1953 JEEP CJ service reset

'Jeep*
UNIVERSAL SERIES SERVICE
MANUAL

m
FRONT fiXLE

Contents

SUBJECT
PAR.

GENERAL.
M-l

4-WHEEL DRIVE FRONT
AXLE.
M-2
Maintenance
Requirements M-3

FRONT AXLE REMOVAL
.M-4

AXLE
SHAFT REMOVAL
M-5

REMOVING
AND
OVERHAULING
DIFFERENTIAL
.M-6

AXLE
SHAFT UNIVERSAL JOINT SERVICE
M-7

STEERING
KNUCKLE SERVICE
M-8
Replacing
Steering
Knuckle
Oil Seal M-10

M-1. GENERAL
The
front axle for all 'Jeep* Universal models,

which
have 4-wheel drive, is described in
Par.
M-2.
The
front axle for all DJ-5, DJ-6 models, which
have 2-wheel drive, is described in
Par.
M-l5.

M-2. 4-WHEEL-DRIVE FRONT AXLE
The
front axle is a live driving unit with hypoid

type
driving gears and spherical steering knuckles mounted m pivot pins which ride on tapered roller bearings for
ease
of steering. The drive is of the
full
floating
type
through axle shafts built integrally

with
cardan cross universal joints which revolve in the steering knuckles. The steering knuckle tie rod

arm
is made integrally with the knuckle. The
knuckles
are connected by a divided tie rod to a steering bell
crank.
A steering connecting rod con­

nects
the bell
crank
to the steering gear arm. The

divided
tie rod is adjustable and the
toe-in
of each
front wheel is adjusted independently.
Camber
and
SUBJECT
PAR.

REASSEMBLY
AND
BEARING PRELOAD
M-9

AXLE
SHAFT INSTALLATION
M-ll
FRONT AXLE INSTALLATION........
.M-l2
Turning
Angle Adjustment . .M-14

Steering
Tie Rod and
Beilcrank
M-l3

2-WHEEL DRIVE FRONT AXLE
M-15
Removal
of Solid
Front
Axle M-l6

Steering
Knuckle
Service M-l7

Steering
Knuckle
Pin Replacement. ......M-l8

SERVICE
DIAGNOSIS
M-19

AXLE
SPECIFICATIONS.
M-20

caster
of the front
wheels
is preset.
Camber
cannot
be altered but caster can be adjusted by installing

caster
shims
between
the axle pad and the springs.

For
information on the steering
geometry
see
"Steering
Section."

Service
procedures given in this section include
the removal, installation, disassembly and assembly
of the Model
27AF
front axle assembly, the axle
shafts, steering knuckles, and
universal
joints.

Note:
All service replacement axle assemblies are
shipped from the factory without lubricant in the
differential.
Lubricant
must be added; use grade

and
quantity as specified in the lubrication chart (Section B).

M-3.
Maintenance Requirements

A
spring-loaded breather is located on the top of
the differential housing.
Each
time the differential
lubricant
is checked, the breather should be

'Jeep'
UNIVERSAL
SERIES
SERVICE
MANUAL

M
M-19.
SERVICE
DIAGNOSIS

SYMPTOMS
PROBABLE
REMEDY

Hard Steering
Lack
of
Lubrication
Lubricate
Tires
Soft.
. Inflate

Tight
Steering. Adjust. See "Steering" Section

Low Speed Shimmy
or
Wheel Fight
Spring
Clips and Shackles Loose
Front
Axle Shifted Insufficient Toe-In

Improper
Caster
Steering System Loose or Worn
Twisted Axle

High Speed Shimmy
or
Wheel Fight
Check
Conditions Under "Low Speed Shimmy"

Tire
Pressures Low or not
Equal

Wheel Out of Balance
Wheel Runout
Radial
Runout of Tires
Wheel Camber
Front
Springs
Settled
or Broken
Bent Steering Knuckle
Arm..................

Shock Absorbers not Effective
Steering
Gear
Loose on Frame

Front
Springs too Flexible

Tramp
Wheels Unbalanced

Wandering
Improper
Toe-in

Broken
Front Spring Main
Leaf

Axle Shifted Loose Spring Shackles or Clips
Improper
Caster

Tire
Pressure Uneven
Tightness in Steering System
Loose Wheel Bearings
Front
Spring
Settled
or Broken
Axle
Noisy
on
Pull
Pinion and Ring
Gear
Adjusted too Tight
Pinion Bearings Rough.

Axle Noisy
on
Coast
Excessive Back
Lash
at Ring and Pinion Gears.

