1953 JEEP CJ brake light

'Jeep*
UNIVERSAL
SERIES
SERVICE
MANUAL

m f. Disconnect propeller shaft from the differential
companion flange.

g.
Disconnect both front springs from front spring hangers.

h.
Remove spring clip and spring clip plates secur­
ing axle to front springs.

i.
Remove front
wheels
from axle assembly.

j.
Lower
jack
slightly and
pull
axle forward from
under
vehicle.
M-5.
FRONT AXLE SHAFT REMOVAL

Refer
to Fig. M-2.

The
following procedure applies to either right or
left
front axle shaft.

Note:
Axle shafts can be removed without remov­
ing the axle housing from the vehicle. Use the fol­
lowing procedure.
First
raise and support front end
of vehicle, and remove front wheels.

a.
Remove drive
flange
snap
ring.
b-
Remove the hub cap with a puller as shown in

Fig.
M-3.

c.
Remove the axle shaft driving
flange
bolts.

d.
Apply the
foot
brakes and remove the axle shaft
flange
with puller W-163 as illustrated in

Fig.
M-4.
FIG.
M-4—AXLE
SHAFT
DRIVE
FLANGE
PULLER

1—Too!
W-163
e.
Release the locking lip on the lockwasher and
remove the outer nut, lockwasher, adjusting nut

and
bearing lockwasher. Use wrench W-144, Fig.

M-5,
for removal of the nut.
f- Remove the wheel hub and drum assembly

with
the bearings. Be careful not to damage the

oil
seal.
FIG.
M-5—WHEEL
BEARING
NUT
WRENCH

1—Tool
W-144
g.
Remove the hydraulic brake
tube
and the

brake
backing plate screws.

h.
Remove the spindle.
i.
Remove the axle shaft and universal joint as­
sembly.
M-6.
Removing
and
Overhauling Differential

Adjustment
and overhaul of the front axle differen­
tial
assembly is the same as that of a
full
floating

type
rear
axle. Information covering dismantling

and
assembling of this
type
differential is contained
in
Section N.

NOTE:
All service replacement axle assemblies

are
shipped from the factory without lubricant in
the differential.
Lubricant
must be added to the
differential
before
the axles are installed in vehicles.

Use
the grade and quantity of lubricant specified
in
the lubrication section.

After
the axle has
been
installed in the vehicle,

check
to be sure the lubricant level in the dffer-

ential
is level with the
fill
plug opening.
M-7.
AXLE SHAFT UNIVERSAL JOINT SERVICE

Refer
to Fig. M-6 and M-7.

After
the axle shaft and universal joint assembly have
been
removed, the
Cardan
cross universal

joint
can be disassembled and inspected as follows:

a.
Remove the snap rings from the bearing cup assemblies.

b.
Press on the end of one bearing cup assembly

until
the
opposite
bearing is pushed from the yoke

arm.
Turn
the yoke over and press the first bear­ ing back out of that
arm
by pressing on the
exposed

end of the
journal
shaft. To avoid damaging the 279

'Jeep'
UNIVERSAL
SERIES
SERVICE
MANUAL

M
If
the joint binds when assembled, tap the yoke
lightly to relieve any pressure on the bearings at the end of the
journal.

M-8-
Steering
Knuckle
Service

The
steering knuckle pins pivot on tapered roller
bearings. Replacement of
these
bearings requires

removal
of the hub and brake drum assembly,
wheel bearings, axle shaft, spindle, steering tie rod,

and
steering knuckle. Disassemble the steering
knuckle
as follows:
Remove the
eight
screws which hold the oil seal

retainer
in place. Remove the four screws holding
the lower pivot pin bearing cap. Remove the four screws holding the upper bearing cap in place. Re­
move
the bearing cap. The steering knuckle can
now be removed from the axle. Wash all parts in cleaning solvent. Replace any damaged or worn

parts.
Inspect the bearing and races for scores,
cracks,
or chips. Should the bearing cups be damaged,
they
may be removed and installed with

Special
Driver
W-138, as shown in Fig. M-9.
M-9.
Reassemble
and
Bearing Preload

Reverse
the procedure of Par. M-8 to reassemble
the unit. When reinstalling the steering knuckle, sufficient shims must be installed under the top

bearing
cap to obtain correct preload on the bear­
ing.
Shims are available in
these
thicknesses: .003"
[0,076
mm.] .010"
[0,254
mm.] 005"
[0,127
mm.] .030"
[0,762
mm.]

