck is to take my grandfather for a ride in it. After that, I want to remove the loader and convert it back to a 5th wheel tractor. Mostly for hauling antique tractors, and maybe logs if I get the sawmill that I want.

The issues I see with the current setup:

-Brakes need redone. 

-Gearing is too low

-A 5th wheel needs to be installed 

-The existing frame extension was not reinforced at all, so I assume that would need done to return the registration to 72.5k combined weight tractor. 

It looks like all of these issues could be resolved at once and probably for cheaper by finding the right cutoff. I'm glad to have all of your help, because I was about to start looking for brake parts that I may not even need.

 

[Will100]

31 minutes ago, mowerman said:

looks like you got some pretty good sheet metal,,,which is a big plus,,good luck and welcome aboard,,bob

The roof of the cab is dished from guys climbing of and off of the loader, and there's bondo in places, such as the door bottoms, but it's mostly all there.

[Geoff Weeks]

At least around here, cut-off don't come with the center gears, so you are talking cut-off and a matched pair of center sections, possibly axle 1/2 shafts. depending on what you can find.

 If it were me, I would take a careful assessment of what I have now. What if you did all the changing and found the trans was no good? how about the engine?

Look at what you have, decide what is good or could be cheaply fixed. Then decide what stays and what gets replaced.

 From what I can see you have Rockwell stop-master 15" brakes on the rear. Full kits for those can run some bucks, but each and every part can be purchased individually. It may only need seals, shoes, and chambers with the rest cleaning up.

If your present rear suspension/housing/brakes can be brought to good condition for little money, that leaves more money for finding gear sets with a ratio more to your needs.

Buying a cut-off and rear gears, having it welded in and reinforced, will soak up some serious cash, if you then find the trans has to be changed, that is more money you didn't plan on. If the same model trans can't go back that mean new driveshafts and the list goes on.

 Spend the time now, to assess the condition and make a plan, including finding out the exact price of the parts you need. Don't look at prices for any rear gear-set, look to see what the set you need will cost.

Not assessing and making plan is how the best intentions go off the rails. People get so deep in and find they need serious bucks for something they didn't plan on having to replace. That is how some of these end up as a "pile of parts".

Edited January 27 by Geoff Weeks

[70mackMB]

l read a book titled "The Hoffa Wars" a long time ago. At the end there were a few ideas as to were Jimmy Hoffa went after he disappeared. One thought he was put in a 55 gallon drum and shipped on a Gateway Transportation truck to an unknown destination. Wonder if this might be the truck they were talking about?    .....Hippy  

[Freightrain]

Welcome to BMT.  Looks like a great project.

I would start searching online and find an air ride cutoff with 3.90 or 4.10 gears.  If your lucky you can find a Ford cutoff and slip it over and bolt it on like I did on my B.  I had 5ft of overlap and it works well.  Depending on your location, price will vary.  I paid $500 for my single axle from a local junkyard.  They even offered me a choice of gear ratio for that cost.

That can get you faster gearing, late model brakes, and smooth ride all in one fell swoop.

 

[62hotcat]

Welcome to BMT.  What a cool project. 

[harrybarbon]

Please what engine is in your B67?

In all the Mack books that I have seen and the internet I have never seen a B67 with the alloy radiator. Your truck may be a rare B model, 1 of a low number built with the alloy radiator, most B67's had the small metal radiator cowling. The same alloy radiator was fitted to the B615 with the V8 - 864, B73 series with various motors and B75 series with various motors. The B73 had the split radiator shutters, with the center vertical post.

The B80 series had a difference version of the alloy radiator.

[Freightrain]

Had to go back and look at the picture.  Interesting to see a wide nose on a B67 for sure.

[mowerman]

I was thinking the same thing. First time I saw it. It looks like a B 73 or 75. 

[Will100]

On 3/22/2025 at 9:24 AM, harrybarbon said:

Please what engine is in your B67?

In all the Mack books that I have seen and the internet I have never seen a B67 with the alloy radiator. Your truck may be a rare B model, 1 of a low number built with the alloy radiator, most B67's had the small metal radiator cowling. The same alloy radiator was fitted to the B615 with the V8 - 864, B73 series with various motors and B75 series with various motors. The B73 had the split radiator shutters, with the center vertical post.

The B80 series had a difference version of the alloy radiator.

END711 and 3-piece aluminum radiator according the order sheet. It was a build-to-oreder for Gateway Transportation in St. Paul MN.

The attached PDF is the build sheet

01.pdf

Edited March 24 by Will100

[Will100]

The door tag and frame number match

[harrybarbon]

4 hours ago, Will100 said:

END711 and 3-piece aluminum radiator according the order sheet. It was a build-to-oreder for Gateway Transportation in St. Paul MN.