End
Play in Pinion Shaft. . . Rough Bearing.

Axle Noisy
on
Coast
and
Pull
Ring
and Pinion Adjusted too Tight
Pinion Set too
Deep
in Ring
Gear
Pinion Bearing Loose or Worn

Back Lash
Axle Shaft Universal Joint Worn
Axle Shaft Improperly Adjusted

Worn
Differential Pinion Washers
Worn
Propeller Shaft Universal Joints.
Readjust
or Replace

Broken
Spring Center Bolt

Adjust
Reset

Adjust
or Overhaul Steering
Gear,
Front Axle or
Steering Parts
Straighten or Adjust
Inflate
Balance
Straighten Mount Properly
Same on Both Wheels
Repair
or Replace
Straighten or Replace
Replace or Repair Tighten

Over
Lubricated

Check
and Balance

Adjust—Check
for Bent Steering Knuckle Arm Replace

Spring
Center Bolt Broken
Adjust
or Replace
Reset Inflate

Adjust
Adjust
Repair
or Replace

Readjust

Replace

Readjust
Readjust

Replace

Readjust Readjust
Readjust
or Replace
Replace
Readjust

Replace

Repair

Emergency
Where difficulty is experienced with front axle differential making the vehicle inoperative,

remove
axle driving
flanges.
This will allow bringing vehicle in under its own power. Be sure the transfer
case
shift lever is in the neutral
(disengaged)
position.
285

'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

o

STEERING
SYSTEM
10

FIG.
0-7—STEERING
CONNECTING
ROD
(DRAG
LINK)
10696

1—Cotter Pin

2>—Large
Plug

3—
Ball
Seat

4—
Ball
Seat Spring 5—
Spring
Plug
shaft,
tightness
of the steering gear in the frame,

tightness
of steering gear arm, adjustment of the
steering connecting rod and condition of the steer­ ing tie rod
ball
joint ends. Adjust the steering con­
necting rod (drag
link)
to maximum safe
tightness

at both ends. Examine the steering beilcrank bearings, the shaft in the mounting bracket, and
the mounting bracket on the frame cross member,
k.
Check
front axle caster.
This
should be the same
on both sides, otherwise a locking brake may be

indicated
causing a twisting action of the axle.
Correct
caster is shown in specifications at the end
of this section.

I.
Check
the front wheel toe-in. See Specifications,

m.
Check
wheel
toe-out
on turns.
This
gives
you

an
indication of the proper angularity of the steer­
ing knuckle arms and tells whether or not they have been bent and require replacing. These may be checked by comparing them with new parts. If

an
arm is bent, check for a bent tie rod.
n.
Check
wheel camber.
This
should be the same
on both wheels as shown on the Specifications,

o.
Check
the king pin inclination. See Specifica­ tions.

p.
Check
the tracking of the front axle and frame
alignment, which may be incorrect due to an accident.

0-14.
STEERING
LINKAGE
SERVICE
The
steering linkage must maintain constant toe-
in
and
good
steering control under all driving
conditions.
This
requires
ball
joints at each end
of the tie rods and steering connecting rod. All
joints in the steering linkage must be kept well
lubricated
for easy operation and long life. Should
the joints be worn, allowing excessive free motion
in
the linkage, the joints must be replaced. When­
ever
ball
joints are replaced, toe-in must be reset. Because
some
members of the steering system may
have
become
bent or distorted, a periodic inspection
should be made.
0-15.
Steering Connecting
Rod
(Drag
Link)

The
steering connecting rod is of the
ball
and socket
type. All
ball
seat springs and adjusting plugs are 6—
-Dust
Cover

7—
Dust
Shield
8—
Small
Adjusting Plug
9—
Lubrication
Fitting
10—Connecting Rod

identical,
the only difference
between
front and
rear
end being the relative location of the springs.

The
correct assembly of the steering connecting
rod
is shown in Fig. 0-7. At the front or axle end,
the spring and spacer are assembled
between
the
rod
and
ball
seat, while at the steering gear end,
spring
and spacer are
between
the
ball
seat and the
end plug. In the illustration the front end is to the left.

When
removing springs and
seats
for any reason,
make
sure they are reassembled as shown in the

illustration
because this method of assembly re­
lieves road shock from the steering gear in both di­
rections. To adjust the
ball
joint, screw in the plug

firmly
against the
ball,
approximately 20 ft. lb. [2,8 kg-m.] then back off one quarter
turn
and lock

with
a new cotter pin inserted through
holes
in the
tube and the slot in the adjusting plug. To adjust the
ball
joint at the steering gear arm, screw in the end plug firmly against the
ball,
then back off one

full
turn
and lock with a new cotter pin inserted
through
holes
in the tube and the slot in the ad­

justing
plug.