Install
one each of the
above
shims at the top only.
Install
the bearing caps, lockwashers, and screws,

and
tighten securely.
Check
the preload on the bearings by hooking a

spring
scale, Tool C-690, in the
hole
in the knuckle

arm
for the tie rod socket.
Take
the scale reading when the knuckle has just started its
sweep.

The
kingpin bearing preload should be 12 to 16 lb. [5,43 a 7,24 kg.] with the oil seal removed. Remove

or
add shims to obtain a preload within
these
limits.
FIG.
M-9—SPINDLE
PIN
BEARING
CUP
DRIVER

1—Tool
W-138
FIG.
M-10—TURNING
ANGLE
STOP
SCREW

1—Stop
Screw
M-10.
Replacing Steering
Knuckle
Oil Seal
Remove the old steering knuckle oil seal by remov­ ing the
eight
screws which hold it in place.
Earlier

production vehicles are equipped with seals con­ sisting of two oil seal halves.
Later
production vehicles are equipped with oil seal assemblies con­
sisting of a split oil seal and backing ring assembly,

an
oil seal felt, and two seal retainer plate halves.

Examine
the spherical surface of the axle for scores or scratches which could damage the seal.
Smooth any roughness with emery cloth. Before installing the oil seal felt, make a diagonal
cut across the top side of the
felt
so that it may be
slipped over the axle.
Install
the oil seal assembly

in
the
sequence
given above, making sure the

backing
ring (of the oil seal and backing ring as­
sembly) is toward the wheel.

After
driving in wet, freezing weather swing the
front
wheels
from right to
left
to remove moisture

adhering
to the oil seal and the spherical surface of
the axle housing.
This
will
prevent freezing with

resulting
damage to the seals. Should the vehicle be
stored for any period of time, coat
these
surfaces

with
light grease to prevent rusting.

M-11.
AXLE
SHAFT
INSTALLATION

Refer
to Fig. M-2.

Installation
of the front right and
left
axle shaft
is the same and is given in the following
paragraphs.

a.
Clean
all parts of
dirt
and foreign matter.

b.
Enter
universal joint and axle shaft assembly

in
the axle housing, taking care not to knock out
the inner oil seal.
Enter
the splined end of the
axle shaft
into
the differential and push
into
place. 281

FRONT
AXLE

FIG.
M-l
1—FRONT
STEERING

KNUCKLE

(With
Spicer Universal Joint)
1—
Wheel
Hub Cap

2—
Driving
Flange Cap Screw

3—
Axle
Shaft Drive Flange Gasket 4—
Wheel
Bearing Cup
5—
Front
Wheel Spindle
6—
Brake
Drum
7—
Front
Brake
Cylinder

8—
Brake
Backing Plate

9—
Pivot
Pin Bearing Cap
10—
Pivot
Pin Bearing Cap Nut
11—
Pivot
Pin 12—
Pivot
Bearing Adjusting Shims

13—
Pivot
Pin Cone and Rollers
14—
Steering
Knuckle
Oil Seal 15—
Front
Axle Universal Joint
16—
Thrust
Washer
17—
Brake
Backing Plate Screw
18—
Brake
Shoe and
Lining

19—
Hub
Oil Seal
20—
Wheel
Hub Bolt Nut
21—
Wheel
Bearing Cone and Rollers 22—
Wheel
Bearing Washer

