Half Century Show, Mack truck with unusal aftermarket drive.

JD Seller · Aug 31, 2017

The "R" model Mack Kruser posted below has an after market attachment I have never seen or even heard of. The Mack has a dead/cheater axle. The attachment is a "V" belt setup that has pulleys made into the wheel spacers and then a v-belt that goes between the "live" axle to the "dead" axle. I have never seen one of these or even ehard of there being one.

BIG RUH · Aug 31, 2017

Own by a Massey Collectors of Illinois member. This is his tractor hauler.

jon f mn · Aug 31, 2017

We had a neighbor with that setup on a grain truck, I think theirs was an IH. They used it for many years and still had it when they sold out.

mijohn · Aug 31, 2017

I worked at local elevators after nam back in 1971-1976, saw quite a few tandem axel trucks set up this way, was cheaper to buy, and run cheaper on fuel then tandem live axels. If you ever backed over a little ridge on the ground, we are talking of just 3 to 4 inches, with a set of dumbly axels, you would give a days wages for a set of belted dual axels.

Steve@Advance · Aug 31, 2017

I can remember seeing those when I was a kid.

Too young to have paid much attention to what they were on. Just thought it strange to see a belt driven axle!

Dan67 · Aug 31, 2017

Keeps the rocks from sticking between the duals.

kruser · Aug 31, 2017

Thanks for posting JD
Should have posted the picture about that truck and tag axle.
Kinda remember a Dodge tandem with the same belt YEARS ago around home!!
Jim

kruser · Aug 31, 2017

COOL - Kinda think that was his IH pickup too ?
Saw them sitting there when I was there on Friday

MT RON · Sep 1, 2017

Ran an IH Embryville in the 60s in the pacific northwest with this setup,wasn't too bad but when the sign said chains required you sat.

bradley martin · Sep 1, 2017

How was the belt tensioned? Even if tight when new, wear would soon cause slack if there wasn't some type of tension idler.

hillbillyhim · Sep 1, 2017

The pickup belongs to his son.

Bob Bancroft · Sep 1, 2017

A friend has talked about something he called a "rubber band drive" he recalls from his youth. This must be it.

Moonlite37 · Sep 1, 2017

For several months from 1965 to 1955 I drove a 1963 Dodge C-600 with that setup. That was really ugly truck with the swing-out fenders, The belts were tightened by moving the rear axle back with a threaded arrangement. Not a good setup. When I returned to the company a year later the belts and sheaved has been removed as I suppose the belts were worn out.

Moonlite37 · Sep 1, 2017

1965 to 1966

wilson ind · Sep 1, 2017

common few years ago. You ever see or should I say hear a chain drive? Chain drive at night could throe some sparks unless just lubed. sling grease would drive epa nuts if used now. .Many were used as pit trucks. Ratio was easy to change with different sprocket.

BarryfromIA · Sep 1, 2017

There was a company in Sioux City Ia called Silent Drive. They machined the casting at a small shop. I do not know where they got the castings from or who originated the idea. I do not know If they installed them there or just sold them to truck shops.

BarryfromIA · Sep 1, 2017

See if this works http://silentdrive.com/our-company/

DR. EVIL · Sep 1, 2017

Companies tried lots of differnt things back in the 50's and '60's. This Belt drive was advertised in every issue of OverDrive magazine back then. It was NOT the answer to getting around in rough terrain. When roads got wet or snowy/icy the belt slipped. After the first few got some miles on them nobody bought them anymore. I'm surprised they all hadn't been removed and scrapped. What made more sense on snow/ice were the sander boxes mounted ahead of the drive tires. Those were common in the late '50's early '60's.

After the belt drives bombed the companies tried 3-speed tandem axles. Front axle drove in one range, both axles drove in intermediate running the inter-axle differential in Over-time, and last axle drove in high.

Finally single speed axles and multi-speed transmissions, 4&5 speeds with Brownie aux boxes or Road Rangers became common.

K Effective · Sep 1, 2017

(quoted from post at 19:43:48 08/31/17) If you ever backed over a little ridge on the ground, we are talking of just 3 to 4 inches, with a set of dumbly axels, you would give a days wages for a set of belted dual axels.

A lesson I learned the hard way my very first summer working for a neighbor. Of course, a day's wages then wasn't even $20, but I sure did feel like the dummy walking back to the yard, explaining what happened, and having to have his 8 year-old son come pull me off the bump with a tractor.

WCS · Sep 1, 2017

I remember the Silent Drive company in Sioux City. Located on Dace Avenue near the stockyards. Don't know anything else about them except Dad told me it was a belt drive between the powered front axle of a tandem axle truck and the non-powered axle.

PDaniels · Sep 1, 2017

I worked at Winn-Dixie back in the 80 s all the trucks had that set up then

jm. · Sep 1, 2017

I never thought any of them made it to the 80s , In 1962 was when I remember it being poplar on the early tandems. It was next to useless. I ran from Evansville Indiana to Louisville Ky. and with any ice on the road things were not good.

Tom OConnor · Sep 1, 2017

There were a lot of these belt drives in the sugar beet fields in Michigan. A lot better than just the dummy axle. Most farmers did not have the money to spend on a live tandem so went this route. They had shims between the pulleys to remove to tighten the belts. I would file these under Yankee Ingenuity when dollars are short and you are trying to build a decent farm truck that didn't get many miles a year. Not as successful as the live tandem but a lot better than the dead axle some used.

Dune Country · Sep 1, 2017

When I was 19 or so I drove a semi with a air tag axle. Would pull up to a stoplight empty put a little air in the tag and rev up the engine a few times, green light, take off smoking the drivers, yea I know , some kids :lol:

preacher man · Sep 1, 2017

I started trucking in 1968 and there were lots of those at that time. They were better (barely) than nothing. This was when many people were in transition from single axle trucks to tandem axle. It was cheaper to just add some frame and a tag axle to existing trucks.

TGP · Sep 1, 2017

As stated was very common in the late fifties through the sixties,
For the most part the reasons already stated.,
And was not all that bad of a set up if maintained properly.

By the way, that's a "B" model Mack.
Tom

willie in mn · Sep 1, 2017

All the "3 speed rears" that I ran across were set up a bit different.
Both axles drive in all ranges, identical ratios, shifted them one at a time.

Low range, both in low

Intermediate, shift forward axle to high, rear stayed in low, power divider (center differential) evened things out.

High range, shift the rear axle to high, keep the forward also in high.

When running empty or even light load, could run the trans up to fifth, then shift both axles to high at same time.
Thinking at the time, whether right or wrong, was that a straight 5 speed trans with a pair of 2 speed axles was less expensive to to repair in case of problems. Also easy to convert single axle to full tandem when weights started to increase. Just extend the frame, add another axle with power divider & WHEE, I now have a 15 speed full tandem.

Willie

Half Century Show, Mack truck with unusal aftermarket drive.

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