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Need steering help in Pittsburgh!!!!!

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by katdavar, Mar 4, 2005.

  1. Mar 4, 2005
    katdavar

    katdavar New Member

    Pittsburgh, PA
    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2005
    Messages:
    17
    Ok so I have this bellcrank that needs rebuilt. The garage that I have access to has never rebuilt a bellcrank. I have the rebuild kit in hand. Has anyone rebuilt one of these befor. Is there someone who has tools and some free time that can lend me a hand with this. I am willing to supply dinner and what ever brevage of choice. I need to get some of this play out of the steering befor I wind up a dead jeeper, or worse not able to get it inspected.
    :(
     
    katdavar, Mar 4, 2005
    #1
  2. Mar 4, 2005
    w3srl

    w3srl All-around swell dude Staff Member

    Port Orange, FL
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    Nov 6, 2002
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    4,275
    Did someone mention :beer: ???

    What part of 'da Burgh are you in? I'm in the South Hills... ;)
     
    w3srl, Mar 4, 2005
    #2
  3. Mar 4, 2005
    katdavar

    katdavar New Member

    Pittsburgh, PA
    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2005
    Messages:
    17
    I am in north side, what part of the south hills do you live in. dunh read the location button. O well been a long day. I grew up in Mt lebo. Have you done the bell crank rebuild befor, do you have the tools to do one. I have a s****et set but none big enuff for the bell crank.
     
    katdavar, Mar 4, 2005
    #3
  4. Mar 5, 2005
    w3srl

    w3srl All-around swell dude Staff Member

    Port Orange, FL
    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2002
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    4,275
    I've done the rebuild, and it wasn't all that hard. It really helps to have the radiator and the grill shell out of the way though, mine was a bare frame when it did it.

    There is a tapered pin that drives in from one side to secure the bellcrank pin. If you dig through the rust and crud you will see that one side of the hole is bigger than the other. Soak the whole shebang with Kroil, PB Blaster or your choice of penetrant. Use the real thing, not WD-40! After it soaks at least overnight, use a flat-ended drift to drive the little pin out with a BFH. Work from the smaller hole to push the pin out of the larger hole. Then the fun begins. :rofl:

    You want to drive the bellcrank pin DOWN out of the frame, but it is most likely galled in there. Soak that hummer down really well again, and let it sit for a day or three. I used a bernz-a-matic torch to heat the frame bracket until it glowed, and then put the pein-end of a ball-pein hammer un top of the end of the pin and gave it a few whacks with another BFH. After a dozen or so hits it began to move and I finished the job with a larger drift and the BFH.

    Now, reassembling the new pin is fun too. There should be a slot cut into the end of the new pin for the locking pin to ride in, you need to align it pretty close before you drive it into the frame. I used an old nutthreaded partially onto the new pin to protect the threads as I drove it home, and I used a drop of blue loctite on the locking pin, tapping it into place with the smaller drift.

    That should do 'er! :)
     
    w3srl, Mar 5, 2005
    #4
  5. Mar 5, 2005
    katdavar

    katdavar New Member

    Pittsburgh, PA
    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2005
    Messages:
    17
    aany chance that next saterday after noon or sun day you might be around to babysit me doing this. I have a torch and a bfh. no drfts but if you give me sizes I will aquire. As long as I have everything soaked down prety well with PB Blaster or such and I get the front grill and rad out of the way how long do you think this will take to do? Also what type of beer do you like to drink so I can have that on hand if you a can come and help with this. I had her out today for a bit and I think I would like driving her a whole lot more if I wasen't worried about her waundering into oncoming traffic all the time. I have about 3/8 of an inch play up in down in the bell crank when it is unloaded. so that should get rid of most of the pay in the steering wheel right?
     
    katdavar, Mar 5, 2005
    #5
  6. Mar 5, 2005
    katdavar

    katdavar New Member

    Pittsburgh, PA
    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2005
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    17
    Actually I am free all day tommorow too. I looked at my rebuild kit and I see no pin notch so I am really confused. Though I have been soaking the whole assemble with penatrating oil for a week now. The cj5 book I bought basicaly covered upgrading the steering, which would be great If I had a grand I didn't know what to do with.
     
    katdavar, Mar 5, 2005
    #6
  7. Mar 5, 2005
    Mcruff

    Mcruff Earlycj5 Machinist

    Albertville, AL
    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2002
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    5,349
    If this jeep is like mine, all you will need is a couple of sockets and a large crescent wrench, it is very stright froward and should take about an hour tops, loosen the clamp bolt on the bellcrank and then take the nut off the top of the bellcrank pin, spread the bellcrank open where the bolt tightened on the shaft and then pull or tap the large stud/shoulder bolt out, replace the bearings and seal and replace and retighten everything.
    Removing the radiator might make it easier but I wouldn't as in my opinion it makes more work then necessary.
     