23—
Wheel
Bearing Retaining Nut
24—
Wheel
Adjusting Nut
Lock
Washer
25—
Wheel
Bearing Retaining Nut
26—
Snap
Ring

c.
Install
the wheel bearing spindle and bushing.
d.
Install
brake backing plate.
e.
Grease and assemble wheel bearings and oil

seal.
Install
the wheel hub and drum on the wheel
bearing
spindle.
Install
the wheel bearing washer
and
adjusting nut. Tighten nut with
Wrench
W-144
as shown in
Fig.
M-5, until there is a slight drag on the bearings when the hub is turned.
Then
back off approximately one-sixth of a
turn.
Install
lock

washer
and nut, tightening nut
into
place, and then bend lip of lock washer over on the locknut.
f.
Install
drive
flange
and gasket on hub and attach
with
six cap screws and lock washers.
Install
snap

ring
on outer end of axle shaft.

g.
Install
hub cap.
h.
Install
the wheel, lug nuts, and wheel disc.
i.
If
tube
was installed with axle assembly on
vehicle, check front wheel alignment (Section O),
bleed brakes (Section P), and lubricate front axle

universal
joints (Section B).

M-12.
FRONT
AXLE
INSTALLATION

To
install the front axle, reverse the procedures described in
Par.
M-4 and then perform the follow­
ing operations:

a.
Torque spring clip plate (U-bolt) nuts securing the axle to the front springs, (see Par. M-4).

b.
Adjust and bleed the brakes (see Section P).

c.
Check
axle lubricant level and
fill
as necessary, (see Section B).

d.
Check
front end wheel alignment (see Section
O).
e.
Check
wheel turning angle. Refer to Par. M-14.
M-13.
Steering
Tie Rod and
Bell Crank

These
parts of the front axle are covered in Sec­
tion O.
M-14.
4-Wheel Drive
Turning
Angle

Adjustment
and service information regarding
turning
angles
is covered in Section O.

M-15.
2-WHEEL-DRIVE
FRONT
AXLE
The
front axle is of the reverse
Elliot
type. It is a
steel forging, heat treated for strength and ma­
chined
to
close
limits. The steering knuckles are
mounted on pins which pass through
openings
at each end of the
"I"
beam and are locked securely

in
position with tapered pins and nuts. The knuckles

ride
on
ball
thrust bearings for
ease
of steering. See
Figs.
M-12, M-13.

The
knuckles are connected by a tie rod which is
mounted on
ball
and socket connections. The tie

rod
is adjustable to secure correct
toe-in
of the front wheels. A steering connecting rod
connects

the
left
knuckle arm with the steering gear arm.

Standard
caster and camber of the front
wheels
are
built
into
the front axle. Wheel camber cannot
be changed however, caster can be adjusted by

placing
tapered shims or
wedges
between
the
springs and spring seats. For
complete
information

regarding
the steering
geometry
refer to the
Section O.

M-16.
Removal of Solid
Front
Axle

Note:
The procedure for removing the solid front
axle varies slightly, depending on whether the
springs are slung under or over the axle. These

variations
are
noted
in the following procedure.

a. -
Raise the front end of the vehicle and safely support the frame behind the springs.

b.
Remove the
wheels
by removing the wheel
discs and lug nuts.

c.
Disconnect the steering connecting rod at the
ball
and socket connection on the steering knuckle. 282

N

REAR
AXLE

FIG.
N-l3—NOTCHING
BEARING
RETAINING
RING
c.
Attach puller
tool
W-343 to axle shaft flanged
end using the wheel lug nuts. Position puller
bolts

against dimples of holding ring and alternately tighten until bearing is pressed from shaft, as shown

in
Fig. N-14. 14152

FIG.
N-14—REMOVING
AXLE
SHAFT
BEARING
1—
Bolt

2—
Flange
Adapter

3—
Dimple
in Holding
Ring

4 Holding
Ring

5—
Adapter
Plates N-8.
Rear
Axle
Shaft and Bearing Installation

(Semi-Float-Flanged
Shaft)

a.
Inspect the axle shaft oil seal
journal
for
scratches and polish with fine crocus cloth if
necessary.

b.
Install
retainer plate on the axle shaft

c.
Apply grease to the new oil seal cavity
between

the seal lips and carefully slide seal, on the axle shaft seal seat. The outer face of the seal must be

toward
the axle flange.

d.
Pack
the new bearing
full
of grease
prior
to

installation,
using the proper lubricant.
e.
Install
the unit bearing on the axle shaft making
certain
the cup rib ring is facing the axle flange.
f.
Install
the new bearing retainer ring on the axle shaft.
g. Using puller
tool
W-343, press the new axle shaft bearing and retainer ring on the axle shaft
simultaneously. Tighten puller
bolts
alternately

until
the bearing and retainer ring are properly
seated
against the shaft shoulder.

