[Chowlie]

Folks here will badmouth Crown and OMIX parts because they are made offshore and primarily China. Both companies' leaf springs are made in the USA. I recommend the OMIX because they are better made. I ordered the Crown front springs and one was damaged in shipping--a story in itself--and have had to repair one since installing. Basically the doohickeys that hold the springs together are prone to break. The OMIX springs are much better made. You have to order the bushings for them and install them. Go ahead and order front and back at the same time I didn't and have light weight fronts and heavy duty rears. When I had my trusted alignment shop rebuilding the front suspension they discovered a front spring was broken under the axle and wasn't apparent with a normal inspection. I have yet to install the rears and will order matching fronts before I do, but if one breaks I'm good to go. It also appears the rears were changed by a PO so it rides fairly level.

So I was looking into the omix springs like you suggested, and it looks like you can order either 5 or 9 spring versions. Is that something to do with the light vs heavy duty package? Because it seems either will work.

Just for reference, here's what I'm working with.

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[Chowlie]

Thanks for the replies there - guess I'll go with the 5 leaf set just for the better ride. You're right, not gonna doing a ton of hard work with it. Might load up the back with some wood on occasion is probably about it.

So, I mentioned I'd give a little more background info. Dad came over to take a look the day I got out if out of the barn and was definitely happy to see it running again. Said it felt like the old days. lol

At 19 years old, my dad bought this jeep in 1976. He drove it in and out of the hollow they lived in to get to work. The following winter he completely flipped it over in the snow and got injured pretty badly. The windshield broke and cut through his jacket, leaving a gnarly scar on his forearm. He had some other injures as well, but fortunately recovered quickly. The Jeep ran upside down for a bit before he got it shut off, which apparently damaged the crankshaft. The next spring he completely rebuilt the engine with the help of his friend, a diesel mechanic who spent time in Vietnam. He recalled the confusion they had on the distributor rotation, and after finding out it turns counter-clockwise the engine fired right up.

I don't know if it's obvious or not, but we're really just doing the bare-minimum to get it running and driving for now. (Brakes, fluids, broken parts, etc.) As long as I know we won't burn up a differential or something I'll be happy. It's for that reason I'm just going to replace the rear springs and leave the front alone until I think they need changing. We probably won't ever get it aligned (unless we do it ourselves with a tape measure) just because we'll only be using it off-road. I do want to inspect the front end thoroughly and be sure to grease all the components. I'm sure it'll be easy to do when we take all the wheels off for the brake hardware.

I'm currently searching out these answers, but... what are the preferred fluids for the Transmission and T-case? It seems they share oil, or at least started sharing oil after a certain point. (Model CJ-2A S/N 24196, which is 1946?) I'm not afraid to splurge on high-quality synthetics. The FSM calls for SAE 80/90 GL4 gear lube in the Borg Warner T90 and D18. I have a few quarts of Royal Purple 75-90 gear oil leftover from when I changed the oil in my Dodge Ram 2500, and according to the website it's safe for yellow metals and synchronizers.

I'll just top off the front and rear differentials to make sure there aren't any leaky seals before I completely drain and clean them.

 

[Chowlie]

EDIT: Asked a stupid question about shackles and bushings and figured it out. The FSM is a godsend!

 

[Chowlie]

Super cool that Dad gets to see it come back to life. Heck of a history too. lol

As to your oil..... maybe do some more reading on that. I don't know about your gearboxes, but I sifted through a bunch of threads while I was trying to figure it out. The GL-4 rating might be important. SOME of the newer GL-5 stuff may be safe for the synchros and thrust washers, and "backwards compatible" to the GL-4..... but the transmission might not like it? Plenty of guys complained the GL-5 made for shifting issues. I noticed in reading reviews elsewhere, that some Nissans and European vehicles had a similar problem. GL-5 bad, GL-4 good, at least in those instances. Must be something to it. :dunno: For your uses though, might not matter?

I picked up a CRC product, Sta-Lube, from NAPA. GL-4 in an 85w-90 if I remember right. It was like $45 for a gallon? Wife picked it up actually, paid $1 for their fancy reusable bag, and got 20% off. My wife is cheap, and doesn't take flack from anyone. It's sometimes beneficial to send her out for things. She gets results. :laugh:

Yeah, from what I know anything with yellow metal synchronizers will not be safe with GL5 gear oil. I've run into the same issue with the manual transmissions in my VW Passat and Dodge. You can have some transmissions rebuilt with carbon fiber synchronizers instead of brass for GL5 compatibility, but I'll probably stick with brass. As long as you know what oil you need it's not a problem. Sadly the previous owner of my truck changed the transmission oil at some point and it definitely wasn't the right kind. The synchos howl pretty bad if you don't have the RPMs lined up close for a shift. I put in Redline MT85 when I bought it and it helped some, but they're still noisy. I think I can make it last a long time just by driving it easy though.

