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    Posted: 06 May 2022 at 10:23am
This will likely start painfully slow with little to show for progress. Odds are it won't get any better and probably will go wildly off-tangent at inopportune times. It might be best to think of this being a cautionary tale.

So last week out of the blue an unknown number texted me a brief message and a couple pictures. Now it's obvious that with at least 14 unfinished projects and a lack of talent and motivation this message should have been ignored.




Of course being terribly weak willed and colossally foolish I replied.

Now no one needs an old jeep. They're uncomfortable, unsafe, and unreliable. Not to mention they're open to the elements and I have terrible allergies so driving one is out of the question. With the logical arguments out the way we need to refer back to the previous paragraph where important points were brought up regarding weakness and foolishness.

So Monday morning first thing I hooked the trailer up and headed south to make the first of what will certainly be a series of terrible and expensive mistakes.




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Scratch Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 May 2022 at 10:29am
Sounds like this might be your first jeep?

Welcome to the club!
...Now go get a second job.
43 GPW 93487 Blk
44 GPW 230283 OD
46 CJ2A 50100 Tan
46 CJ2A 77632 Wht
47 CJ2A 141681 Grn
48 CJ2A 156240 Red/Yel
48 CJ2A "Lefty" 181341 Red
61 CJ5 123120 Tan
03 TJ Inca Gld
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cbody Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 May 2022 at 10:35am
I managed to get it home without it falling off.



There are some paintjobs that are "20 footers", this one won't start looking better until you get into the 2000 foot range. In the fog. With a hangover. Wearing the wrong prescription glasses.

You have to wonder if somebody owned stock in Bondo.



No more lollygagging, time to get this jewel unloaded.



Tilt the trailer and unspool the winch, easy peasy and would you look at what's in the background. Yes, that would be the old Chrysler 300 that's in the middle of an engine swap so there are 2 unfinished projects in one picture. What are the odds of that happening?

The first real issue then reared its head. To load it all that was needed was to back up to the owners garage and winch it on, however unloading requires some steering input to avoid hitting the Chrysler. Guess what? It really doesn't want to steer very easy. And by "very easy" I mean "At All". 400 ft. lbs. of force is required to get the wheels to move a total of 2" which is not ideal. No big deal though, just jack up the front to get the weight off the tires and it'll spin free. Or not. So I just shoved it by hand and used the rolling jack to spin the front and rear kind of in position.



Job #1 is to figure out the steering issue. But if you look behind the willys you'll see a gutted DRZ400 and GasBoy fuel pump. So there are at least 3 unfinished projects in this photo!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cbody Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 May 2022 at 10:40am
Originally posted by Scratch Scratch wrote:

Sounds like this might be your first jeep?

Welcome to the club!
...Now go get a second job.

My first flat fender........well, my first flat fender that has a snowballs chance of getting on the road again.

Are you hiring? I have few skills, coordination or ambition, but I have a clumsy nature around people and a poor memory if that helps?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Flatfender Ben Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 May 2022 at 2:07pm
This is my kind of entertainment!
Thanks for sharing Clap
1946 cj2a desert dog
1946 cj2a bulldog
1948 cj2a blue jeep
1953 cj3b yard dog
1955 willys wagon
1955 willys pickup
1956 willys pickup boomer
1960 fc 170
1968 jeepster commando
1990 Grand wagoneer
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cbody Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 May 2022 at 9:30am
After jacking the front wheels off the ground and pulling the steering shaft off it became quickly evident that the box itself was the culprit. This hacked up mess. Believe it or not that torched off piece of steel the box is bolted to is not factory. At some point in the distant past someone retrofitted this mystery steering box using leftover I beam artfully trimmed down with an acetylene torch. I am in no way disparaging this work, it appears more than workable and odds are any thing I did to improve it would look considerably worse.



It looks like the original steering box sat almost directly under the firewall and operated a series of what I can only guess was convoluted series of pulleys and ropes to affect your direction.

In a testament to the lean times when this repair was done I present the "farmers cotter pin".



The grease in the steering box looked terrible, but it was grease which concerned me since it meant that the problem was more than a dry bearing or a rust issue.



I have a suspicion that this might be a contributing factor. It almost looks like this shaft should be longer.



Now the question is do I weld it back together and hope for the best or pursue other options? Going back to stock would be a grand idea since all this could be sliced off however I don't have any of the stock bits, nor do I have a parts CJ2A, plus there's the added problem that it appears all the stock mounting points for the pulleys and levers have already been torched or broken off. Looks like it's time to round up another steering box that will sort of mount up front again.

Fingers crossed that I can scrounge a few bits off this old thing. It's sort of got the right orientation so maybe???