The
above adjustments
will
give
the proper spring
tension and avoid any
tightness
when swinging
the wheel from maximum left to right
turn.
The
ball
joints must be tight enough to prevent end

play
and yet
loose
enough to allow free movement.
0-16. Tie Rod
The
tie rods are of three piece construction con­sisting of the rod and two
ball
and socket end as­ semblies.
Ball
and socket end assemblies are
threaded into each rod and locked with clamps,

around
each end of the rod. Right and left hand threads on tie rod end assemblies provide toe-in adjustments without removing the tie rod ends from
the steering arm.

'Jeep'
Universal models are equipped with a

divided
tie rod connected to a bell-crank mounted
on the frame cross member.
With
this type con­

struction
the toe-in of each wheel is adjusted in­
dependently. See heading "Toe-in adjustment".

When
wear takes place in the tie rod end
ball
and socket, it
will
be necessary to replace the
ball
and socket assembly and also the rubber seal. 318

Q

WHEELS

FIG.
Q-6—REAR
WHEEL,
FLANGED
AXLE
AND
BEARING
ASSY.

1—
Retainer
Plate

2— Oil
Seal

3—
Unit
Bearing

4—
Retaining
Ring
5—
Axle
Shaft
wheel
will
turn
freely with no drag. If adjustment
is necessary, follow the procedure given in Par. Q-8.

Q-8.
Rear Wheel Bearing Adjustment
—
Tapered Axle

The
bearing adjusting shims are placed
between
the brake backing plate and axle flange as shown

in
Fig. Q-7.

With
wheel raised on
jack,
the following procedure
should be used to make the
rear
wheel bearing
adjustment.

a.
Remove the hub cap with hub cap puller, the
cotter pin, axle shaft nut, and washer. Remove the
wheel hub and drum with a wheel puller.

b.
Disconnect hydraulic brake line at wheel

cylinder.

c.
Remove the
bolts
holding the brake dust shield, grease and bearing retainer, and the brake backing
plate.

d.
Remove or install shims to adjust the bearings
to provide .001" to .006" [0,025 a 0,152 mm.]
end float of the axle shaft.

Note:
Before reassembly of the wheel make certain
the backing plate nuts are tight and torqued at 25 to 35 lb-ft [3,4 a 4,8 kg-m.].
e. Reassemble the wheel, adjust brakes, and check
the bearing adjustment (Par. Q-7).

0-9.
REAR WHEEL MOUNTING
—
TAPERED AXLE

Proper
axle shaft key installation is accomplished by placing the hub and drum on the axle shaft
taper and then inserting the axle shaft key in the
FIG.
Q-7—REAR
WHEEL
AND HUB
BEARING
—

TAPERED
AXLE
SHAFT

1—-Adjusting
Shims
2—Inner
Seal
3—Outer
Seal
keyway.
Never install the key in the keyway before

placing
the hub and drum assembly on the axle
shaft. Be sure that the axle shaft nut is torqued
to a minimum of 150 lb-ft. [20,7 kg-m.].
O-10.
BRAKE
DRUM
SERVICE
On
rear
wheels, the hub fits inside the brake drum
(Fig.
Q-3). On front wheels, the hub is attached
to the outside of the brake drum (Fig. Q-l). The

brake
drums are attached to the wheel hubs by
five serrated bolts. These
bolts
are also used for
mounting the wheels on the hub. To remove a

brake
drum,
press or drive out the serrated
bolts
and
remove the drum from the hub. When placing
the drum on the hub, make sure that the contacting
surfaces are clean and flat.
Line
up the
holes
in
the drum with
those
in the hub and put the drum
over the shoulder on the hub. Insert five new
serrated
bolts
through the drum and hub and drive
the
bolts
into place solidly. Place a round head of the bolt in a vise. Next, place the hub and drum
assembly over it so that the bolt head rests on it.

Then
swage
the bolt into the countersunk section of the hub or drum with a punch. The runout of
the drum face should be within .030" [0,76 mm.]
total indicator reading. If the runout is found to be greater than .030" it
will
be necessary to reset
the
bolts
to correct the condition.
0-11.
TIRE SERVICE
Refer
to Fig. Q-8.

One
of the most important factors of safe vehicle
operation is systematic and correct tire mainte­ nance.
Tires
must sustain the weight of a loaded vehicle, withstand more than ordinary rough serv- 338