    Mcruff, Mar 5, 2005
    #7
  8. Mar 5, 2005
    w3srl

    w3srl All-around swell dude Staff Member

    Port Orange, FL
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    Nov 6, 2002
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    4,275
    Good info Mike, my frame was from a '2A so its likely to be different than the early '5.

    Sorry about the timing, but I'm tied up tomorrow with schoolwork and I'm working all next weekend. Mebbe one evening?
     
    w3srl, Mar 5, 2005
    #8
  9. Mar 6, 2005
    katdavar

    katdavar New Member

    Pittsburgh, PA
    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2005
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    17
    Sure let me know when you are able. I am going to go out and see if I can get anywhere on it tommorow. Which since i have no garage means that it should pour down rain or snow, lol. I will try not to get in over my head. I am also going to try and lower the seat tommorow. But no matter what I get done we should try to get together some time, I would like to get someones opinion that has done some of theis stuff. Get a todo list in order of what might be most important.
     
    katdavar, Mar 6, 2005
    #9
  10. Mar 6, 2005
    katdavar

    katdavar New Member

    Pittsburgh, PA
    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2005
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    17
    Well I got the bell crank rebuilt. I hope I takes soem of the paly out of the steering. How do I adjust the steering box? And wouldn't you know as per my luck so far with this jeep, When taking off the beelcrank i missand f@#ked the treads on the new tierod end I just put on ( the double hole of course ) God I could just f@#kinig scream.
     
    katdavar, Mar 6, 2005
    #10
  11. Mar 6, 2005
    zed

    zed Iowa- Gateway to Nebraska

    central iowa
    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2004
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    745
    mike is correct. i removed mine exactly as he said. took about 5 minutes or so with the radiator and grill in place.

    heh... hardest part was figuring out how simple it was; that took me about 30-40 mins :rofl: :oops: R) . for that i needed to clean the crud off the top and the bottom. found that a crescent wrench on the top worked best for me.
     
    zed, Mar 6, 2005
    #11
  12. Mar 6, 2005
    w3srl

    w3srl All-around swell dude Staff Member

    Port Orange, FL
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    Nov 6, 2002
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    If you look on the side of the steering box, you'll see a slotted screw that is held in place with a jam nut. Back the jam nut off about a half-turn and then tighten the screw by turning it clockwise. You should turn it until it is just about snug, then back it off a bit. This will take the slack out of the box and remove a good bit of the slop.

    The thing to remember here is that if you have the box too tight, it won't self-center, meaning that when you are coming out of a turn you will have to turn the wheel back yourself. Sounds like it isn't a big deal, but after you drive it for a while like that it become a royal pain in the arse. Oh, and you'll need to give driving lessons in the event someone else will ever drive your Jeep. ;)
     
    w3srl, Mar 6, 2005
    #12
  13. Mar 6, 2005
    Hippo393

    Hippo393 Jeepless

    Charlotte, NC
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    Sep 22, 2002
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    AHHHH!! Which side? :? I'm not seeing it right. UWOP. :D
     
    Hippo393, Mar 6, 2005
    #13
  14. Mar 6, 2005
    w3srl

    w3srl All-around swell dude Staff Member

    Port Orange, FL
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    Nov 6, 2002
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    The side where the bolts hold the cover on the box. The other side of the box is where the sector shaft exits the box. The adjustment screw *should* be just about dead center on the cover.
     
    w3srl, Mar 6, 2005
    #14
  15. Mar 6, 2005
    Hippo393

    Hippo393 Jeepless

    Charlotte, NC
    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2002
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    1,130
    Ahh, got it. All these years I thought that was the fill-plug hole. :oops:
     
    Hippo393, Mar 6, 2005
    #15
  16. Mar 7, 2005
    katdavar

    katdavar New Member

    Pittsburgh, PA
    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2005
    Messages:
    17
    I was talking to the guy from vintage jeep this morning, ordering the parts I f@#ked up. He said to take the weight off the wheels when you go to adjust that set screw. This might have been clear to everyone elses but I would have missed it. Also the gentelman said pulling the pins and tightning the drag linkage, bar from steering box to bellcrank, takes a lot of play out of the steering. I wonder what I can break when I try doing this.
     
    katdavar, Mar 7, 2005
    #16
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