Steering bellcrank slop

[Carls_jeep]

I replaced the ball joint pivot assembly that connects to the bellcrank and tie rod ends and adjusted the toe in and centered the steering wheel. That took some slop out of the steering but I should have ordered a kit for the bellcrank  . So, I just got through ordering the kit from Walck's and after I put that in the steering should have very little slop, at least I hope so as nothing else seems to be moving around.

Repairing steering, suspension and replacing a clutch was always something I really hated to do. It always takes heat, hammers and cussing to do those jobs, especially steering and suspension repairs.

Yeah, try rebuilding a walking beam suspension on a semi truck.

[Matto]

Funny that you mention hammers, heat, and heavy duty cussing.  Last night I started replacing the rear spring shackles. Sometime in the past a PO replaced the C shackles with H shackles. I thought it would be a quick job to swap them with some originals. Whoever did the replacement must have used a one hundred ton press to press steel lined Delron bushings into the spring.  I tried a gear puller with steel bushing and got nowhere. I ended up chaining the free end of the left spring to the right side of the frame and then using a Porto Power between the frame and spring with a little bit of heat for good measure. The bushing they put in the frame came out the same way.  Speaking of shackles I saw a heavy duty version of a C shackle on the 2A page, They have a strap to close the loop.
http://www.thecj2apage.com/forums/c-shackle-problemstuck_topic15312_page2.html
Matt

[calvinhunt]

As I've said before on the 3A page, when I was a kid I my first Jeep was a 12-year old 1947 CJ-2A (How I'd love to have a 12-year old Jeep now). Back then, instead of overhauling original steering gear boxes and other components folks were just changing them out with Saginaw steering systems from Chevy cars.  Worked great.  Had planned on doing the same with my present CJ-3A till I realized that this Jeep had never been altered in 60 years.  Not even an extra hole in the dash.  I felt I was stuck with restoring in stead of making it what I had planned to make.  As far as the steering goes, I was comforted in the fact that when the old Jeeps originally came off the assembly line their steering was fairly acceptable.  It took several miles before their steering became terrible.  I don't expect to ever put half that many miles on my present Jeep.  But to give it the best chance to have good steering I did overhaul or replace every component in the steering system.  During overhaul I even reamed the new steering gear box bushings to as close a fit as I could (Having rebuilt the entire Jeep in my former work place--an aircraft maintenance shop--all my former co-workers had to keep reminding me, "It's just a Jeep, not a space shuttle").  I must say that I am very pleased with the way it turned out and do hope to get several thousand miles on it before I start experiencing the typical wandering this steering system is so prone to.  To help with its longevity I plan to grease the steering (and all other grease fittings) very regularly, something I never did to my old Jeep as a kid.

[mud pie]

I have some minor slop in my steering, which I wrote off by using the logic, "well it is 57 years old"...

But since my radiator is out (easier to see all the linkage without lying on my back), I asked my wife to gently swing the steering wheel left to right.  What I noticed was the front crossmember is no longer solidly welded to the frame !!  Not rusted, not cracked, just looks like the OEM weld gave up the ghost, letting the tube shift a wee bit while twisting the wheel.  Seeing that will suck about 1" of BVD's up yer butt !

It's been like that forever; no real wandering, just felt "loose".  Now I know why.

Luckily my neighbor has a welder and a love for Jeeps.  He said he'd weld it for me.

There goes my excuse for buying a welder.    I guess it's a good thing, being I've never welded once in my life.

But you just can't have too many tools....

[Carls_jeep]

That's the good thing about these Jeeps, it's easy to get someone to help you.

Matto, I totally understand your problem and was grinning as I read your story but it's hard to grin when your in the middle of the battle like that   . I haven't looked real close at the spring shackles, etc. yet because, well, they are 58 years old and probably original. However they have apparently been greased regularly as best I can tell.

mud pie, you have me wondering about mine now so tomorrow I will have a look. I thought the frame parts were riveted together.

Geez, Annabel Lee is a high maintenance lady but she is fun to have around.

[Bob W]

Speaking of shackles I saw a heavy duty version of a C shackle on the 2A page, They have a strap to close the loop.

Those heavy duty shackles were originally installed on the M170 Front Line Ambulance. It looks kinda like a CJ-6.

[Carls_jeep]

mud pie, I looked at my Jeep and the front cross member is not welded to the frame on the ends of the tube. On mine it just butts against the inside of the frame and is welded to the lip of the frame channel. I don't think it would hurt to weld it but they must have had a reason for not welding it there.

Bob W, what is your take on this?

[Bob W]

The ends of the crossmember tube are cut like a crown (perhaps castle is a better word) and protrude through the frame to the outside where they are welded.

[Carls_jeep]

Hmm, didn't look on the outside, will do so.

[mud pie]

On mine, the inner tack weld on top of the tube if definitely cracked, need a tack there. I looked for the tell-tale "worm trail" of weld on the outside of the frame, couldn't see any...now that makes me wonder if the previous owner ground them off....amazing. Maybe there is too many coats of paint on it...time to wire wheel !!

[Carls_jeep]

Mine looks to be welded with no cracks on the outside of the frame. When I do a paint touch up I'll clean it off and check it better.