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote cbody Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2022 at 12:23pm
To the surprise of no one this steering issue is going to be a real pain in my ass, the tie rod is bent and if you look closely you can see where the bend is.



That's right! It's where the rod was cut and spliced together. Behind it welded to the axle is what's left of part of the original linkage. So, no big deal. Just pull the tie rod off, straighten it out and get a measurement and see if I've got anything else out back that will work. Time to pop off the tie rods from the steering knuckles.



One down, One to go.

OK, maybe two to go since the drag link hooks to the tie rod. And look, another nail! Yankee ingenuity strikes again.



It's hard to believe but I ran into another problem. I'm confident it will be the last surprise so from here on out it'll be smooth sailing. There are two broken studs holding the steering knuckle/kingpin (whatever the hell it's called, I'm sure a fellow pedant will correct me) together. One is broke up top so there's plenty of room to grab on to. The other is broke a little shy of flush. I'm sure it'll spin right out with a little overnight soak. And to be clear, I didn't break them, they appear to have been broken what I can only guess is decades before. Safety first!



Another issue is the shims to space the upper kingpin are trashed. hopefully I can find an inexpensive source so I don't have to make them from scratch as I've noticed a severe case of laziness afflicting me lately.



There may be one other tiny issue that may need addressed before this gets buttoned back together. As I was pulling the tie rod off I noticed there was a bit of repair work done to the frame rail. Just a tiny fix really, right behind the shock mount.



Extending along the top of the frame forward. And the bottom. And then a bit more weld up front. On the drivers side as well. So I'm sure it's all fine but just to ease future work I might go ahead and pull the fenders just for a little look-see.

Which turns out to be dead simple, there's only 2 bolts holding the fender on. Willys obviously knew the value of a mechanics time.



With the fenders off it seemed like as good a time as any to just get the grille out of the way.



Which was even easier than the fenders as it just rests on what appear to be a mount with bolts sticking up that limit the grilles rearward movement. Again Willys really thought the ease of removal through on this one. I wish the Caterpillar engineers had taken lessons from them when they were deciding how to access Thermoids on a 955H.



With all that out of the way there's way more room for activities. Everything should go swimmingly from here on out.



Although, now that I think about it, there's no reason to leave the radiator in place, odds are it'll just get a hole knocked in it while figuring out the steering. It'll be much better to just remove it and set it aside where it can get a hole knocked in it.



The hoses must be work hardened, and since I was worried about breaking off the water pump neck attempting to pull the hose off I cheated and just sliced it. A little silicone when it goes back together and double up the hose clamps and it'll be good as new.



Well hello there! You should have seen the mess in there before I dug it out with my water pump screwdriver.



Finally got enough stuff out of the way that the real work can begin. I just need to find a manual steering box, shims for the kingpin, and some ambition.


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ShockedClap
1946 cj2a desert dog
1946 cj2a bulldog
1948 cj2a blue jeep
1953 cj3b yard dog
1955 willys wagon
1955 willys pickup
1956 willys pickup boomer
1960 fc 170
1968 jeepster commando
1990 Grand wagoneer
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Ol' Unreliable Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 May 2022 at 3:22am
I see you've got an MB/GPW front axle with a CJ rear axle that might be a Dana 41.  There is a good possibility that your front and rear axle ratios are mismatched.  Also, you have wheels from an M-151.  Just as a guess, I'd say your body tub is welded to the frame in a few places.  Good ol' Bubba has laid his "healing" hands on that Jeep.  If you hadn't wanted a project, you wouldn't have dragged it home, right?  Wink
There's a reason it's called Ol' Unreliable
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cbody Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 May 2022 at 12:50pm
Originally posted by Ol' Unreliable Ol' Unreliable wrote:

I see you've got an MB/GPW front axle with a CJ rear axle that might be a Dana 41.  There is a good possibility that your front and rear axle ratios are mismatched.  Also, you have wheels from an M-151.  Just as a guess, I'd say your body tub is welded to the frame in a few places.  Good ol' Bubba has laid his "healing" hands on that Jeep.  If you hadn't wanted a project, you wouldn't have dragged it home, right?  Wink

That right there just might save me a couple huge headaches. I knew the wheels weren't right, but had no idea what they were from. I've still got enough wheels to make a full set plus spare off my old Wald and (72?) LJ20 Suzuki I had a few years ago. The Suzuki wheels look identical to the Wald (Forward Control) at least in terms of width and offset.

I wondered about the lockouts, and after 70 years it would almost be surprising if this hacked up rig wasn't a total mishmash. 

It looks like the body is sitting on the transfer case so it's damn sure either rusted the mounts away or whatever bushings were used are non-existent.......probably both.

