1953 JEEP CJ service

'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

'Jeep'
UNIVERSAL
SERIES SERVICE
MANUAL

M
FIG.
M-12—FRONT
AXLE—EARLY
MODEL
DJ-5, DJ-6
1— Outer Bearing Cone and Rollers
2— Outer Bearing Race
3—
Inner
Bearing Cone and Rollers
4—
Inner
Bearing Race 5— -Wheel Brake Cylinder
6— Bleeder Screw 7— Upper Expansion Plug
8— Steering Knuckle Pin
9— Steering Knuckle Bushing
10—
Lubrication
Fitting Opening
11—
Front
Axle I-Beam 12— Steering Knuckle Pin Bearing 13—
Brake
Backing Plate
14—
Brake
Drum 15—
Brake
Shoe

16— Wheel Hub Bolt
17— Spindle
18—
Front
Wheel Hub
19— Spindle Nut
d. Disconnect the shock absorbers at the axle

mounting
pads.
e. Disconnect the brake hydraulic
hoses
at the
connections
between
front brake
lines
and
flexible
hoses.

f. Support the axle assembly on a jack, ready for removal. g. On
vehicles
with the springs slung over the axle,

remove
the
nuts
from the spring to axle U-bolt clips,

remove
the spring clip
plates,
and slide the axle as­

sembly
from underneath the vehicle.

On
vehicles
with the springs slung under the axle,
remove
the
nuts
from the spring clips and
remove

the spring clip
plates.
Then
disconnect
the spring

FIG.
M-13—FRONT
AXLE, LATE
MODEL
DJ-5, DJ-6
1— Steering Knuckle
2— Steering Knuckle Bushing
3—
Key

4— Steering Arm
5—
Lock
Spring
6—
Oil
Seal Retainer 7—
Oil
Seal
8—
Tapered
Pin
9— Dust Cover
10— Nut
11— Cotter Pin
12— Tie
Rod
13— Axle Tube 14— Plug
15— Steering Knuckle Pin
16—
Shim

17—
Thrust
Bearing
18— Bolt
19— Nut 20— Nut
21— Cotter Pin 11660
283

M

FRONT
AXLE
from
the spring shackles by removing the lower

spring
shackle bolts.
Lower
the front springs to the floor and slide the axle assembly from underneath the vehicle.

M-17. STEERING KNUCKLE SERVICE
The
following procedures are given for steering

knuckle
service when the axle is installed on the vehicle.
With
the axle removed, eliminate the ap­

propriate
steps.

M-18.
Steering
Knuckle
Pin Replacement

Refer
to
Figs.
M-12, M-13.

The
only parts of the front axle, subjected to weir

which
may require replacement are the steering

knuckle
pins and bushings. To accomplish this re­ placement follow the procedure outlined below.

a.
Jack
up the front of the vehicle to free the
wheels.
Install
axle stands under the front axle for safety.

b.
Remove the hub cap and dust cap.

c.
Remove the wheel retaining cotter pin, nut,
and
washer.

d.
Remove the wheel with hub, bearings, and oil

retainer.

e. Disconnect the hydraulic brake tube.
f. Remove the brake backing plate. g. Remove the tapered steering knuckle pin lock.

h.
Remove the upper steering knuckle expansion
plug on early models, or the lock spring on late models.

i.
Drive the Steering
Kunckle
Pin and lower ex­
pansion plug out through the bottom. When the
spindle is disassembled, do not
lose
the spacing

shim
between
the upper face of the axle and the spindle.

j.
Remove the thrust bearing and bushings,
k.
Assemble in reverse order. Be sure the oil
holes

in
the bushings are aligned with the lubrication fittings.
Ream
the bushings for running clearance

with
the steering knuckle pin.
Check
the thrust
bearing
to be sure it is not worn or damaged. When
installing
the steering knuckle pin, align the notch
for the tapered retaining pin with the pin hole.

When
assembling the knuckle, guard against lost motion
between
the axle and inner face of the

knuckle.
Adjustment is made by selective fitting
of the spacing shim
between
the upper face of the
axle and the inner face of the knuckle. Shims are

available
in the following thicknesses:
.011" [0,279 mm.] .035* [0,889 mm.] .033* [0,838 mm.]
Do not overlook bleeding the brakes after the axle
end has been reassembled. 284

'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

N
REAR
AXLE

Contents
PAR. SUBJECT
PAR.

