1979 White Road Boss ll with Holmes Big Ben wrecker unit

[LowBoy]

I had to show off my latest acquisition...a really cool '79 White Road Boss II. It was owned by a long-time, old school truck repair man who constantly upgraded this thing to what I consider excellent specs, and I would jump in it and drive it anywhere in the country.

It now has a Big Cam IV 400 Cummins with a Jake, a 12513 speed, and a 1999 International Z spring air ride cutoff mated up to it. It will flat out get down the road too.

It came with this Holmes Big Ben 5th wheel wrecker unit.

I've cleaned it up quite a bit, and will have it lettered up this week. I plan on leaving to patina and battle scars, as I like the worn look with clean accessories. Going to put her right to work this week as well, towing a few trucks and storage trailers for a customer.

 

[Steve Frazier]

Nice looking rig! The company I drove for had a number of these with 300 Cummins and 10 speeds. On our northeast roads they became rattle traps pretty quickly. I can remember watching the whole dashboard shake like hell over bumps.

 

[Truck Shop]

Larry Shinoda of Boss Mustang legend gave those that name when he went to work for White after Ford.

 

[LowBoy]

Nice looking rig! The company I drove for had a number of these with 300 Cummins and 10 speeds. On our northeast roads they became rattle traps pretty quickly. I can remember watching the whole dashboard shake like hell over bumps.

You're exactly right about that! They weren't exactly a high-quality built truck at all. Lots of issues. One in particular was the frame breaking right behind the steering axle's front-rear spring hanger. They had a bolt hole drilled up into the bottom frame flange that fastened the hanger to the rail. Consequently those bolt holes weakened the frames badly and they broke right there. This was one of them, but the guy I got it from had fixed that problem with an inner liner and plenty of bolts.

It originally had Reyco spring suspension, and everybody that drove it then all hated it. It was nicknamed the "Backbreaker". I can just picture this truck with the original 290 Cummins, 10 speed and Reyco spring. I wouldn't be nearly excited about it then as I am currently, lol.

But with the bigger power (400 HP,) a 13 and that IH Z spring air ride...this truck is actually a fun one to drive now. I'm taking it on it's maiden voyage today actually, to go tow a few storage trailers and a non-running Isuzu box truck with it.

 

[Old Doug]

Those fifth wheel wreckers are cool . A old truck that has been taken care of is always a good find.

 

[Truck Shop]

One in particular was the frame breaking right behind the steering axle's front-rear spring hanger.

KW used the same method for years, some never had a issue others cracked.

 

[Old Doug]

KW used the same method for years, some never had a issue others cracked.

I wonder if it wasnt the Driver that made it crack. I have heard and saw pictures of GM 73/ 87 crack around the steering box but i never had it happen or worked on one that did it.

 

[LowBoy]

KW used the same method for years, some never had a issue others cracked.

Correct. My '78 W900A that I run daily...it had manual/air assist when I got it back in 2017. I ran it a year with that miserable air assist. It constantly was trying to kill me; it'd wander to the median, you'd correct it, then it'd throw you to the shoulder all. day. long. I finally figured out the the slave piston was mounted too far to one side on the tie rod, so it was constantly telling the air cylinder to go the other way. Once I centered it/adjusted it out, it was better but nowhere near good enough to make me fall in love with it.

A year after putting it into service I found a good, used steering box and bracket in a salvage yard and ripped that air assist junk off as quick as I could. That's when I discovered that KW also bolted their hangers up through the bottom of the frame flange, which really, really bothered me having to drill those holes to mount that box...but I did, and that was about 4 years and a lotta miles and rough roads ago now. I know some that did crack/break, and others never did.

 

[LowBoy]

I wonder if it wasnt the Driver that made it crack. I have heard and saw pictures of GM 73/ 87 crack around the steering box but i never had it happen or worked on one that did it.

I don't know...really all depends on the whole bigger picture I guess. How much weight one would keep on the front end with the 5th wheel slid ahead...how a guy pays attention to avoid hitting craters in the road ahead of him...type of work/trailer he's got...lots of variables I guess.

 

[Steve Frazier]

Now that you've mentioned the 290 Cummins, that's what these trucks were equipped with, the 300s came in the Ford L9000s that replaced them. My memory gets foggy now and then. We had the Reyco suspension too, it wasn't too hard to get one wheel high sided and sit there and spin. Interiors were black vinyl, made the cab like getting into a cave.

 

[LowBoy]

Now that you've mentioned the 290 Cummins, that's what these trucks were equipped with, the 300s came in the Ford L9000s that replaced them. My memory gets foggy now and then. We had the Reyco suspension too, it wasn't too hard to get one wheel high sided and sit there and spin. Interiors were black vinyl, made the cab like getting into a cave.

Not only dark, but hotter than a 2 dollar pistol in the summer sun I bet.

I took this White for it's maiden voyage the other day. Man was I grinning, lol. That NTC 400 has a good snap to it, unlike most Cummins I've ever dealt with. It was set up right evidently. The truck goes down the road surprisingly great; straight and nice. No shimmy, bouncing, wandering, pulling to one side, etc. It's really fun to drive a 43 year old truck that feels good.

 

[LowBoy]

Got it lettered up last Wednesday...all legit now.