My 75 W600 in Kremmling, Colo

[712edf]

Notice the bellhousing. Has the mounts same as the pre 1969 hydraulic clutch bells, BUT clutch is mechanical and on the driver's side. This bell has windows on both sides. Lighter duty mechanical clutch trucks (69-80's) use a tailshaft mount & not on the bellhousing.

[712edf]

More shots

Tires are just a tad under 40" tall. Gas tank is in cab, which doesn't bother me. No shoulder belts, only lap belts.

Transmission is NP540 with 7.41 low

T-case is Rockwell T223 & has less than 200 miles since rebuild. I found a vendor who lists used T223's for @ $2300 & rebuilt ones for @ $3800.... so I am keeping the one from my 66 W500.

I installed new tail-lamp assemblies & new wiring from the firewall connector back. I used a wiring kit for trailers. I still need to replace the remains of the cab clearance lights.

Bucky

[712edf]

Some parting shots

Engine is an LA318-3 with 2V carb. Truck has manual choke & a manual throttle knob to hold engine at a set RPM, sorta a redneck cruise control. No A/C, just hopefully a good heater/defroster.

BTW axle ratios are 6.8:1

I have had her up to 45mph & it honestly will go 10-15mph more, but I don't have the courage to push that much weight that fast with those ol big drum brakes & that sasquatch suspension/drivetrain. While tooling around the neighborhood I often am going slower than 20mph in 4th.

That rear "bracket" with the 2 sections of pipe at the tailend of the flatbed actually has 2 pins which can be removed & the "bumper" can be extended out making the flatbed anoth 4' longer. Plus the previous owner had a "goalpost" attachment that mounted to the verticle square tubing on the front bumper & extended upward to be level with the headache rack. This allowed for overhead carrying of logs that were longer than the truck (A goalpost type rack was fitted to the rear of the truck too. It fit on the verticle square tubing seen in the picture).

Bucky

[712edf]

More data

This truck has a 156" wheelbase, about the same as a modern extended or quad cab pick-up, yet it doesn't look any longer than any conventional cab run of the mill flatbed dually, due to the extreme height. Top of cab is @ 94". Headache rack & hoist are a tad higher.

Width at outside of front tires is about 93".

I'd like to use my W500 frame to extend this truck & have a 78 crew cab & long wb dually, but these med duty hood & front fenders would be hard to adapt to a 100-300 series cab. The firewalls are different.

Most of these W600's came with a Dana 70 front, I think rated at #4500. The Rockwell is rated at #7500.

Truck GVW on Data plate is 24,500

Bucky

[712edf]

Whatever your tow vehicle is, it had better have a lot of stopping power!! I might have to make a trip up your way to see that, when you get it home.
Jeff

Come on up!!!

Bucky

[Jeff in N.Tx.]

I do want to drive up to see the truck and meet you. however, I think I will wait until the temps are a good bit cooler. Those 110 degree temps you are having there, kind of kill the fun of crawling around under/on/in the truck.
I happen to have a brand new set of cab clearance lights, still in the package if you are interested. We are moving in a couple of weeks, so currently they are packed away somewhere and I don't have any photos of them. Will let you know when I dig them out and see if you need them.
Stay cool, and thanks for posting the photos. See you when the weather cools off.
Jeff

Come on up!!!

Bucky

[712edf]

Yes I am interested in those clearance lights. No hurry, just whenever you locate them. I have got plenty of other things on it to tinker with.

I agree the heat saps you. I am not progressing along as well on this truck, or anything else, due to it just being so uncomfortable from before lunch til past dark. We are nearing 50 days or more of 100+ temps, the first was April 6. Only twice in June did we not get 100, got 98/97 instead. July same pattern.

I do drive this hoss a bit after work. Trying to familarize myself with its nature, & build trust between it & me. I like knowing every little quirk about a truck's individual personality. New cowboys on new horses don't have that certain intangible that a veteran man/horse (or machine) combo contains..... So I practice driving my W600 daily.

Bucky

[KRB64]

I do drive this hoss a bit after work. Trying to familarize myself with its nature, & build trust between it & me. I like knowing every little quirk about a truck's individual personality. New cowboys on new horses don't have that certain intangible that a veteran man/horse (or machine) combo contains..... So I practice driving my W600 daily.