Refer
to Fig. N-15 and N-16. 14154

FIG.
N-15—INSTALLING
AXLE
SHAFT
BEARING

1—
Holding
Ring

2—
Adapter

3—
Flange
Adapter
4—
Bolt

Note:
Make certain the old bearing cup has
been

removed from the axle housing
before
the axle
shaft and new unit bearing is installed
into
the
axle housing.

h.
Install
axle shaft through the backing plate
using care not to damage the axle housing
tube
inner
oil seal.

i.
Apply a thin coating of lubricant to the
outside

diameter of the bearing cup
prior
to installing in
the bearing bore.

j.
Tap end of flanged shaft lightly with a rawhide
mallet to position the axle shaft bearing in the
housing bearing bore.

k.
Attach the axle shaft retainer and brake back­
ing plate to the axle
tube
flange. Secure with nuts

and
lockwashers. Torque 25 to 35 lb. ft
[3,4-4,8

kg-m.].

I.
Install
a new cup plug
into
the axle shaft
flange

hole.

m.
Install
the brake
drum,
and
rear
wheel as­
sembly. 292

'Jeep*
UNIVERSAL
SERIES SERVICE
MANUAL

N
scribed
in
Pars.
N-ll through N-l9 for standard
axles, with the exception of the following torque
recommendations. Torque the differential case
bearing
cap screws 70 to 90 lb-ft. [9,7 a 12,4 kg-m.]

and
the cover screws 15 to 25 lb-ft. [2,1 a 3,4
kg-m.].
The ring gear screws on axles with Powr-

Lok
differentials should be torqued as follows:

Model
30 and 44 axles 35 to 55 lb-ft. [4,84 a 7,60 kg-m.].

N-24. TRAC-LOK DIFFERENTIAL
As
optional equipment
Trac-Lok
Model 44 differen­
tial
is available on all Jeep Universal vehicles equipped with semi-float flanged axle shafts.
A
conventional differential transmits all of the
ring
gear torque through the differential gears to the axle shafts. Torque is at all
times
equal on the axle shafts, and if one wheel slips, the other wheel

can
only put out as much torque as the slipping
wheel.

The
Trac-Lok
differential is similar,
except
that

part
of the torque from the ring gear is trans­ mitted through clutch packs
between
the side gears

and
differential case. The multiple disc clutches

with
radial
grooves
on the plates and concentric
grooves
on the discs are
engaged
by a preload

from
Belleville springs, plus separating forces from
the side gears as torque is applied through the
ring
gear.

The
Trac-Lok
construction permits differential action when required for turning corners and trans­mits equal torque to both
wheels
when driving

straight
ahead. However, when one wheel tries to spin due to leaving the ground, a patch of ice,
etc., the clutch packs automatically provide more
torque to the wheel which is not trying to spin.
It
can be
seen
then that the
Trac-Lok
differential
resists wheel spin on bumpy roads and provides
more pulling power when one wheel tries to slip.
In
many cases of differences in traction, pulling
power
will
be automatically provided until both
wheels
start to slip.

In
diagnosis of vehicle operators' complaints, it
is important to recognize two things:

a.
If, with unequal traction, both
wheels
slip, the

Trac-Lok
has
done
all it can possibly do.

b.
In extreme cases of differences in traction, the
wheel with least traction may spin after the
Trac-

Lok
has transferred as much torque as possible
to the non-slipping wheel.
N-25.
Lubrication

The
Trac-Lok
differential requires a special
lubri­

cant
and ordinary multipurpose gear lubricants

MUST
NOT be used. Use only 'Jeep* Differential
Oil,
Part
No. 94557.