The attached PDF is the build sheet

01.pdf 798.19 kB · 4 downloads

You have a very rare original Mack, deserves TLC and keeping. Thanks for sharing. Is the hood aluminum or steel? The B615's had aluminum hoods, the B73 and B75 were mainly steel, but maybe I could be wrong here could have also been aluminum as well.

[Will100]

The hood is aluminum. 

 

I have been working on getting the engine ready to crank over since my last postings. I haven't decided how I'm resolving the rear end debacle. The local truck repair has plenty of complete rear ends in their bone yard. Not sure if I'm cutting out the frame extension and welding in a complete rear, or parting and piecing this back to a road-able truck.

[Will100]

Slightly off topic, I want to move the loader off of the truck and onto a trailer. The original inspiration for the truck purchase is to haul logs & lumber, and I have since acquired a circle mill as I had wanted to. I want the loader on a flat deck with log bunks so it can self load pallets, lumber packs, or logs. The attached picture is the closest example I could find to what I want. It may not be perfect for any one of those tasks, but I'm going for a versatile jack-of-all-trades use of the loader. I'm open to suggestions. 

[Freightrain]

Seeing you want a useable truck, swap the rears the easiest way for you.  If you don't mind lengthening the truck, find some rails with good rears and slip it over and bolt it.  That is what I did with my B.  1991 Ford rails worked perfect, they were an inch taller but width wise was a perfect slip onto my original rails.  I bolted it on over a 5ft overlap and stretched the truck 5 ft(using the whole 10ft of rails I got).

[harrybarbon]

Looking at your extended frame it seems to be a double frame and it matches the original frame. Assuming this, given you have a rare custom ordered B67, maybe consider finding a compatible air bag tandem suspension with the diffs, eg Mack diffs with the Neway and slide that under your existing frame. Best to keep the frame as it is, it will be a relatively easy and a very cost effective swap. And look for diffs ratio of 4.17, they will drive at 65 mph plus. Mack built many trucks with the Neway air bags, from mid 80's. I have seen this swap here in Aust. And then you can keep/store the original rear tandems and parts so if for any reason in the future you want to return your B67 to original or sell it to a collector.

[Will100]

It is double frame, and it matches the original. I'm not sure that it was reinforced the way it was supposed to, so I may have to have that done before hauling anything. 

I definitely want to stay with Mack assemblies even though I could put another company's rear under it.

Not sure how set I am with keeping it original. It was a custom order, that was then customized again by the second owner. What's wrong with the third owner (me) customizing it to my needs? On the other hand, it is an old truck and it is cool to see things restored as close to original as possible. 

[Will100]

21 hours ago, harrybarbon said:

Looking at your extended frame it seems to be a double frame and it matches the original frame. Assuming this, given you have a rare custom ordered B67, maybe consider finding a compatible air bag tandem suspension with the diffs, eg Mack diffs with the Neway and slide that under your existing frame. Best to keep the frame as it is, it will be a relatively easy and a very cost effective swap. And look for diffs ratio of 4.17, they will drive at 65 mph plus. Mack built many trucks with the Neway air bags, from mid 80's. I have seen this swap here in Aust. And then you can keep/store the original rear tandems and parts so if for any reason in the future you want to return your B67 to original or sell it to a collector.

Will 4.17 allow enough low end torque to get a load moving? Especially if I have it in some crazy place like retrieving a log at my friend's cabin up the mountainside?

I haven't driven this thing yet, but I think I would want a locking rear or a two-speed rear before I worry about air ride suspension. There seems to be so many directions I could go and things to consider. I haven't done the reading that I want to yet since I've been busy hauling my sawmill components. Sure wish I had this truck going. I could have hauled it all in 1 trip instead of 4!

[harrybarbon]

With your 725 gearbox (10 speed) and 4.17 rears you should have adequate higher speed and power to pull a heavy load. A later Mack rear end @ 4.17 ratio that can be slid under your fame will also give you later brakes which in total will make your B67 a very usable truck, maximum benefits, minimum outlay and relatively strait forward change over. The existing tail shaft may fit the change over diffs. All the best for whatever you choose because it is your Mack.

[Vladislav]

Welcome to the forum!

Indeed you have a rare Mack which (I too hope) will also be nice looking when you add the elbow grease to it in the required amount. As I remember alu nose B67's existed but definitely were very few in number. I don't see much to add to the cutoff/ratio discussion. Indeed as more considerations are put into the subject as less time and money consuming story it will turn into. Ok, one point I haven't heard from the croud so far. It seems worth starting the engine and maybe fix the brakes to the condition for making the truck yard driving. You may find out alot of new info that way.

Good luck on the project!

Vlad