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I guess it doesn't take much to get me excited but look at what I found under by front axle hub..


sooooo....did some of the earlier front axles have threaded ends.....or maybe later ones......or is it like Mr. Miller thinks......and this is a civi axle?

One things for sure.......I bet this wasn't done in a maintenance depot...


this nut is so roughed up from being beaten on with a hammer and big screw driver that I can't even wipe it off with a towel without leaving behind paper klingons. Think I'll replace this nut anyway....just because I can!

Jim

That would be early Civvy and WWII. The threaded end with the nut was dropped at CJ3A 37549 in late 1949. Let us know what type you have on the opposite side and weather Bendix, Rzeppa or Spicer joint.

The ones on my M38 were almost as bad. A $5 hub nut socket would have solved the problem. Its so easy with the proper tools. You are also missing two screws that hold the brake drum to the hub! Good luck - hope the rest goes easier.

Question for others reading this post - what's the easiest way of bending the lock washer forward to secure the outside nut. Prying with a screwdriver tends to chew up the edge of the hub as seen in the pics. Is there a tool for this? Thanks!

Okay......I've gotten the short side axle out and its the Bendix type.....and surprisingly.....its still holding together. There is some looseness in the joint that can be felt when twisting the two ends of the axle but it will not pull apart (although I must confess I didn't try real hard).

Looks like all my brake drums.....front and rear...are missing the taper head screws. I just assumed they were optional.....hahaha......or bubba needed them to repair the screen door on the kitchen. I'll probably try to find me some replacements if it looks like the threads are still intact.

Got an answer on my spindle bushing as well. Worn slap out.....or at least so worn out it wobbles in the spindle and on the axle.

Looks like my wheel bearings have been spinning on my spindle too. Or at least the set prior to this set did cause my spindle is seriously discolored in the area of both the inside and the outside bearing. My bearings actually look good but are kinda loose in the cage and just judging by the amount of wear I'd guess that whoever replaced the cones last did not renew the cups.....so looks like I'll be replacing them both....cones and cups. Seals gotta be replaced too.

Tomorrow night......off with the short side knuckle.....and then start to work on the long side. Is it possible to have different kinds of axles on each side?

Jim

Yep

Okay.....the long side is out.....and......its a Bendix axle too!!! It also has the threaded end with a big nut on it. And this shaft is still in one piece as well. Slightly different brake backing plate though. This one has springs and twist locks for hold downs.....while the other side has slotted hooks that hold the brakes on. This side has a top and bottom brake return spring while the other side only had the large spring at the top....no small spring at the bottom. Guess I'll have to do something about this.

So now the question is.....just how does one go about determining if there is too much wear in the bendix joint? The universal manual says..."grasp both ends of the shaft in the hands and twist the ends back and forth. Should excessive wear be indicated by the back lash or lost motion the assembly should be replaced." This may be good for someone who's seen one of these shafts new and is familiar with their normal state.....but for me.....shoot.....this is the first one I've ever seen. And then too.....it sounds like its kind of important that the knuckle thrust washer and spindle bushing be correct to insure proper end float of the axle. So are the thrust washers still available?

I'll try to get some pic's posted up tomorrow......if I ever get all this grease off me. This spindle is worse then the other one.......the area where the seal rides is rough.......the spindle bushing is crystalized and cracked........and the hub nuts were pretty badly beaten up as well.

Jim

Jim,
It's tough to quantify something like this. Each person will apply varying amounts of force as they twist and each person will get a slightly different feel for the slop. "One man's slop is another man's "Good to go""! Try to find a local mechanic familiar with them and get his opinion. The mail order opinions here on the web can be helpful but can also be misleading.

After degreasing you will be able to get a good look at the balls and sockets. Deep ridges and wear marks become obvious. The manuals have reference to different size balls for service purposes but they dont seem to be available.
I had a Bendix joint that was made up of four football shaped rollers and the sockets were deeply scored. If you got the balls just right it felt good. If they weren't just right it all fell apart.
Tom

Surprised again........take a look.....and tell me if this kind of wear is normal:




and then here's a couple of my joints...

Your drive shaft looks like the ones I took out of my Jeeps. Mine would pull apart readily but I cleaned them up and put them back in. Your axle has some issues - can't imagine what caused that amount of damage! Looks like there might be a crack in one of the king pin mounts - that would be a serious defect. As far as the Jeep is concerned, when I decided to use the original parts in mine even if they were a little worn, I realized that I was not going to do much off road 4 wheeling. A little slop in the drive shaft would not affect the use of the vehicle.

Brake backing plate - the one with the hooks and one spring at the top is the correct style.