Trac-Lok
differential may be cleaned only by disassembling the unit and wiping with clean rags. Do not flush the
Trac-Lok
unit.

Note:
The
Trac-Lok
differential is serviced at the
same time intervals as the standard differential.
N-26.
Trouble
Symptoms

If
noises
or roughness, such as chatter, are present
in
turning corners, the probable cause is incorrect

or
contaminated lubricant.
Before any differential is removed and disassem­
bled for chatter complaints, the correctness of
lubri­

cant
can and should be determined.

A
complete
lubricant
drain,
and
refill
with specified

Limited
Slip Differential lubricant
will
usually
correct
chatter.

The
following procedure is recommended to ensure

complete
removal of old lubricant.

a.
Warm
the lubricant by vehicle road operation,

or
5 minutes of operation in gear at 30 mph with
both
wheels
off the ground on a hoist.

Caution:
Never place the transmission in gear with
the
engine
running when only one wheel of a

Limited
Slip Differential equipped vehicle is raised.
The
vehicle might drive itself off the
jack
and produce damage or
injury.

b.
Drain
lubricant while
warm.
Remove
drain
plug

or
cover to
drain
completely. If cover is removed,

it
may be necessary to replace gasket at this time.

c.
Refill
axle with specified
Limited
Slip Differen­

tial
lubricant.

d.
Operate the vehicle for approximately ten miles
[16,09
km.], making at least ten figure 8 turns
to flush the old lubricant out of the clutch packs.

e.
Repeat
steps
b, c, and d, making sure to replace
the cover gasket if required in
step
c.
f. It is possible that slight chatter, requiring ad­
ditional
vehicle operation, may remain after
step
e. If chatter persists after 100 miles
[160,9
km.]
of vehicle operation, or remains severe after
step

e above, disassembly and repair
will
be necessary.
N-27.
Unit
Inoperative

Proper
performance and capabilities of
Limited
Slip
Differentials are
often
misunderstood. No
precise
methods
of measuring
Limited
Slip Dif­

ferential
performance are generally available in the field. A functioning unit can be determined by
relatively
simple vehicle operational
tests,
as
follows:

a.
Place one wheel on
good
dry pavement, and the
other on ice, mud, grease, etc.

b.
Gradually
increase
engine
rpm to obtain maxi­

mum
traction
prior
to "break-a-way." The ability
to
move
the vehicle
effectively
will
demonstrate

proper
performance.

c.
If extremely slick surfaces, such as ice or grease,

are
used
some
question may exist as to proper per­
formance at
step
b. In
these
extreme cases a prop­

erly
performing
Limited
Slip Differential
will
pro­
vide greater "pulling" power by lightly applying
the parking brake.

N-23.
Trac-Lok
Differential Disassembly
and
Reassembly

It
is recommended that the
complete
axle assembly
be removed from the vehicle, when it
becomes
necessary to remove the
Trac-Lok
from the hous­

ing.
Refer to Par. N-3 and N-12 for removal of axle shafts and differential case from axle housing. 303

m

REAR AXLE
c. Attach the brake line
hose
at tee fitting on top
of housing.

d.
Attach parking brake cables at rear of brake
backing plate. DJ
models
only.
e. Connect the shock absorbers at the axle mount­
ing pads.
f. Connect the propeller shaft at the rear universal
joint.
g. Adjust and bleed brakes. (See Section P).

h.
Install
wheels
and lower vehicle to floor.
i.
Check parking brake as described in Section P.

j.
Fill
the axle housing with the proper lubricant.

For
correct lubricant refer to the
Lubrication
Chart.

