Aluminum Frames? Swap Chassis?

[JTMcC.]

I'm not sure of the year, it's a friend of mines, several years ago he was hit at a light and totaled the truck, he has a Volvo now. It's an older model tho. If I run into him I'll ask what year.
I've welded a lot on truck frames, not much lately tho, and have spent time scrounging the local salvage yards locating different brands of frames to rob sections from. Thats the only reason I know his old Mack (he has two of them sitting in the back 40, along with a bunch of other treasures) has an aluminum frame.

JTMcC.

[Franz]

BIG, I'm shocked, a Canahodian not remembering Marmon.

[big rig guy]

I seen my first Marmon about twenty years ago out west, have not really seen another one since. Never worked on one either, can't say anything about them cept I think thier fugly. Did they come with an aluminum frame, I am thinking not?????????

[Franz]

Originally Posted by big rig guy

I seen my first Marmon about twenty years ago out west, have not really seen another one since. Never worked on one either, can't say anything about them cept I think thier fugly. Did they come with an aluminum frame, I am thinking not?????????

Marmon used more aluminum than any other truck maker, one of their primary selling points was maximizing the use of aluminum to cut fuel costs. YUP, they wuz ugly, but they pulled like a sumbeach with his as5 on fire, and loved to run fast.

[big rig guy]

Heh Franz-I did not know that. There's some sort of Marmon club out there now, to preserve the trucks, did'nt Marmon start making something else, can't put my finger on it, but seems to me they stopped making the big trucks and started making something else.?

[gdburch]

Hello, I've been lurking for a few months and thought I would say hi.

Big Rig About Mack aluminum frames they used them in the 70's and possibly early eighties. I know some had E6's in them and at least one had an earlier engine. Never have seen an RW E9 v8 truck with one. I think a lot of the ones around here in Washington State were built in Haward Cali but not sure. I never paid attention. I believe most were RL's not sure about the RD's and RS's. A lot of the trucks were logging, dump along with 5th wheels. For the most part they held up well even though one I know of had a dump box fall off. An older salesman told me that they quit using aluminum frames because they weren't cost effective. By the time they were equal to steel in strength the weight savings wasn't enough to justify the extra cost.

[Tom Zachman]

I saw a Marmon pulling live cattle into Dodge just yesterday. Not a common sight out here. When I see it again, I'll try to digitize it.

[JTMcC.]

Originally Posted by gdburch

Hello, I've been lurking for a few months and thought I would say hi.

Big Rig About Mack aluminum frames they used them in the 70's and possibly early eighties. I know some had E6's in them and at least one had an earlier engine. Never have seen an RW E9 v8 truck with one. I think a lot of the ones around here in Washington State were built in Haward Cali but not sure. I never paid attention. I believe most were RL's not sure about the RD's and RS's. A lot of the trucks were logging, dump along with 5th wheels. For the most part they held up well even though one I know of had a dump box fall off. An older salesman told me that they quit using aluminum frames because they weren't cost effective. By the time they were equal to steel in strength the weight savings wasn't enough to justify the extra cost.

The two I speak of are R series, I'm kind of assuming they would be RL's, it would make sense, but I don't know.

JTMcC.

[cutter]

BTW gdburch, welcome to the board. Glad you decided to join in.

Speaking of Marmons,I almost bought a used cabover about 20 yrs ago.It had a aluminum frame.They remind me of a Western Star as being a classic rig.
Does anyone have some pictures
Thanks
Doug