Mack Trucks? Best model for Heavy Haul?

Got exhaust studs from them a while ago because I broke a couple puting gaskets on the manifold. the old ones were ss unthreaded in the center like most studs.
The new ones which were 15 bucks a piece were simply just threaded rod cut to length…. Not even stainless. They went back and I got a whole 12 foot stick for less than 2 studs

 

We have both KW, Volvo and a few Mack Pinnacles. The Mack’s stay OUT of the shop, the others stay in the shop. The KW’s are falling apart as are the Volvo’s.
I drive a Mack and have put over 200k on it with no issues. Pull tankers both chemical and fuel.
But as been said before, there hasn’t been a decent truck built in this country in the last 15 years.

 

And some tell me I'm jealous because I never drove a "nice" truck, like a Volvo. Thank you for the "15 year" comment, it's true.

 

Your Volvos stay in the shop, our Volvos stay behind the shop. We finally gave up on 'em.

 

So, Renault fully took over Mack in 1990 and Volvo took over Renault in 2001. What year, would you guys say, that Mack really hit the skids and became essentially a Volvo? I guess, another way to ask, what year model becomes the cutoff for buying a used Mack?

 

Volvo may be the biggest stake holder in Mack but in reality the Mack line of trucks are nothing like Volvo’s.
Mack builds their own engines, transmissions and rears, suspension.
If you want a automatic transmission I know that the Mtrans is nothing like the Volvo automatic and of course Mack still builds their Maxidine line.
The Mack interior also seems to hold up better than the Volvo’s.

 

Yes they do…that’s kinda what got them where they are however in the case of the exhaust studs I mentioned in an earlier post volvo has cheapend them up. I bet they have done that with quite a bit of the rest of the truck as well. Sure seems like the bodies are awfully flimsy anymore not that most of their competition is any different but just saying they’re definitely not what they used to be

 

I worked on a 93 ch613 recently it was still pretty decent…more Mack than Volvo

 

I would say 97 is last year of the good Macks. 97 was the last year with a P pump. The 98-07 E-7 is still Mack but with unit pumps and EGR after 04. The E-7 is built off the old E-6, same 4 7/8 bore except the stroke was increased from 6 to 6.5 inches and buttress bolts through the side of the block.

The 98-03 Etech is still a good motor but not like the earlier ones with a P pump. Doesn't even sound the same at all.

Have a 93 and 99