N-34.
TROUBLE
SHOOTING

The
following problems can be present with either the conventional differential,
Powr-Lok
or
Trac-
Lok
differential.
N-35. Backlash

Excessive
backlash in the vehicle drive line may be the results of
excessive
backlash in the trans­
mission, propeller shaft spline, universal joint, ring gear and pinion, the axle shaft spline, or the dif­
ferential.
Excessive
backlash in the differential may be meas­

ured
as follows:
a.
Jack
up one rear wheel.
b. Put the transmission in gear.
c. Measure the travel of the jacked-up wheel on
a
10"
[25,40
cm.] radius from the wheel center.

This
total
movement
should not
exceed
IVi" [3,17 cm.] in a new unit. In order to restrict the

backlash
to the axles only, make sure that the
yoke of the propeller shaft
does
not
move
during
the check.

d.
If all causes of backlash mentioned
above
have

been
eliminated with the exception of the differen­

tial
and that still
exceeds
the maximum allowable
movement, overhaul the differential.
N-36.
Rear
Wheel
Noise

Looseness of the rear axle shaft nut on semifloat- ing tapered rear axles may produce a clicking or
creaking
noise.
This
noise
can usually be
stopped

by torquing the wheel hub nut 150 to 175 lb-ft. [20,7 a 24,2 kg-m.]. If the condition has continued
for
some
time, slight wear may have resulted allow­
ing the
noise
to persist. In this case, coat the hub,
key, and keyway on tapered axle shafts with white
lead and torque the nut as specified. If the
noise
persists after this treatment, replace the worn parts.

N-37.
SERVICE DIAGNOSIS

SYMPTOMS

Axle
Noisy on Pull and
Coast
Excessive
Back
Lash
Bevel
Gear
and Pinion. . . . . Adjust

End
Play Pinion Shaft Adjust

Worn
Pinion Shaft Bearing Adjust
Pinion
Set too Deep in Bevel
Gear
too Tight..... Adjust

Wrong
Lubricant
Being Used
(Powr-Lok
or
Trac-Lok
Differential) . Replace

Axle
Noisy on
Pull
Pinion
and Bevel
Gear
Improperly Adjusted Adjust

Pinion
Bearings Rough....................... Adjust

Pinion
Bearings Loose Adjust

Axle
Noisy on Coast
Excessive
Back
Lash
in Bevel
Gear
and Pinion. . . Adjust

End
Play in Pinion Shaft. . Adjust

Improper
Tooth Contact.
....................
Adjust
Rough Bearings Replace

Back
Lash
Worn
Differential Pinion
Gear
Washers Adjust
Excessive
Back
Lash
in Bevel
Gear
and Pinion. . . Adjust

Worn
Universal Joints Replace
PROBABLE REMEDY

310

'Jeep'
UNIVERSAL
SERIES SERVICE
MANUAL

O Note:
If the steering-gear-to-frame
bolts
are not

properly
torqued, they
will
eventually
loosen
dur­

ing operation of the vehicle. Loose
bolts
will
result
in
elongated
bolt
holes
making maintenance of bolt torque difficult, and may allow position of the
steering columns to be misaligned. Therefore,
proper
torquing is extremely important.
Do not tighten the steering gear to dampen out
steering trouble. Adjust the steering gear only to
remove lost motion or play within the unit.
0-5. Steering
Gear
Adjustment
The
cam and lever steering gear is illustrated in

Fig.
0-2. It consists of a
spiral
cam, and a cross shaft and lever assembly with two lever studs.
When
the steering wheel is turned, the cam
moves

the studs, causing rotary movement of the cross
shaft, which in
turn
causes angular movement of
the*steering arm.

Two
adjustments of the steering gear are necessary:
up and down play of the steering shaft, and adjust­ment of the lever studs (tapered pins) in the

cam
groove.

Adjustment
of the
ball
thrust bearings to eliminate up and down play of the steering shaft is ac­
complished by removing shims which are installed
between
the steering gear housing and the upper
cover. Before making this adjustment
loosen
the
housing side cover adjusting screw to free the pins
in
the cam groove. Loosen the housing cover to
cut and remove a shim or more as required.
Install
the screws and tighten. Adjustment should be
made to have a slight drag but allow the steering
wheel to
turn
freely with thumb and forefinger
lightly gripping the rim.

