What will classic truck shows look like in the near future? Will the B-Model Macks, Emeryville Internationals and needle nose Petes be viewed as too old fashioned by the younger crowds? Will they be drawn to the trucks of the 90’s like this Freightliner and Ford? I asked my Magic 8 Ball but the answer was unclear
Ford Aeromax L9000 - Click to Enlarge
Look Ma! Daytons!
Freightliner FLC - Click to Enlarge
Merry Christmas to all!
Trucks can come with a wide variety of options to suit any working condition or driver preference. Engines, transmissions, axles, frame length, suspension bits, the list goes on and on. Recently I’ve had a few people ask me about wheel styles, more specifically what are Dayton style wheels. This is a question I’ve asked myself many times and the answer can very depending on who you ask. I’ll start with the basics of what I know and let you make your own decision on what you think is the better choice.
To start, this is a Dayton or spoke style wheel.
Notice the five bolts, they attach to the rim which hold the tire to the truck. To detach the tire you remove the bolts, the hub or spoke stays attached to the truck. There is no center part of the rim with this type of wheel. In the trucking world of today Dayton style wheels are ancient history. I do not believe it is possible to order a new truck with this style wheel. Now, some old truckers out there will tell you that daytons are the only way to go. They claim that this wheel setup is better suited for trucks hauling heavy loads or working in tough conditions as they resists cracking around the bolt holes, a major weakness of Budd style wheels. From the collector standpoint the argument is made that a Dayton wheel just looks correct on the truck styles of yesterday. Another potential of spoke wheels is the ability to seal out snow, ice or dirt from the brake drums. Some disadvantages, it requires more skill and time to mount a dayton style wheel correctly. Incorrect mounting results in a wobbly wheel and tire wear. Top speeds are also limited due to heat concerns. In the old days of trucking there was a strong east coast bias to spoke style wheels despite the fact they were called “California” style wheels. Most likely this is due to many truck manufacturers being located east of the Mississippi.
The modern alternative to Dayton style wheels? The Budd. Nearly every truck has this style wheel now. It is very similar to the same wheel on your passenger car or pickup. The tire is mounted to a rim that has a center hub. See below.
A Budd wheel can come in steel or aluminium. You can paint it or chrome it. As mentioned above this style wheel can suffer from stress cracks around the bolt holes. However, the cost of Budd wheels and ease of maintenance helped push this wheel to the top of heap.
I recall a story from my CDL training days from the instructor of many years that helped scare the spoke lover out of me. He claimed it was possible for the flanges holding a spoke style wheel to break loose effectively neutering any braking power as the wheel was no longer really connected to the drums! Tall tale to scare the rookies? Very possible.
So that is my amateur take on truck wheel styles. Please feel free to share your thoughts or correct my mistakes.
Mack TerraPro - Click to Enlarge
If you consider yourself a macho man then stop reading now. This is post by none other than the moderator’s wife.
Hello faithful readers! First and foremost I want to thank you for your interest in my husband’s website. He is devoted to the wonderful world of diesels and I am proud to support him and the website. So, why am I writing today’s post? Because I nearly stopped dead in my tracks the other day when my eyes caught a Bubblegum Pink Mack. Of course I had no clue what it was or why it was, but it was pink and to me that’s all that mattered. Of course, I was already late for work so I hoped and prayed that it would remain parked until I took my lunch break. You know how those trucks can be, there one minute and the next their gone. It’s important to get those pics and video footage as soon as possible.
A few months ago while traveling to Albany I caught a glimpse of a fire house adorned with a beautiful new line of Peterbilts. 10 minutes later I headed in that direction with a camera and they were no where to be found. It was a sad day for me and probably for the people that made them disappear ;).
Anyway, so as you can guess I did get a shot of my bubblegum pink truck. I am lucky enough to work right next door to Beam Mack in East Syracuse, New York. My husband informed me that it was or is going to be a garbage truck. Why it was a stereotypical girly color we may never know, but I am glad I got to see it. I may never see a truck in that color again.
Mack TerraPro - Click to Enlarge
Nothing fancy today, just a nice, clean Sterling L Series dump truck. In 1997 Freightliner purchased Ford’s heavy truck portfolio which included the Louisville and Aeromax line of trucks to be rebranded as Sterlings. If you squint your eyes you can almost envision the blue Ford oval on the hood and the boxy chrome “Lousiville” script right under the window. Browsing through the listings on TruckPaper.com I was amazed to see how little this design changed from the Ford to Sterling transition. Back to the truck, this is one fancy L Series. Tinted glass, hood visor, mirrors with marker lights, chromed hood scoops, this truck has it all.
Sterling - Click to Enlarge
Here are some interesting links for you Monday morning read. You may recall that two months ago billionaire investor Carl Icahn purchased a very large stake in Navistar. At the time Mr. Icahn was already held significant shares in Oshkosh, a direct competitor of Navistar. The rumors immediately began to swirl about possible merger between the two companies. The Chicago Tribune now reports that Navistar CEO Dan Ustian agrees that a corporate marriage could have its benefits.