Bucky

I like that, it is so true.

So what about the drums? If you do stretch it will/can you convert to disc on Rockwells? Are the brakes assisted now?

That thing is a beast! 69" door handles mean I can't even see into the cab at 6' tall!!!

I like the looks just as she is but understand that may not be practical. What do you envision the end use being?

Do you have any idea of who had it originally or was that the logger? (sorry if you've already stated, I've not gone back to reread the first couple pages yet...)

Have fun!

[712edf]

Well if I go longer I have multiple options. I may get a similar yr truck with a longer frame. My 66 has 175"wb. I will compare the 2 frames, may do a swap. If I knew of a crew cab lifestyle truck (med duty) I could swap the drivetrain to that.

I am not big on flatbeds, but that hoist could be of some use. Ugly but good for something.

The truck has power brakes, vacuum booster & tank are mounted on the frame just below driver's side floorboard. I don't think discs are available for Rockwell sideloader. The more common military top-loaders are often fitted with an inboard (on the pumpkin, not at the wheel) disc brake rotor (1 per axle).

This isn't a mud truck, but should get me through any screwed up Tx Winter & our paltry ice/snow mixes.

Truck originally had a plow & sand spreader, so was maybe a DOT or county road truck. Seller used it to haul building materials & logs up into the mtns to construct a log cabin.

For now I'm just going to cruise through parking lots & park next to all those fancy new lifted 4x4's, and look DOWN upon them haha. Nope, can't see inside either the cab or under the hood while standing on the ground.

Thanks for y'all's interest in this truck. Feel free to ask any/all questions, not a commonly seen rig.

Thanks,
Bucky

[712edf]

Light Duty vs Medium Duty differences

Here is some shots showing the difference in how the hoods mount. The yellow is a 1979 W200 & the hood hinges bolt to the inner fender. The white is the W600 & it is more like the older Sweptline hood hinges, bolts to the firewall & the hood opens almost 90 degrees.

Bucky

[712edf]

More comparisions light vs Med duty

The medium duty trucks didn't switch to the Lifestyle cab until 1974, & discontinued production (for US sales) after 1977. Were very popular in South America.

The 74 trucks used round double faced fender mounted front turn signals, along with a separate retangular amber side marker light just below.

The 75-77 trucks used a square double faced fender mounted turn signal (shown) that incorporated the side marker light into it.

These turn signals used amber lenses on the front/side & red on the rear.

Fenders had huge wheelwell openings. Hoods/grill & basically everything from firewall forward were unique to the med duty trucks.

Bucky

[712edf]

Cab mounts & steering column

Medium duty trucks had the rear cab mounts located inboard of the frame rails, using a crossmember. (Shown)

The more common 100/200/300 cabs had the rear cab mounts outside the the frame rails.

Also steering column is different in a medium duty truck.

Bucky

[KRB64]

I didn't realize there were so many differences. I had assumed that the medium duties would have been just "bigger" versions of the 100-300 and using the same sheet metal. But not so.

[712edf]

I didn't realize there were so many differences. I had assumed that the medium duties would have been just "bigger" versions of the 100-300 and using the same sheet metal. But not so.

The floors aren't quite the same, of at least the W600 floorpan "hump" doesn't unbolt same as W100/200/300.

Most of the differences are from the windshield/firewall forward. In fact while very similiar, I don't think any of the front clip is identical.

Doors, dash, glass & the basic cab shell are the same between the 2 series.

Medium dutys have a straight frame, NO drop center, which makes them even taller.

This truck is almost like being up in a semi, but not quite.

Steers very easy. Brake pedal does require more effort but seems to get the job done well. But with those gears whose needs brakes haha.

the NP540 shifts with same effort as a 435.

Truck rides, well like a truck. Tires are quiet, but you can feel them.

Bucky

[712edf]

I got the parking brake working good. Had to reworking the linkage to remove ALL slack, plus reverse the shoes to put the "meatier" one in the sliding position.

Got horn functional too.

So today will attempt to get a Texas State Inspection sticker. If that succeeds then tomorrow (maybe) will attempt to title & register this craft. That will be the most frustrating ( & expensive) step in getting this thing legal to drive regularly.

Bucky