Got some parts ordered Yesterday. Rear leaf spring packs, Pivot eye bolts and bushings, shackles, along with some smaller items like the air filter hose and carburetor horn. Did some looking around on the underside of the Jeep last night and it's making me nervous how corroded everything is. I guess just about anything can be replaced, thankfully, but it feels like a waste to spend ~$1,000 or so on such a rough project. Dad got the new master cylinder installed, but I'm probably going to need to replace almost everything else in the brake system too. The flex lines are most certainly dry rotted, and I'm not too comfortable with the amount of rust on the metal lines either. I'm gonna try to get it on jack stands soon in order to soak EVERYTHING that's supposed to move with Kroil. The last thing I need is a dozen broken-off bolts. :laugh: I really, really want to get the hand brake functioning as well. The last thing I want is to rely on the hydraulic brakes only to have them fail in a precarious scenario. I'm also planning to replace all the grease fittings in order to probably lube whatever needs it.

Anyway, he's a few more pics. Feel free to give input on the things I need to inspect/examine/replace before we take it on its new maiden voyage in a few weeks.

 

[Chowlie]

It doesn't really look too bad to be honest.

I'd take a power washer to it first and see what's under all that dirt

Might need a few body mounts also.. Can't quite figure out what's going on with picture #3

Nice to hear you don't think it's all that bad. Definitely taking a pressure washer to it ASAP.

The body mounts appear to have been replaced with channel iron years and years ago. The body is propped up with assorted pieces of scrap steel which is keeping it attached to the frame.

Picture 3 is basically showing one of the rear leaf springs sticking really far out of the pack and almost touching the underside of the body. Kind of a wonder it can be moved at all without the rear axle just falling off.

 

[Chowlie]

Pict 1:
PTO
Parking brake cable missing
Output seal/shim pack leaking
Pict 3:
Broken/missing springs
I would ditch the coil over shocks. Shock mounts aren't built to carry vehicle weight and will eventually break.
Pict 4:
'Broken/missing body mount.
You will want to check the pedal pivots as they wear out over time.
Pict6:
9" non self adjusting brakes. Lots of possible upgrades there. They go hand in hand with a single master cylinder, which should be upgraded also.
I'm betting those knuckles are dry. You might want to dissemble them and inspect the bearings to insure the upper ones are serviceable. The seals should be replaced, but if they are somewhat serviceable, you can replace them (after cleaning the knuckle surface) and fill the knjuckle with a mix of grease and 90WT.
Again, I would replace those shocks.

Again, you're gonna need to replace the springs and the shocks, I would opt for the 2.5 lift.

Yeah, I'll probably have to do a lot of work to get the parking brake working. Then again, the lever moves freely, so maybe not?
How difficult is the output seal? Drop the shaft, pull it out and tap a new one in?
We already have the new master cylinder on, just need to finish up everything else. I'm sure it's possible to upgrade and, as much as I'd love to, this is strictly a budget build for right now.
Definitely want to clean and lube the knuckles.
I'll look into new shocks.

MTS Fuel tank http://www.mtscompany.com/jeep.htm part number 0041. American made.

Not really interested right now, but I'll save that link for later. The portable boat tanks work surprisingly well and we don't have to transfer fuel from a separate can into a built-in tank.

Take a hard look at the steering box. wear in the pitman shaft contact points and the bushings. The contact points will wear down or chip, causing looseness in the box. The bushings will aslo wear, allowing the shaft to rock in the housing. They should run 90WT not grease.

Also check the bellcrank. They are prone to vertical movement, equating in excessive steering slop.
Both are rebuildable, which will make the steering acceptable, but The cumulative effect of the system can make the steering seriously vague and sloppy. A conversion to a single drag link, or better, a Saginaw box on the front rail will vastly improve steering.

I was actually shocked that the steering is so tight. I have a 2nd gen Dodge, so I know what slop feels like! :rofl: Fortunately I think I can get away with a cleaning and inspection for right now.

 

[Chowlie]

Tonight we started dropping the old springs. Everything was pretty crusty, and the top shock mount was ripped out on the right side. (Probably due to the spring-over shocks, as suggested above) We had to cut the u bolts off the axle to get it loose. We got the nuts off the spring mount bolts but they won't budge out of the mounts. I'll grab an air hammer soon and maybe that'll help.

The brakes look pretty good under the hubs. Unfortunately it looks like I'll need a front seal for the rear differential because it started leaking oil when it was tipped downward, and one of the u-joints is loose.