Navistar CEO sees ‘obvious’ synergies with Oshkosh
On the new product front the partnership between Indian truck building Mahindra and International maybe close to bearing fruit…brace yourself…in the form of small pickup for North America. Navistar recently purchased a large manufacturing facility in Alabama with no obvious product line ready for it. Now Mahindra fan sources claim the companies small diesel pickup could very well be that mystery vehicle.
If you’re a regular visitor of this site you now how it works around here. I tend to post articles relating to older trucks and equipment while sprinkling in some industry news for good measure. I don’t proclaim to be an expert in anything that I publish on this site but I do try to pass along useful information from time to time. Keeping those two concepts in mind my eyes nearly popped from my head when I began to read this article that Marc mailed me the other day.
Like the Scouts from yesterday this article comes from a mid 70’s edition of Popular Mechanics. It’s titled Truck Spotting and gives a comprehensive view of the trucks, truck builders and industry as a whole as it was in the 70’s. There is a handy cheat sheet of truck grills including such makes as Brockway, Diamond -Reo, White and Autocar. Name plates now lost to us across the sea of time but still every day runners on the interstates of 1974. Much has changed since this truck spotting guide was published. As mentioned, many of the trucker makers referenced are gone while manufacturers like Freightliner and Peterbilt now offer their own diesel engines. Do yourself an favor and read this article, it is full of still relevant information relating to the basics of trucks and the trucking industry.
Almost forgot, there is a great spot about Daytons vs Budd wheels. Which side do you fall on?
Click any image to see a larger version. HUGE thanks to Marc for this one. If you’re on Facebook check out his RustedRelics and Just Classics groups. You won’t be disappointed.
The other day I received a package from a new friend. Contained within was a great collection of articles and ads from old Popular Mechanics magazines. There is a TON of great material to post and enjoy over the coming days so stay tuned. To start, we have some great literature about the IHC Scout.
The 1st add describes in detail how the Scout is superior to any car or station wagon of the time with a welded boxed frame, heavy duty axles, and a commercial grade engine. As the ad states, never send a car to to do a Scout’s job.
And what about that Scout Terra? The best mid-range pickup of them all with an optional dash mounted four wheel drive selection, auto locking hubs and a variety of power plants including a 6 cylinder diesel!
And finally we have an add that places the competition squarely in the crosshairs, the Chevy Blazer. The Scout calls out the Blazer for it’s monstrous turning radius, high center of gravity and ridiculous approach angle. If you want a true 4×4 vehicle choose the truck that was designed to be one. Sounds like fighting words!
Click on any picture to see a larger version. A big thanks to Marc for these great ads!
Yesterday we enjoyed a Fleetstar used as a snow fighter at the Syracuse Airport. Let’s keep that theme going with a modern take a plow truck, this Volvo VHD. Now I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t spend much time drooling over Volvo’s of any type, much less their trucks. But I have to admit that this VHD series looks pretty good for a heavy duty truck. The large flotation tires, sun visor and cab mounted exhaust complete the look. This particular truck is powered by the Volvo D13 engine.
Volvo VHD – Click to Enlarge
Today we have another classic truck of the past, the International Fleetstar. Would you believe I stumbled across this gem at a Freightliner dealership while it waited for service? I’m not too sure if that large oil stain on the ground existed before or after the truck arrived. If this International is Detroit powered we have our answer on the oil spill. The emblems were very faded but I believe this truck to be 2070A model. Further investigation reveals a Syracuse Airport sticker on the bumper and logo for Ciotti Enterprises, a local trucking company. I know this company has a contract with the airport to push and pull snow around so that is probably the duty of this old girl. All those salt free runways have done wonders for the bodywork on this truck, not a hint of rust. Do you remember that Diamond Reo from a few days ago? This truck happens to be a stable mate of this IHC.
For more reading on the Fleetstar click here to view original product literature.
International Fleetstar - Click to Enlarge
Do you know of an old truck still earning its’ keep? Email Me!
This International WorkStar is setup with a Kuhn Knight VT180 mixer. Don’t know what the hell that is? Don’t feel bad, neither did I until Google saved the day. I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. The mixer on the back is used to deliver feed material on dairy and cattle farms. Impressive! Did you notice that large digital display hanging by the exhaust pipe? Most likely this is used by a loader operator to display how much feed product has been loaded. On the drivers side of the truck a smaller meter was mounted on the mirror. Your guess is as good as mine to why it was mounted outside rather than inside the cab. Maybe it helps the driver monitor the flow of material while keeping his eyes on the side of the truck that matters.
This is a pretty fancy truck considering it will spend life on the farm. Must have been rather expensive. Hard to believe an average farmer could afford such beast.
International WorkStar - Click to Enlarge
