Ever hear of a Trackson Swing Crane?
https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/201...t-is-very.html
As you can see from the link above, they were mounted on crawlers but in their second lives, sometimes on trucks.
I was offered one mounted on an old truck by way of a cousin of mine from a third party (his Foreman wanted it gone) for no money or barter. Just make it go away!
The truck is a story unto itself, a 54’ GMC 350 (its a ton and a half). We got it running. From the factory it came with a GMC 248, but it might have a 270 in it now. We had to split the carb and get the needle valve unstuck but the old girl had spark from the get go!
So with the PTO engaged, we ran the boom hoist up and down and also the lift line, but we could not get the swing to work!
So we started to take the forward and reverse box off the common drive but we ran into conflict.
Next we had to take the whole unit off with the three F&R boxes out to get clearance. Now we thought we were getting somewhere! No dice, the boxes have to come off from the lowest unit and middle unit and then the highest or top unit last, the one we needed to free up!
So we get inside and one bearing has grenaded, another had to be cut out.
All the bearings are rusty and I go “shopping”!
Well my naturally wavy hair gets straightened OUT because these bearing houses are getting carried away!
I would need keys to the Denver Mint to play ball on some of these double row ball bearings! Two of these bearings (70mm x 125mm x 39.36 mm) with a snap ring groove ...... that’s the kicker, the groove, are five months out and $200 each before freight! Another bearing house found two in different cities (I presume) for over $2xx for one and $3xx for the other of the above bearing.
So I get on the internet and watch some vids about fighting rust. They are talking this store bought stuff vs this vs another. Another guy is talking white vinegar and a ultra sonic cleaner. Well I have one of those and my wife provided the vinegar!
I ran a number of runs with water and the green and simple stuff first!
Then I got down to brass tax with 2/3 vinegar and 1/3 water! Man what a job! I am impressed!
My other option was to buy those larger bearings for $78 each and then ground freight from Portland Ore. and see if a local machine shop could grind the snap ring grooves with a tool post grinder and some skinny wheels.
My third option would be to ditch those gear boxes or the worst one and replace them with hydraulic orbit motors.
As it stands now I am inclined to buy the lost bearings and replace the seals and mix up a good old batch of gear oil and Lucas oil stabilizer. If and when it grenades, go hydraulic!
The running of this crane is going to be pretty infrequent and short runs. I think I have dodged a big money bullet and still saved a useful tool from becoming Chinese shrapnel!
Who says an “old dog” can’t learn a new trick!
Three44s