Joined: Apr 03, 2005 Posts: 271 Location: Chester County, PA
Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 5:04 pm Post subject: M38A1 Steering
My bell crank feels to me fairly loose, and I can't figure out for a hoot why. I have replaced the bearings, bolt (twice), and I have even machined my own bushing that is deadnuts on, and it's still got a fair amount of play in it.
Nothing else is sloppy. My jeep was finished its restoration a year ago this time of year. Got a NOS gear box last year when I finished the jeep, tie rods are good, knuckle bearings are good. There is no shimmy, even at high speeds. But the looseness of the bell crank forces you to keep your eyes on the road, as there is a good deal of rotation of the steering wheel that doesn't do anything.
Anyone know what could be going on here? Oh, that bolt and nut at the top of the bracket that is mounted to the frame is super tight. _________________ Bob Collins
1954 M38A1 MD79056
Joined: Apr 03, 2005 Posts: 271 Location: Chester County, PA
Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 7:03 pm Post subject:
Hi Hal, long time no talk!
Thanks for the idear, but its not in the gearbox. Gearbox is fine, works like a charm. The bell crank ( # 7375183 - letter E page 220 in TM9-8015-2) is the only thing moving on a diagonal.
I wont be in Little Rock. Its a far drive from Pennsyltucky, and I don't have a CH-47 or anything to be able to airlift my jeep down there Also, I've been accepted to Virginia Tech, and I'm actually going to head there early before the official first semester to take some engineering summer classes. It just so happens that this program starts a few days before Little Rock. Kinda stinks that I'll miss a summer to be super lazy, but our HS has a co-op program for kids that have a 70% or above, and allows them to leave school to go do an internship / coop a month early. So I guess you can say I've had summer vacation for a while. Trying to clean up the small issues with the jeep before I leave. I'm sure my dad is going to want to play while I'm away. _________________ Bob Collins
1954 M38A1 MD79056
Joined: Mar 03, 2006 Posts: 19 Location: Norton,N.B., Canada
Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 8:04 pm Post subject:
Just a thought, I understand there were two different sized bellcrank pins used could yours be missmatched? _________________ Getting Dirty with my 1953 m38a1 or my 1955 m37
Joined: Apr 03, 2005 Posts: 271 Location: Chester County, PA
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:40 pm Post subject:
Drag link is Okay. I rebuilt that, no problems...It wouldn't cause the lateral movement of the bellcrank.
Do you happen to know the diameters of the different pins? That could quite possibly be it. However, I would think that the bushing would be sloppy as heck. Unless perhaps it was a different diameter at the bottom part of the shank (nut side) -- That would explain why the clamping bolt isn't doing jack. _________________ Bob Collins
1954 M38A1 MD79056
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