The plan was really to just take a couple hours to make it run-ish and move it to the other shop and stick it on the lift to see if the major components are functional. Plans have gone awry.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cbody Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 May 2022 at 1:26pm
Time to get back to work, first thing on the agenda is to get the broken studs out of the spindle.



Now what do you suppose the odds are that this will unscrew without a lot of cussing and the liberal application of heat?



Amazingly good odds. Of course having superhuman finger strength doesn't hurt.



It really came out pretty easy, although some credit probably goes to the old iron used. But mostly those muscular fingers.

Next up is the test. This one might decide the fate of this entire project. If it comes out all is well and we're back on track. If it's too stubborn then this might just get shoved outside for a bit to have a little "think".



First we'll make everything clean since that's next to godliness and I need all the help I can get.



Would you look at that, just like new! Even the rock left in the broken stud hole polished up nice.



Dig the debris out and centerpunch the broken stud and in a supreme act of hubris grab the reverse drill bits and go to town. There was also a generous application of propane and oxygen as well because I'm not quite a big a fool as I seem. After the third bit in size it finally grabbed and wouldn't you know it.



I guess the little guy gets to stay inside for another day or so. An added bonus is that there should be a few stray shavings and plenty of dirt that should take up any slop in the kingpin so it should be nice and snug now.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ol' Unreliable Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 May 2022 at 1:56am
Those muscular fingers are helped by the extra friction provided by the gloves.  Smile

My next bet is that your spindle nuts were tightened with a hammer and chisel instead of the proper spindle nut wrench.  I don't believe any Bubba has ever purchased a spindle nut wrench.  Also, since that's an MB/GPW front axle, there are probably nuts inside those Dualmatic lockouts to anchor the shafts to the lockouts.  Bubba might have used a proper wrench there.  Smile

The steering arms on the knuckles are often a limiting issue for putting some types of wheels on the front.  Personally, I would look for a more-appropriate axle.  Too bad the YJ can't contribute its axle.  The steering gearbox might be of some use, maybe. 


Edited by Ol' Unreliable - 11 May 2022 at 1:59am
There's a reason it's called Ol' Unreliable
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cbody Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 May 2022 at 9:04am
Originally posted by Ol' Unreliable Ol' Unreliable wrote:

Those muscular fingers are helped by the extra friction provided by the gloves.  Smile

My next bet is that your spindle nuts were tightened with a hammer and chisel instead of the proper spindle nut wrench.  I don't believe any Bubba has ever purchased a spindle nut wrench.  Also, since that's an MB/GPW front axle, there are probably nuts inside those Dualmatic lockouts to anchor the shafts to the lockouts.  Bubba might have used a proper wrench there.  Smile

The steering arms on the knuckles are often a limiting issue for putting some types of wheels on the front.  Personally, I would look for a more-appropriate axle.  Too bad the YJ can't contribute its axle.  The steering gearbox might be of some use, maybe. 

At this point I'm just going to play it by ear since it's such a cluster. I got the engine free so I know the trans, t-case, and axles are all at least "functional" in both directions powered by the starter so it may destined for more than just a parts jeep. Maybe.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cbody Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 May 2022 at 9:11am
For those of you wondering just how dumb I could be I present evidence in the form of photographic proof. 



Yes indeed, that's another old jeep similar to the one I just bought. I wonder if it has a complete front axle and steering setup?



Well I'll be, would you look at that. This appears to have all the parts I need to fix up the one I just bought!


The only downside is that I sold this jeep less than a year ago after it sat out back for better than 20 years. I carried it back up front last spring to once again convince myself that it wasn't worth fixing, and I was right. Of course, if I'd left it out back no one would have seen it and I'd have a nice start on rounding up all the pieces I need. Especially all that convoluted steering linkage and the right front axle. Ah well, such is life.


So with hindsight being 20/20 we'll just plow on ahead and at least try and make this lot driveable. An admirable goal I think. We'll worry about getting in on the road when the time comes.


This needs to come off I believe.



Granted it looks factory, but any steering box I use is going to need to be sitting straight along the frame not cocked off at an angle.


Looking at the backside of the front crossmember there's more bits of the original steering linkage, may as well go ahead and nip that off as well, this has been so hacked and slashed on it's incredible.



Time to make some heat.



I'd like to thank Hey Dudes, official work shoe sponsor of You Wouldn't Understand. Built to stand up to the rigors of modern fast-paced lifestyles. Second shout out to the Torch for creating much needed ventilation just in time for the summer heat.



There's a good 14 pounds off the front. That will really help with the weight transfer once this makes it to the track.


