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7/8" bellcrank rebuild (after #199079)

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JeepSaffer View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (3) Thanks(3)   Quote JeepSaffer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: 7/8" bellcrank rebuild (after #199079)
    Posted: 22 Sep. 2016 at 10:13pm
So this is a pretty simple rebuild, but I figured this might help some folks out there.

There are two bellcrank rebuild kits. The 3/4" is for SN before 199079, and the 7/8" is for SN after 199079. They are quite different, so be sure to get the right one for your Jeep. This is for the 7/8" later style.

Your kit should look like the following:



The rebuild procedure is pretty simple. I'm assuming you have everything apart, clean, painted and ready to rebuild.

1. Press the two bearings into the bellcrank bore, one from each end. I used a 15/16" socket to do this. Note the space left between the bearings which corresponds with the grease nipple in the centre for greasing these up.



2. Press the bearings in a little further on each side to allow the bearing seals to be inserted flush with the bellcrank. Measure the seals beforehand so you know how far to press the bearings in.



3. Grease up the bearings and the space between the bearings, and then insert the bearing spacer. It fits inside the bearings and the seals and it is more like an internal sleeve.



4. Insert the shaft, together with the large washer, from the bottom of the bellcrank through the centre of the bearing spacer. (The bellcrank ball must be pointing up!)



5. Push the top of the shaft through the bracket on the frame from below, and put on the small washer and nut. Tightening the nut pulls the large bottom washer up against the bearing spacer, and this then tightens against the bottom of the bellcrank bracket. The bearing spacer is very slightly longer than the bellcrank bore (mine was 1/64" longer) so that the bearing spacer takes all the compression and the bellcrank itself does not pull tight. The bellcrank is free to rotate on the bearings around the spacer which is held tightly in compression.



6. Insert the bell crank bracket cross bolt and torque to 70-90 ft.lb. Test for free and easy rotation of the bellcrank.

(Sorry, all photos should be rotated 90 degrees right. They are correct on my computer, but frustratingly they load sideways on the forum)

Mike
1948 CJ2A #204853 in South Africa
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Oilleaker1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Sep. 2016 at 12:58am
Nice photos. I bought two of these kits for my M38's. Both had .015 slop between the contact points of the tall inner bushing, needle bearings, and the inner pin.  Crown and Omix  Ada are the two that mfg. them.  I developed death wobble in my M38 in less than 300 miles of use. The cause was this kit. Check your looseness by trying to lift up and down out on the end of the bellcrank arm. Mine would go up and down almost a 1/4 inch after some slight wear. The bushing inside is taller than the bellcrank. Therefore the whole bellcrank can shift up and down. All this adds up to much steering wheel play or movement before the wheels begin to turn.  If your tires and wheels slightly wobble, this looseness leads to death wobble or front end shimmy. I called the supplier and he said that's all that is available for the M38. My solution was to have a machinist make a soft steel bushing that had .001 between it and the bellcrank bore and .001 between the pin and the new bushing. I drilled holes and beveled them for grease to enter all. I made the bushing the same height of the bellcrank. I did this X two. Both steer well and feel good. Anyway, if yours fits tight, then good for you!Wink John
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote markcl52 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Dec. 2016 at 4:01am
I rebuilt my bellcrank tonight. The bearings were a tight press fit and that caused a tight fit with the bearing spacer. In fact I had to press the bearing spacer in. I'm assuming this should be a slip fit rather than a press fit. Now that it is all bolted up, there is a good amount of resistance to rotate the bellcrank. Do I need to start over with new bearings?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JeepSaffer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jan. 2017 at 12:34pm
Sorry, just seen this latest post now. Yes, mine was a nice close slip fit and not a press fit. I would think a press fit would not be right. It will make your steering very stiff.

It may be easier to keep the bearings and just trim down a fraction on the OD of the bearing spacer until it fits "just right". 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bruce W Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jan. 2017 at 7:55pm
 The sleeve should not be a press fit, it should turn in the bearings as any bearing should. The sleeve is very difficult to reduce the OD of, because it is very hard, since it is the "inner race" for the bearings. I chucked the last one I did in a lathe and was able to sand it down to size, but it took a lot of sanding to reduce it by less than .001". Then I found that the sleeve was shorter than the thickness of the bellcrank, and the washer tightened up on the BC before the sleeve, which should be held in place by the bolt/shaft so the BC and bearings can pivot around it. I had to make a shim to lengthen the sleeve so it would tighten up and leave the BC free to turn.  BW
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