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North Central Kansas | Questions on an older Mack truck. Guy says it's a 73 R600 model truck. Tandem twin screw. Younger brother went down and drove it. Says there's no way to take twin screw out? As in it's locked in all the time? Didn't make sense.
Also what kinds of tranny's in them? He says straight five speed in it but couldn't find a splitter button for rear end.
Priced fairly cheap. Would just be used around the farm to move seed wheat, clean out bins, grab distillers from local co-op and what not. Younger brother said the guy told him he hauls Milo in it every fall 35 miles one way and it never left him stranded.
If anyone can tell me the good bad or ugly it'd be appreciated.
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| My understanding is they have such a torque curve you only need 5 speeds. I was told you waited until the pistons started changing holes before you downshifted.. The one I was around turned 28+ which would help also. I have no idea if that was factory rpm. Most are not super fast on the road of that vintage. Back in the day I knew a guy had one.He could mash the throttle and get one front wheel off the ground.
I don't know about the locking rears. Odds are it is a Hendrickson suspension of some type. It could be a walking beam or rubber pills. Either way it will ride rough.
Edited by IADAVE 9/11/2017 21:11
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rochester IN | They were good simple trucks. The mack engine has a lot of torque at low rpms thus the 5 speed is all it needs. The rears are automatic locking in away. Probably a 237 engine good in there Day but will be no speed demand by today's standard. Look at the trunion down where the tube crosses for the camelback suspension tends to crack out on the inside. |
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Memphis, NY | Mack rears don't use a power divider. Straight five speeds were common in those old trucks. They'll get up to forty with the first four, then go seventy in fifth. |
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| have had several of those trucks over the years they are indestructible are the leaf springs turned upside down on the rear if so they are Mack could be 38 s or 44s check rubber bushings top and on bottom they wear but will not let you down best Mack I ever had was a 86 with a 5 could grose out 82000 and run it at 72 mph and maintain it in the hills pulled a 8k with a ripper several time no problem have two two stick Macks 6 speed now love those trucks--------on is a 72 237-----------------------dave |
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North Central Kansas | Thanks for the help guys. He said it really set you back when you hammered the pedal. Must've been right. I was curious on splitter because I may get the notion this winter to throw our old silage box on it. Has a 22' box now. How does it pull loaded?
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| I remember being tickled pink when I got ahold of a 71 R600 with a 5 speed and a 237 after running a couple gassers.I thought it was more than adequate at the time but now everybody needs 600 hp and 18 speed. The difference between the 237 and a 300 is a bigger turbo and a couple turns on the smoke screw and by now somebody has probably already done that. It won't be a racer and it willride rough, but they were good old trucks. The rears worked pretty well too. |
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North Central Kansas | I was surprised they weren't more popular as farm trucks around here vs. the Chevy gassers. What gutless wonders. I can haul more with a pickup and wagon than we ever could with one of those. Plus, no brakes to stop when you finally got up to speed |
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| I know a guy that runs 6 of them hauling tandem semi trailers on the farm, especially for harvest work. Perfect trucks for that application. |
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Lincoln County. NC | State of the art for farm bulk milk pickup in their day. 6 speeds were more versatile than 5's. |
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| They work great for silage haulers. The 78 on the far right has a 22' box on it. It has a 5 speed with a 2 stick, the 2nd stick has low range and reverse. Very tough trucks.
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Nw Iowa | Very premium short haul or line haul truck in its day. Mack incorporated a lot of the r series into the ch'c until Volvo bought them out. Now behind and under the bulldog is just a Volvo. We have quite a few and have been excellent trucks up until 2004 when they had to change for emissions. A R or CH is like a 4020, simple and dependable. There transmissions are legendary. I have a older DM that you can put in low low and it will move a load of gravel thru impossible conditions. Driveshafts are a lot heavier and so are rears if you get a camelback susp. There are some variations of the R like a DM and others but all use the R cab in one way or another. R Mack was not a cheap truck to buy in its day for a no frills truck. Don't know if it would be truck of choice if you were running 500 miles everyday but a wonderful farm truck. |
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Jackson County, AL | We have a '78 with a 300, 10-speed RoadRanger, and no power steering, and an '89 with the 237, 9-speed, and power steering. They both were originally tractors with the '89 being a single axle with a 5-speed Mack originally. They both will haul 700 bu of corn and pull it very well. Dad bought the '78 in the early 90's and has never touched anything major on it. Adjusted the clutch three or four times. We've rolled both over and had to have frame work done, and no issues. Around here no concrete company, tri-axle dump company, or any other heavy application used anything but Mack. No one complained about reliability. I was telling dad the other day how much I love the way they sound. When you fire them up they sound like they're gonna move something. |
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northern ohio lake erie | Had two at a farm i worked for haul a lot of beets with them two tandems one was a semi the new trucks got beets carted to then and those old trucks would drive in the field . Son got a R mack 5/2 spiltter. |
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| I ask this Question have ever seen or heard of a Mack 5 or a 6 speed transmission giving trouble how about a9 10 13 speed road ranger ---- allthe time--------------------------------dave |
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White Stone, Virginia | I had a 1989 R688ST with a 10 speed and camel back suspension. Great basic truck, which is just what you need for a farm application. Tough as nails.
Edited by Rawleigh 9/12/2017 11:25
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| I've always said you can't kill an r model. Probably the toughest truck there is. May not be the fastest or the best riding. We had to move on to newer models cxu's and CH's Just because of the distance we travel and keeping drivers. Talk about a head ache with the emission and electrical nightmares. Still have 2 r models probably never leave this farm. The 5 speed is a good trans however if your pulling out of field where ground is soft may have too take off hard. 6 spds were always the choice around here. |
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New London, Wisconsin | I had an R600 with a 5 speed and 237 tandem tractor. I wish I'd kept it.
I also had a 1974 MB 5 speed 237 straight truck with a 22 foot box and hoist. A friend bought that and I'm pretty sure they still use it.
Those trucks were very reliable and just went were you pointed them, load or not. I'm sorry Mack sold out.
Jim |
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Mack R600