I managed to snag a manual steering box from a buddy who swapped to power, and have started scrounging up steering shaft bits to see if there's anything workable.



Nothing I had on hand really looked like a good solution so I ran out back to take a look at the YJ.



That might be pretty close, of course since it was muddy I didn't bring the van back so I was limited to a pair of vice-grips, a crescent wrench and a screwdriver because of course I was only going back to look. None of which was right for the job, but there are times in life where you're tested and I did not want to be found wanting.


Along with a tire iron snagged from the back of the UTV in concert with the other 3 essential tools there was success.



A full confession must take into account I had already removed the steering column a while back so it wasn't as big as pain as I could have been.


Roughly set in place it looks doable.



As long as I can run it through the engine mount bracket. At this point it looks like I can but the mock up will have to get a little more serious to be sure.





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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jeff J Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 May 2022 at 10:08am
The condition doesn’t look all that different from my CJ3A other than I put new tires and rims on mine. I just couldn’t take having to air up the old ones every time I wanted to move it which was fairly often. I think that was 5 years ago. Now all four tres are still aired up and the jeep hasn’t moved an inch in at least 4 years!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cbody Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 May 2022 at 1:17pm
Originally posted by Jeff J Jeff J wrote:

The condition doesn’t look all that different from my CJ3A other than I put new tires and rims on mine. I just couldn’t take having to air up the old ones every time I wanted to move it which was fairly often. I think that was 5 years ago. Now all four tres are still aired up and the jeep hasn’t moved an inch in at least 4 years!

LOL

So far the only good news is the tires are holding air, granted they're not holding much weight. If it turns out I've got to move it flat tires aren't going to be too much trouble.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cbody Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 May 2022 at 9:35pm

I got a little more serious about getting the steering shaft sorted and needed to turn a round shaft into a double D style.



Just a few minutes modification is all it took. And just like double D's in real life each side may be a little lopsided but seem to work just fine.



So now all that's left is to hook it up to the steering box. 


Once I mount the box.


But of course I got sidetracked by a terrible crack in the firewall  and since the little welder I bought for exhaust work was sitting right next to it I decided to give it a go and see how it worked on this heavier sheetmetal.



This is taken from the inside, underdash area. These weld-on's are what hold the air cleaner assembly on the passenger side. Did I take any photos before? Or take any from the front side before I shot a bit of paint on it? Of course not. That would make too much sense and be too descriptive. 


Now that I look at the picture I have to wonder if those cracks around the lower bolt hole are actual metal fatigue or just paint. Surely it's just cracked paint.



Well whaddaya know, looking at the front side it sure looks cracked clean through, maybe next time I should wear my glasses before making these sorts of decisions. Of course at this point I don't even remember what was bolted there so we'll just ignore all that mess for the time being. You might start to notice that becoming a theme as this progresses.



It was about this point the thought occurred that checking out the old Willys wagon out back might be a good idea just in case there were a few bits that might come in handy.



This was not as promising as I'd hoped. 



A complete bust. No front axle, no steering linkage, and not even a column left. Not that it would have mattered much, it had A arms so it started life as a two wheel drive and likely nothing would have worked in any case. 


As luck would have it the mailman dropped off a goodie package.



Some much needed shims for the kingpin, and even better a primer hunk of steel that's the perfect excuse to ignore the steering for a little longer.


There's this terribly important thing that needs fixed immediately.



I don't think this is factory based on many years of looking at cars. Plus it really doesn't match the other side so I went with the gut instinct that it was a later addition. 


There was about a day when I thought I'd just make one, but then was dissuaded when I stumbled across a replacement for less than $15 when ordering the shim kit. Now yes, you're right, my time is worth about $3 an hour but I probably would have spent 4 hours making a new one so it's almost a wash. Now I have extra time to focus on important things. What those things are is a mystery, those 4 hours are in my pocket for future use.


Time to pull the homemade bracket off.



There are few things in life more important than sufficient thread engagement, and the previous owner took that to heart. Of course I spent a bit of those 4 hours I just banked getting these things unscrewed.



It really wasn't a bad hack but the upper one does look a little more finished.


It'll probably be the nicest thing on this once it's up and running.



*$#@)(*! 


Of course it doesn't line up. Those 4 hours are slipping from my grasp. That'll teach me to take the easy way out.



So a little reaming and a little persuasion and it's on.



It has no seats, no gas tank, doesn't steer, brake and the clutch pedal won't move but If I want I could put the windshield on so we'll call that a win. 







Edited by cbody - 23 May 2022 at 9:38pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SlaterDoc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 May 2022 at 11:19am
Of course you're gonna throw some primer under that before final installation? Wink
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