Woodstock

Well, after a long story, Woodstock is up to date. Ready as we can be for 3 Rubicon trips in the next month, starting with the highly esteemed ECJ5 run next week. The last item, was to run up to Twin Peaks again for our local club meet on a (finally) beautiful Tahoe night. This got Sam, and Nick and me ready for some wheeling, with no issues.

Even wheeled back down the upper rock pile on the way home. I love the sound of an odd fire gurgling along on the rocks, with Sam behind me yelling SHIFT! Everything is right in the world and I am feeling ready.

 

Nice looking Jeep's! I'm looking forward to wheeling with you guys next weekend

 

Register for an antique plate, vehicle is exempt from saftey and emission testing. Granted timsresort would definitely be pushing the limits. But you could easily get away with half that much sticking out.

 

Well, it's been a while since I posted, but for all the right reasons. I have had a busy jeep season, starting with the esteemed ECJ5 run, which went very well. And, more importantly, nothing has broken on Woody, so I really haven't worked on it, unless airing the tires up and checking the oil counts. So, I thought you guys would enjoy some photos and stories from the past month of 3 Rubicon trips. Friday night, I can have a scotch, remember my old friend Steve Morris, (of Morris Rock on Cadillac), and share some photos.

The week after the ECJ5 run, Sam and I headed in from Tahoe side to set up for Jeepers Jamboree. We take tents, chairs, beer, water, gas, all stuff we can leave for a few days, and save our camp spot, The Swamp. We left South Tahoe about 4 on Friday, were going down Cadillac by 6, and noticed this rock in the foreground that was very recently drilled and packed with slow expansion chemical. It's a diff hanger that the JJ had just drilled within an hour of us.

Once in main camp, first order of business is cooling off, and sending some dust down river.

Next, pitch tents and make a cocktail.

While keeping an eye on this guy, across the river from us. I think he's up to no good.

 

Looking for a Pick A Nick basket?

 

WOODSTOCK!!!
Long time Woody!

 

Next morning, with camp set up and our spot saved we headed out, figuring we would be home for lunch. Bad thought. Going up Cadillac we witnessed a terrible rollover by a guy and his wife running solo coming down hill. He went about 3 rolls and hit a tree upside down. They were out and OK by the time we got down to them, I called for help on the Ham, and 2 JJ EMT's arrived from main camp shortly. Looking from the V-rock down..

It took 2 winches just to get the rig on its wheels, then aimed down hill, and let down to the next switchback, as there was no way to pull it up. That was about 5 hours before we left, it was kind of a quiet ride home.

Anyway, with that behind us, a few days later, it's Jamboree day. We got out of Tahoe by 6AM trying to beat the heat. It was a cool ride to Georgetown, about 2 hours.

Georgetown was already buzzing, we got gas, sandwiches at the general store, our wrist bands for the trip, and got on the road.

Uncle Tom's cabin, about midway to Loon Lake, a 19th century stage stop and watering hole is our first stop. They have the coldest Coors.

 

Alright, now some jeeping. After an hour wait at Gatekeeper, (broken Dana 35 axle on a crew TJ), we were moving on the trail by 11. Nick wanted to drive, so I was free to spectate.

Another major wait at Whale Bones, all the crew trailers were slow going, but Sam and all of our 7 rigs went right up.

After a quick lunch at Ellis Creek, we were motoring. I think we finally lost the crew rigs at Little Sluice, where they had a broken rig. Here starting down Indian Trail.

Coming into Buck Island..

And we didn't even stop at Buck. The stair steps after the dam, 430 PM.

 

Getting up the hill from Buck has some challenges, but we were at the Martini Tree (top of the hill), by 530.

Down the Big Sluice and in main camp at 630, time for a dip, a cocktail, and our foil pack surf and turf dinner.

Next day, (thurs), a full day of R and R. Then our first JJ meal, and the bar. Don't forget your cup.

The cook crew, and food, does not disappoint, and the chow line is always lively in the evening.

Happy hour and live dinner music.

Don't forget dessert, I get one sundae a year.

On a warm Sierra night, we hang at the bar late enough to get a slice of wood fired pizza, catch up with old friends, and finally make our way to the Swamp.

That's it, now on to the Hi-Lo's Poker Run this weekend at Deer Valley.