All in a day's work I suppose.

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[Chowlie]

Some heat and a new air chisel made quick work of the bushings. Ready to place another order from Kaiserwillys for u-bolts and other small items.

I did a quick inspection of the parking brake and I could see the shoes moving in and out with the lever. Absolutely none of the hardware remains for it though.

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[Chowlie]

Lordy, what happened to that sleeve? Don't think I've ever seen damage like that before.

I did that with the punch tip on my air hammer. Lol I had to burn the rubber out of it first with the torch, then the outer part was stuck in there pretty good.

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[Chowlie]

Did a few more menial tasks today considering I'm out of parts. Gave it a good wipe down with a rag and some soapy water, which I had to change four times. Mounted my new fuse box on the fender well and got the choke cable hooked back up.

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[Chowlie]

Good lord. That's one of those wash jobs that doubles the resale value

What are you doing for wiring? Running it from scratch? I had some good experience with Wire Barn recently, if you're just wanting wire and stuff. The website isn't the best, but they are SUPER responsive to questions and emails. I thought they'd screwed up my first order (the spools were just mislabeled) but the owner was texting/emailing until 11pm to make sure it got squared away. I wanted some more battery cable terminals too. Not on his site, but he had them, and added them to my order.

I'm pretty much wiring it from scratch, yeah. There's not much left of the original harness, and the light switch is completely useless. It's already been hacked up anyway so I'm gonna redo it correctly - with fuse protection!

There are very few things I'll need electricity for, honestly. Buying the upgraded 100 amp alternator kit is essentially last on my list, but I want room for expansion anyway. I'll hook up the lights on a relay and toggle switch. I have a Vornado aux heater I'd like to get hooked back up just for kicks and giggles (pictured). Maybe one day I'll find a decent electric winch for it.

For the time being I only need one fused circuit for the ignition and starter solenoid. But the handy little fuse block was only $19 so I figured I'd spring for it.

And thanks for the recommendation, I'll check out wire barn!

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[Chowlie]

Yeah... mine has a bit more wiring in it. lol I bumped all the original 18ga up to 16ga, and 16ga to 14ga, and ran a lot of additional 12 and 10ga grounds and bonding jumpers. I got battery cable, heat shrink, and wire loom from them too, which you probably need. Think I found it a little cheaper elsewhere, but their price was decent, and after the first customer service experience..... I gave them more business.

Have a bit left over, but then I only rewired about 1/3 of the Jeep. lol Just got the last parts I need for my headlight relay harness, so that'll eat up some more too. Should probably figure out why it looks like my alternator isn't charging first though. :rofl:

Looks great! I usually just buy those little spools from the parts store anyway. Lol

I'm thinking Napa may be able to crimp battery cables. If that's the case I will have them make a 6 gauge jumper to go from my battery to the positive and negative connections on the fuse box.

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[Chowlie]

You could always put the fuse box in a Tupperware box to keep the moisture out. Seal with some silicone sealant.

I found the fan does a good job of dispersing water all around the engine compartment.

It does actually have a little plastic lid that snaps over it. I don't expect it to get very wet in that location anyway. If it seems that it may become a problem I can always seal it up better later. The tupperware box is a good idea.

 

[Chowlie]

Here's what I got sorted last night.

I removed the entire parking brake assembly and everything is there, but it's really filthy and needs to be gone through before it can be used again. (Not to mention there are no cables in sight) Dad told me it's never worked since he's had it, so not in the last 45 years.

I'm still unsure about the leak at the rear of the t-case, but I have new seals and a shim pack on the way. There was some oil when I removed the parking brake hub, but that's to be expected anyway. Judging by the amount of oily buildup in the parking brake assembly I'm sure it's fair to say it's at least been oozing over the years, so I will change that seal while I'm there.

I had planned on reusing the oil bath engine air filter but I had no idea how integrated it all is. Just the center metal element is about $100, and I'm not interested in all that at the moment. I already have the air horn and connecting hose, so I'll grab a Spectre filter from O'Reillys and hook it up with a tube in the center. I bought the air horn from Kaiser Willys and am not too impressed with the quality. The horn itself is decent but the clamp was garbage. FORTUNATELY I came across the old clamp when cleaning out the back, so I cleaned up the thread on the screw with a 1/4-20 die and reused it. MUCH better fit.

I figured out why the speedometer doesn't work - the cable is broken at both ends. Good thing it's a cheap replacement. The gauge itself still works, fortunately, but needs some lube.

The clutch/brake pedal assembly is loose and crusty. I removed both the old grease fittings and the holes are completely blocked. The clutch feels pretty good, but the brake pedal is extremely loose with a lot of play. I may be able to make a brass shim for it, but I'll have to pull the pedal first to inspect the wear.