Shims
installed for adjustment are .002*, .003", and .010"
[.0508,
.0762
and .254 mm.] in thickness.

Adjustment
of the tapered pins in the cam
groove

is accomplished by adjusting screw. Unlock the

adjusting
screw and
turn
it in until a very slight
drag
is felt through the mid-position when turning
the steering wheel slowly from one extreme position
to the other.

Backlash
of the pins in the
groove
shows up as
end play of lever shaft, also as backlash of steer­ ing arm.

The
cam
groove
is purposely cut shallow in the

straight
ahead driving position for each pin.
This

feature permits a
close
adjustment for normal

straight
ahead driving and provides precision steer­ ing and permits take up of backlash at this point
after the wear occurs without causing a bind else­

where.
Always
adjust within the high range through
the mid-position of pin travel. Do not adjust off
"straight
ahead" position.
Backlash
in turned posi­
tions is not objectionable.
0-6.
Front
Wheel Alignment Adjustments
To
ensure correct alignment, a definite procedure
for inspection of the steering system is recom­ mended. It is
suggested
that the following sequence
be used:

a.
Equalize
tire pressures and level vehicle.
b.
Check
steering gear to steering column align­
ment.

c.
Inspect steering knuckle pivots, spindle, and
wheel bearing
looseness.

d.
Check
wheel runout.

e.
Test wheel balance and bearing adjustment.
f.
Check
for spring sag.
g.
Inspect brakes and shock absorbers.

h.
Check
steering gear assembly adjustment and
steering connecting rod.

i.
Check
caster,

j.
Check
toe-in.
k.
Check
toe-out
on turns.

I.
Check
camber.

m.
Check
tracking of front and
rear
wheels,

n.
Check
frame alignment.

The
factors of alignment, caster, camber, and toe-
in,
are all interrelated and if one adjustment is
made, another adjustment may be affected.
There­

fore, after an alignment job is completed, make a
complete recheck of all the adjustments to be sure
the
settings
are within the limit. Be sure all front
suspension and steering system nuts and
bolts
are

all
properly torqued before taking wheel alignment readings.

Proper
alignment of front wheels must be main­
tained in order to ensure
ease
of steering and satis­factory tire life.

The
most important factors of front wheel align­ment are wheel camber, axle caster and wheel
toe-in.

Wheel
toe-in is the distance the wheels are closer

together
at the front than at the
rear.
Wheel
camber is the amount the wheels incline out­

ward
at the top from a vertical position.
Front
axle caster is the amount in
degrees
that the
steering pivot pins are tilted towards the front or

rear
of the vehicle. Positive caster is inclination of
the top of the pivot pin towards the
rear
of the ve­

hicle.
Zero caster is the vertical position of the
pivot pin. Negative or reverse caster is the in­
clination
of the top of the pin towards the front
of the vehicle.

These
points should be checked at regular inter­
vals,
particularly when the front axle has been
subjected to a heavy impact. When checking wheel alignment, it is important that wheel bearings and

knuckle
bearings be in proper adjustment. Loose bearings
will
affect instrument readings when

checking
the camber, pivot pin inclination and
toe-in.
To
accurately check camber and caster, use a wheel
aligning fixture.
Camber
and caster of the front
wheels are both preset.
Camber
cannot be altered
but caster can be adjusted by installing caster shims
between
the axle pad and the springs. Wheel toe-in
may
be adjusted. To measure wheel toe-in, use a
wheel aligning fixture or follow the procedure given
in Par.
0-8.
0-7.
Front Wheel Toe-in
Toe-in
as illustrated in
Fig.
0-3, is necessary to
off­

set the
effect
of camber as shown in Fig. Q-4. 315

'Jeep'
UNIVERSAL SERIES SERVICE
MANUAL

The
purpose of caster Fig. O-S, is to provide steer­
ing stability which
will
keep the front wheels in the
straight
ahead position and also assist in straighten­
ing up the wheels when coming out of a
turn.
Caster
of the front wheels is preset. If the angle of

caster,
when accurately measured, is found to be

incorrect,
correct it to the specification given at
the end of this section by either installing new

parts
or installing caster shims
between
the axle

pad
and the springs.