 

Well, a little time has gone by, now winter is knocking on the door and I am already in winter project/maintenance mode. I made a list of stuff to do on the fleet, and it's long, but the one jeep that matters most (my wife's jeep), always is at the bottom of the list. So I am flipping the list, and starting there. Happy wife...blah, blah. I couldn't think of a title for a short maintenance thread about her jeep, so it is just going here, and then we will get going on Woodstock.
So, her jeep, Rusty, is a 1967, 225, 4.88, T86, overdrive, 7.50-16's, Whitco top, president red, bone-stocker.

This jeep is actually the best driving jeep we own. It has not been messed with. I think the biggest mod is the HEI ignition. It is reliable, it shifts nicely, it steers, it stops, and it reminds me of my childhood. My plan is to keep it, and when I'm 80, it will be a lot easier to get in and out of.

The interior is the same as it was in 1967. It even smells the same. Yes, it could use some attention, but there is really nothing wrong.

The time capsule part of it brings us happiness, and I think I can remember being 5 years old and riding in my dad's '66, and this is about the closest thing I have to that.

Alright, enough reminiscing, time for work. I have never in my 20-plus years of ownership done anything other than change the oil. I am starting with the front end.

 

Your wife’s Jeep is beautiful!

 

I disconnected the tie rods and moved the knuckle. While not loose, I can definitely can feel roughness in the king pin bearings. So we are going all the way. I tore down the outers, bead blasted and painted the knuckles, and marveled at the knuckle seals, that didn't leak.

Even though the pudding was a little on the thin side.

Cleaned up the housing, I am leaving the brakes for now, and I will probably go all the way around with them soon.

Did some shopping at Partsdude4x4. Truly one-stop shopping, and it arrived in 1 day. All seals, gaskets, bearings, tie rod ends.

Packed the new king pin bearings, installed the races in the housing. Started with the shims that were in the knuckle, and that proved to be good to get the 12-16 lbs of force needed to move the knuckle, without the seal installed.

I used my spring loaded fish scale for this. Really pretty funny in this day and age to use a 100 year old device for this.

 

I'm not really subscribed to mixing up a pudding for Spicer axles, so I'm using JD corn head grease. I have a case of this stuff around for worm drive winches, steering boxes, and this. I didn't get a photo because I was all greasy, but I cram half a tube around both ujoints, and install them back in the housing.

And since I'm all messy, I packed the wheel bearings, installed a new grease seal, and they are ready to go.

I'm doing this after work, in the driveway, with some fine fall weather, but the days are getting short. I'm trying to keep it to a 1 or 2 beer duration most days, before it's time to go in. I really hate to find chisel marks on the spindle nuts. But I cleaned them, got most of the burrs off, then installed with a spindle nut socket.

Earlier, I had bead blasted and painted the 27 front cover and bolts, ready for a new gasket and oil for the first time in who knows how long.

It's the little things...I even cleaned up the diff tag.

 

Looking good!

 

There was quite a bit of play in the steering, and now that king pin bearings are taken care of, time to look at the rest of it. The Ross box is surprisingly tight, so it's just getting some corn head grease and calling it good. I was also surprised that the bell crank and drag link were fine, so they got lubed and left alone. The tie rod ends were loose, so I got them all from Sam.

I think these things are very old, maybe original. I took some measurements, disassembled it all, then took the rods and clamps to the blast cabinet.

All reassembled and painted. There is some weather coming, so I am going to leave the brakes for an inside job this winter, get the hubs and shocks done, and then close up my open-air work space for the year.

 

The Warn lockouts are in outstanding shape, a testament to not being thrashed through the Rubicon for decades. This jeep got towed to the desert, in its ealy life, hence the great shape it is in. I cleaned, lubed, and installed a new gasket.

I sourced some new 3/8-16x2-1/2" grade 8 bolts, just to clean it up and get rid of the allen head bolts that were in there. Cleaned up the original lock tabs (when was the last time I saw these?!), and they are ready to go in.

Not sure if I bend the tabs, but they look good.

Mounted the 7.50's. Rotated from where they were for the past several years. BTW, does this look backwards? Looking close, I never realized this old pattern (copied from the old Extra-Grip), is directional. I can't find an arrow on the tire.

 

The center part of the treads is in the direction a self cleaning tractor tire would be, but then the outer part makes a 90 and probably wouldn't self clean. Seems like the outer part would clean mud better going the other way?

 

Tabs need bent. Just bend one side and it doesn't need to be hammered flat. Just enough to hold the bolt head and be easy to
straighten out on removal. The tire looks like it would grip better in that direction but be quieter and clean better as Fireball said
if reversed.

 

Tim, do your new bolts have a long enough shoulder to support the hubs?

 

Yes, I think they are just right.