 

[Chowlie]

The E-brake is mounted to the back of the transfercase, not inside the rear drums like the more modern Jeeps. There should be a ratcheting pull lever mounted to the bottom of the dash that releases with a 1/4 turn of the handle. When i used the E-brake on my early '5, I used a twist lock throttle cable from a medium/heavy duty truck application from the local NAPA. Mine also was missing the handle and cable.

I have the handle and the t-case mounted assembly but nothing in between. I think KaiserWillys has everything else I need.

 

[Chowlie]

Just clean the metal element out with diesel fuel or kerosene. There is no reason to try and pull apart the oil bath air cleaner to replace the metal element unless it has rusted to nothing. The metal element is just there to catch the big stuff before the air passes through the oil sump at the bottom of the air cleaner.

Well, that's the problem - the canister has been sitting open for the last 20 years and the top is filled up with mice and squirrel goodies. lol So if I can figure out how to remove and clean it I'll go that route, but sadly I don't think there's any hope otherwise.

A quick question on the front end... people have mentioned that I should lube/service the knuckles. Other than completely disassembling them it looks like there is just a grease fitting on each side that feeds the front wheel bearings and that's about it. The FSM mentions checking the differential fluid every 1,000 miles and removing the front shafts yearly to check for damage and to clean everything. Once I get the rear axle bolted back to the springs I'll jack and block up the front end to inspect and bleed the brakes. Should I just take the whole front end apart and give it a once-over?

 

[Chowlie]

Front knuckles should be disassembled and the king pin bearings inspected, the old grease (if there is anything in there at all) scraped out, and the seal surfaces cleaned with solvent and emery cloth.

While the job isn't hard (and it is a good excuse to do a wheel bearing pack), it is just another thing to do. I would be prepared to have to purchase a set of wiper seals and possibly the upper and lower bearings and races. You may also have to get a set of shims for the preload. Replacing any bad bearings and races and resetting the preload on the knuckles will eliminate binding, slop, and wobble in the knuckle.

The fitting shouldn't be for grease, but a mix of grease and 90WT, making it thin enough to flow but too thick to weep out the seals. This mix lubes the axle u joints and lubes the kingpin bearings. With the advent of locking hubs, the upper bearing can get starved due to the joints not rotating, flinging the lube around inside the knuckle. I eliminated this years ago by installing a tin "seal" under the upper bearing race. This was actually one used in early Bronco open knuckle Dana 30's, but you can make one if that is the route you want to go. The lower bearing takes the weight of the vehicle and if the knuckles have been dry for a while, the bearings and races can rust, ding, or bind.

Thanks for the info. I'm gonna try to clean the knuckles and add extra lube for now. It's still got full-time 4x4 front hubs so it shouldn't starve anything. The front end is really tight aside from bad bearings in one side. Seems it got some water in the grease at some point.

I took the front hubs off this week and figured out what it needs for the most part. All the wheel studs were loose on one side and the inner bearing was gritty. Getting a new hub and bearings for it, along with new seals for both. New brake cylinders and shoes are required too. I'm going to change the differential oil but leave it all together for now. Maybe once it's all running and driving I'll really go through the front end. But it feels nice and tight otherwise.

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[Chowlie]

Upon closer inspection today it looks like there is some seeping around the wiper seals. Guess I'll buy those and go ahead with pulling it apart.

Also had to pull the master cylinder back off because it needs a new copper seal on the end.

The brake pedal is SUPER sloppy on the rod. Thinking maybe I can make a brass shim to tighten it up.

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[Chowlie]

Got both sides off and it honestly wasn't too bad. The right side (with the bad bearings) was mostly full of lube, and the left side was empty. Both u-joints and all bearings felt good and tight. I'll reseal and put everything back when the parts arrive.

The front differential had some VERY thick oil in it, I'd even go so far as to call it grease. Just goopy slop. I scooped out all I could and sprayed the rest out with engine cleaner. Didn't finish getting the rear cover off yet but I assume I'll find something similar in there too.

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[Chowlie]

This is probably a dumb question, but how critical are the front inner differential seals? A part of me wants to go ahead and change them since I'll be there, but it still won't be a fun job. And if they leak a bit, what'll it matter anyway? The oil will just leak over in the knuckle, and I doubt it will be enough to hurt anything - especially if I check the fluid levels every few weeks.

Got some u joints done yesterday and cleaned up the parking brake assembly. Guess I'll be buying new shoes for it. Also cleaned up the left front hub. Have a new one coming for the right because all the lug holes are wallowed out.

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