found a mostly stock jeep, but in white kuckle lift hades

The tubs do have a funny way of just jumping off the frame. One minute you're working on the front end and you notice a little spot you want to fix, but that leads you to another, and another, and next thing you know you're buying a second one for parts, and a third one to drive while it's in frame-off, etc. It's a sickness.
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2.5" lift, stock shackles, 33" tires are a tried and true combination around here.
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I ordered just that......
I found on 4wd.com described as 'heavy duty greaseable' but stock length shackles. I ordered 4 of those.

I ordered a 2.5" lift spring set with poly bushings shims, new ubolts. Depending how the bushings look/fit with stock hangers., I may have to use stock type bushings on one spring end. to keep the stock shackles happy and use the polys just in the frame hangers. We'll see. I also have to get those bushings pressed out of the top shackle hangers. Going to have to make a press or consider torching them, which I want to avoid.

I also ordered a stock pitman arm to ditch the drop one and a new tie rod assembly (I will assume mine is bent now)
and a winch cable, since that old one would have killed someone!

Finally I added a new fuel filler hose, clamps, and some misc stuff.

I plan on retaining the present shocks for now as they are budget, but newish, and appear compatible with a 2.5" lift.

All the old springs are shot, he ground on the add a leaf's to try and make them 'work', and between that and the loose Ubolt nuts, the old stuff is trash.

I will run on the 33"s for now.



These guys seems pretty easy to work on, just require a firm hand and patience, I am sure like any car when you go and take it all apart and start restoring every bolt, it takes the usual. I am looking to enjoy driving first, since it has alot of original construction life left, and focus on component repair for a while, then go nuts later.

a 'most of the time driver/driveable' project. I certaintly don't need it as a daily driver.

at this time there seems top be a limited list what the second owner did to her. I jut have to undo all that part, the original owner had a nice retro example of a Jeep. I am owner 3. The towbar rig is all gone now, especailly since the wriing loom for the plug was able to be moved a bit by the pitman. Ick. I dont need to flat tow it especially with it's present alignment!

It has a dealer radio module under tha dash with a 1980s crappy cassette. Unfort that annoys the passenger seat when you go to fold it, so I am likely going to remove all that.

Other than that the list currently isn't that long unless I start talking 'restore', which will happen knowning me.........

 

will do, makes sense.

I'm at 5deg Negative caster now. I'll give this plus minus 2 at least since I am using a cheapie bubbe angle measuring device.

The stock springs were toast and flat, the front springs measured over 38" The helper springs appeared to be around 2.1x" wide (my caliper battery died, I miss dials!), and the spring pack was still 'flat' with those installed.
All the 'lift' was achieved by 'cinching' the shackles, it seems.


wondering if I should just order shims in a couple sizes to have on hand ahead of time.

I haven't torn the rear springs out yet, I will probably service the front then the rear, and while I wait for parts get some threaded rod and fabricate a bushing puller to get the original bushings out of the shackle hangers.

EDIT: THANKS, nice idea! I will try that first and skip the screw press construction.


Meanwhile checking condition of spring and shackle hangers themselves, but they didn't appear scary. Hopefully the part wait isn't that long.

EDIT 2: That site doesn't appear to resolve for me.

 

i''d rather try the hacksaw first, more promise of success and less fabrication for me.

 

That site link won't work for me, is that the same member you mention PM'ing? I'd like to get one or two sets of the shims and make a lucky guess at the install hopefully, then measure the caster and maybe I won't need to go 'shucks' should have used the other set.

If a 0-1Pos is expected, and 3 is stock for a 74 (going by FSM), and 4 as more ideally by practice, should I just get 3 or 4deg shims now?

if two sets were considered in order to provide a choice, (using stock length shackles) would you suggest 3 and 4deg or another copmbo to have on hand?

I know with being empirical and ideally shop rack accurate it's nothing more than educated guess work until it's correctly measured, but if I have a shot at getting it right the first time........

 

THen after all of that work is done.. Make sure your Tie Rod/Drag Link ends are all in good shape.

Check the steering box for slop and check the joint where the steering column joins the steering box for play as well.

All of these can contribute to sloppy steering.

 

Don't fret is is all fixalbe for not a lot of $$. The night I drove mine home it tried to change lanes on me every time I hit the brakes. This was because of a BAD drivers side TRE. You could blow on it and move the shaft around.

But its great now. It will do 70 on the highway without any issues.

 

is it correct I will need 1.75" wide shims for the front?
I do plan on checking everything else out. I am mostly just ****ed since the guy had all these promises about it. I bought it because it had 43K original miles and is in mostly first paint. Good starting point but he testified it was more of a runner.

 

Don't sweat it. You are experiencing "PO" (previous owner) syndrome. Promises include "everything done right"; "doesn't burn any oil"; "it's just surface rust"; "never been abused"; and my all time favorite "ran good when parked - honest".

The thing about jeeps, unlike many other collector vehicles, is that they are such simple machines and rarely get driven daily so that people just regularly butcher and molest them. If you ever want to feel better about your ride, just browse this page for a few minutes (profanity warning): http://128.83.80.193/scarysteering/scarysteering10.html

Springs are 1.75" al the way around.

 

I'm having a hell of a time getting the shackle hanger bushing shell out, I tried making some cuts but only managed to dislodge two chunks. The metal in the hanger itself is shiny, as if they have welded together. For such a thin bushing shell it's hanging tough.

I'd really like to know if anyone has simply drilled and reamed these. 7/8 is the size? OD of new bushing appears 7/8.
Seems like it be much faster and leave a cleaner bore in the hanger.

I checked into other posts and got some more hacksaw blades and bought an air chisel