If
the camber and toe-in are correct and it is known
the the axle is not twisted, a satisfactory check

may
be made by testing the vehicle on the road.
Before road testing, make sure all tires are properly

inflated,
being particularly careful that both front
tires are inflated to exactly the same pressure.
If
vehicle turns easily to either side but is
hard
to
straighten out, insufficient caster for easy handling of vehicle is indicated. If correction is necessary, it

can
usually be accomplished by installing shims

between
the springs and axle pads to secure the
desired
result.
0-11-
Front
Wheel
Turning
Angle
When
the front wheels are turned, the inside wheel
on the
turn
travels in a smaller circle than the out­side wheel, therefore, it is necessary for the wheels
to toe out to prevent the tire on the inside wheel

frOm
being scuffed sideways.
This
angle for toe out
on turns is designed to permit both front wheels to

turn
on a common center by having the ends of the
steering
knuckle
arms closer
together
than the king­

pins.

To
avoid possible damage to the universal joints
on the front axles of 4-wheel drive vehicles, it is advisable to check the turning angle.
Wearing
away
of the upset
edge
on the spindle housing bolt which
10607

FIG.
0-6—TURNING
ANGLE
STOP
SCREW
1—Stop
Screw
contacts the
stop
screw
will
increase the turning
angle to the point where the universal joints may
be damaged.

The
Jeep Universal Series vehicles should have a

turning
angle of not more than 27^° both left and

right.
To adjust the
stop
screw, it is necessary to

loosen
the locknut holding the
stop
screw. When
the adjustment has been made, tighten the locknut
on the screw to prevent any movement. Refer to
Fig.
O 6.

The
left steering knuckle arm controls the relation­
ship of the front wheels on a left
turn
and the right
arm
controls the relation on a right
turn.

0-12. Steering
Knuckle
Arm

Should
a steering knuckle arm
become
bent, the

knuckle
housing must be replaced. It is not safe to
straighten the knuckle arm.
0-13.
Front
Wheel
Shimmy
Wheel
shimmy may be caused by various condi­
tions in the wheels, axle or steering system, or a
combination of
these
conditions. Outlined below

will
be found the usual corrections of this fault:

a.
Equalize
tire pressures and see that they are
according
to specifications.

b.
Check
the wheel bearings for
looseness.
Be sure
that the inner wheel bearing race is not too
loose
on the spindle.

c.
Remove both steering knuckles and carefully inspect the upper and lower king pin bearings.

Inspect
the bearing cups for evidence of brinelling,
pitting, or fretting. Any bearings that show the slightest imperfection must be
replaced.
Reassemble

and
lubricate the front axle and steering linkage,
installing
new steering knuckle oil seals if present
seals show any wear.

d.
With
full
weight on the front wheels and one

man
working the steering play with the steering
wheel, a second man should closely observe the steering bell
crank
for any rocking motion and the
double tie rod socket for any rocking motion or

looseness
at both points. Replace the complete bell
crank
assembly if it has even the slightest rocking motion. The same applies to the double tie rod
socket.
e.
Check
wheel run-out.
This
check should include
radial
run-out and wheel
looseness
on the hub.
f- Test wheel balance—check for blowout patches,
uniform
tire tread, vulcanized tires, mud on inside
of wheels, and tires creeping on the
rims.

g.
Try
switching front wheels and tires to the
rear,
criss-crossing
them in this operation.

h.
Check
for front
spring
sag. Also check for broken

spring
leaves, broken center
spring
bolt,
loose
spring

clips
(or tight clips), over-lubrication of spring leaves, spring shackle bracket
loose
on frame, and

loose
rear
spring shackle. Be sure that the shock
absorbers
are operating properly to eliminate bob­bing of the front end.

i.
Check
brakes to make sure that one
does
not

drag.

j.
Check
the steering assembly and steering con­ necting rod.
This
includes the up-and-down-play
of the steering worm shaft, end play of the cross 317