I've seen this type on several older trucks.What can you guys tell me about it?
Just about the best off-road, I don't mind it on-road, cause I like off road traction over comfort; but, you can count on most of the newer generation of drivers whining when they see it.
I'm pretty sure this is what my dumptruck has.Did they have a name for it?
walking beam
It's not a walking beam, Mitch, the walking beam has the steel or alloy beam connecting the two drive axles and while it is a good off road suspension, it is rough on road. The suspension pictured is what we call a six rod suspension, you may have a different name for it there, it is a simple suspension and rides reasonably well. RnR.
Only thing better off road and for heavy duty applications is Mack camel back.
It's a good suspension .Tough & simple like an anvil.We have one on a crane similiar to yours except it uses the solid beam insted of the spring.Most suspensions had a given name from the manufacturer but I dont know what they called it. White Used to have a walking beam set up back in the 1960's that they called "Velvet Ride".I just dont know what Rockwell called this suspension. It works like a walking beam as Mitch stated only yours has the sping in place of the beam giving a better ride & it uses upper & lower control rods like RocksnRoses was describing. The picture I put in is a 1953 vintage crane carrier.
My Autocar rig up trucks have the six rod with the solid beams and it is one darn stout suspension. I pull 80,000-90,000 pound mud pumps and draworks up over the tailboard all the time. I do have an IH Paystar 5000 with the 6 rod and springs like pictured and they are very strong also. The front wheels get airborn with the heavy loads but they will stand up to the day to day heavy work.
Yup, Rockwell six rod. Found an interesting PDF. Check out illustrations on page 3. http://www.mackayrubber.com.au/pdf/Truck_Trailer.book.pdf
This one seems to have the brass bushing that you grease.Some have a rubber bushing.Ride is a little better with rubber bushing.When you put a real load on it rides great.
Wish I had a pic, but we used to own a '62 White 4000 that had Rockwell rear tandems with a suspension very similar to the Mack Camel Back, but instead of multi layer parabolic springs like Mack, had only two or three very thick parabolic springs with self aligning pillow blocks at attachment to axles, similar to the Mack setup. Didn't use the bottom stablizer rods like the 6 rod system. But had the over hung springs similar to the 6 rod and Camel Back. Haven't seen one like that since, and that truck is long gone.
No doubt camelback susp is tough but I never really liked driving dump trucks with it. Always feels like it's leaning too much when your loaded.
with the camel backs we always replaced the road springs with heaver ones. 38,000 for 44,000
Building logging roads at Weyerhaeuser Snoqualmie, we had some early 70's DM800SX with the camelbacks. We had to rebush the trunions every winter. We had some late 60's R600s and had far less issues with the trunions. Actually, the DM800s were a nightmare for the mechanics as they broke everything. However, nobody ever could figure out why they had such issues with wearing the bushings out on the trunions. Personally I liked the early 60s KW with the biscuits over the walking beam.