They are starting to get pretty bad and I need to plan on replacing them. Does anyone have a name or a brand, k ow where to get them at and roughly how much they cost? While I'm asking for the moon here how hard are they to replace?. Truck is a 1965 manufactured by franks and is a crane carrier style of truck. Thanks for any help.
TS will know but they look like the old school Hendricson rubber block walking beam to me
Looks like this? RS 380/400/440/460 Tandem Suspensions
That was trouble shot with a micro processor. * Because it's just two block it's 400/440. if it had the round center 460. The fun part is getting Stand #1 out of Bushing #7.
"Troubleshot with microprocessor"? No espeako that lingo.
You were on that like a bad smell.
Yeah that looks like it, bigger number bigger weight?
Those blocks make great wheel chocks.
Bad smell? I took a shower, this week
Hendrickson RT suspension parts are easy to get. But to replace the rubber blocks it's a job. Two ways-unbolt suspension from frame and roll out from under truck. or unbolt center beam bushing saddles, remove walking beams then remove center stands. * You may as well plan on completely rebuilding suspension, beam bushings, stand bushings and blocks, plus torque arm bushings. The price of parts isn't so bad it's the time involved, done allot of those.
Well can't roll the axles backwards or forwards and it's equipment. As seen in the picture I can go up, and I could go up probably another 6", would I be able to get enough to replace them that way? The walking beam probably could use some love but I don't think I want to get that far into it, I rather find a cut off and put those in but finding a low enough ratio might be hard, I don't know the ratio but the truck only goes 46 and I'd like to keep it that way. The only thing wrong with the axles is they are old, inboard brake hubs, and coarse axles. I'm just kinda worried about finding parts. If I'm able to use the truck all year I might get around 5,000-10,000 miles.
Can be done that way, but more like raising it a foot, will need to remove torque arms. Getting the bushings out of the main trunnion housing can be a pain sometimes. easiest to remove housing. Parts not hard to find.
Is that part #1 and #7 like you said above?
for 5,000 miles a year, I don't think I would bother. if you aren't going to do it all. I can't see the big blocks being bad enough to change, and the bushings in the beam not being shot. Its usually the beam bushings that go first.
Except what happens is, the beam bushings were replaced at some point, maybe even twice. That's common--------------but what isn't common is changing the biscuits-hardly anyone does that.
The reason is the rig leans to that side, so when I back into a well it's harder to get straight to the well then if the rig was level when on the suspension. I can train a guy to get me straight but sometimes Ill have to get out of the cab a few times and other times I think I'm straight until I rig up then I'm off and it just makes the whole job a little harder during the whole job. If I get backed in straight typically I can rig up without looking and be on the nats ass the whole job. The other reason is I have been driving on the worst roads and some of these wells are a little better than badlands. I don't think it will let me down but the rig makes good money and is in good shape. Sometimes the leveling leg is too low on that side and it's more work to get pads under it. We spent probably 20 minutes on a job digging out the ground and getting the rig straight from a rough location. That's 20 minutes I rather be at home. I'll try to get some pictures with the weight on it Monday and of the walking beam bushings. I've done a rebush of a walking beam and it wasn't fun especially not having the best tools and know how. I might see how much my mechanic wants to do it. I'm thinking of taking the torque arms off and jacking the whole thing up, cutting #1 and #7 off and getting a new parts along with whatever's needed.
How these look, I didn't get under the truck for the walking beans yet
Real tired, about half as thick as normal, crushed. Where the frame stand extends through the housing, there should be allot of slack after the nut to bushing.
I'll look, how important should I make this repair?
That's your decision, you could run it for another 10 years.