N-l POWR-LOK DIFFERENTIAL
N-20
Chatter
.N-26 Dissasembly and Reassembly. .N-23
Torque Test .N-22
21* Trouble Symptoms N-21
SUBJECT

GENERAL
REAR
AXLE SHAFT
AND
BEARING REMOVAL
Semi-Float-Tapered Axle Shaft
Semi-Float-Flanged Axle Shaft
Semi-Float-Flanged Axle Shaft
Bearing Installation. N-8

UNIT
BEARING ASSEMBLY
N-4 Servicing Unit Bearing. N-5

Lubricating
Unit Bearing............... N-6
Unit
Bearing Removal
.
N-7

REAR
AXLE ASSEMBLY
N-9 Cleaning and Inspection.
..............N-15

Differential Bearing Preload and Ring
Gear
Backlash Adjustment.
..........
.N-l9
Differential Case Disassembly N-l2
Differential Case Reassembly N-l7
Differential Side
Gear
Adjustment. . .... .N-18
Inspection and Servicing N-10 Pinion Bearing Cup Removal .N-l4
Pinion Installation and Adjustments. ... .N-l6 Pinion and Differential Bearing Removal N-13

Rear
Axle Assembly Removal N-ll

N-l. GENERAL
A
semifloating
rear axle assembly is standard on
all
Jeep Universal Series vehicles. Two
models
of

similar
design
rear
axles
are used. See Specifi­

cations
Chart,
Par. N-38, for description and ratio.

The
axle
model
number is cast
into
the
housing
as
FIG.
N-l—AXLE MODEL IDENTIFICATION

illustrated in Fig. N-l. A metal tag under two ad­
jacent differential
housing
cover cap screws is
stamped to
identify
the number of
teeth
in the
drive
gear
and pinion and
notes
the axle ratio. A
REAR
AXLE ASSEMBLY
INSTALLATION
N-33

TRAC-LOK
DIFFERENTIAL.
..........
.N-24
Lubrication
N-25 Trouble Symptoms N-26

Unit
Inoperative N-2 7 Disassembly N-28, N-29 Inspection .N-30
Reassembly .N-31

Trac-Lok
Unit Replacement .N-32

Backlash
N-35

TROUBLE
SHOOTING
DIFFERENTIAL
N-34

Rear
Wheel
Noise
.N-36

SERVICE
DIAGNOSIS
.N-37

REAR
AXLE SPECIFICATIONS.
. N-38

Powr-Lok
or
Trac-Lok
differential can be identi­
fied by a separate metal tag attached to the
hous­

ing cover, as shown in Fig. N-2. Information for wheel bearing adjustment is
given
in Section Q.
FIG.
N-2—RATIO,
POWR-LOK
AND

TRAC-LOK
DIFFERENTIAL IDENTIFICATION
1—Ratio Tag 2—Powr-Lok or
Trac-Lok
Tag
N-2.
REAR AXLE SHAFT REMOVAL
AND
INSTALLATION
(Semi-Float Tapered Shaft)
Procedure for removing the rear axle
shafts
is as

follows:
a.
Jack
up the wheel and
remove
the hub cap.
b. Remove wheel. 287

'Jeep'
UNIVERSAL
SERIES SERVICE
MANUAL

N

11465
FIG.
N-S—REMOVING
TAPERED
AXLE
SHAFT
1—Cone and Roller 2—Axle 3—Tool C-637

Check
the shaft oil seal
before
installing the rear
axle. If replacement is necessary, use Axle Shaft
Oil
Seal Driver W-186, Fig. N-l7.
Before installing the axle shaft nut
cotter
pin, ad­
just the wheel bearings as outlined in Section Q.
FIG.
N-6—REMOVING
AXLE
SHAFT BEARING —
TAPERED SHAFT
N-3.
Rear
Axle Shaft Removal (Sercii-Float-Flanged Shaft)
a.
Jack
up vehicle and
remove
wheels.
b. Remove brake drum.
c. Remove axle shaft
flange
cup plug by piercing
the center with a sharp
tool
and prying it out.
d. Using
access
hole
in axle shaft
flange
remove
@ ® (30) (29)

FIG.
N-7—SEMI-FLOAT REAR
AXLE
ASSEMBLY — FLANGED SHAFT
1— Differential Bearing Cup
2— Differential Bearing
3— Shims
4— Differential 5—
Ring
Gear
and Pinion 6— -Pinion Inner Bearing
7— Pinion Inner Bearing Cup
8— Pinion Shims
9— Axle Housing
10— Breather
11— Pinion Outer Bearing Cup
12— Pinion Outer Bearing 13—
Oil
Slinger
14— Pinion Oil Seal
15— Dust Shield
16—
Yoke

17—
Flat
Washer
18— Pinion Nut
19— Axle Housing Oil Seal
20— Axle Shaft Retainer Ring
21— Axle Shaft Bearing
22— Axle Shaft Oil Seal
23— Axle Shaft Retainer Plate
24— Axle Shaft Cup Plug 25— Axle Shaft
26—
Thrust
Washer
27— Differential Pinion Gears
28—
Thrust
Washer 29— Gasket
30— Housing Cover 31— Screw and Lockwasher
32—
Filler
Plug 33—
Lock
Pin 34— Differential Shaft
35—
Ring
Gear
Screw 289

N

REAR
AXLE

14153

FIG.
N-8—REMOVING FLANGED
AXLE
SHAFT

1—
Flange
Adapter Tool W-343

2—
Tool
C-637

3—
Axle
Flange nuts attaching backing plate and retainer to axle
tube flange.
e. Attach axle shaft adapter tool W-343 and slide

hammer
handle C-637 to axle shaft flange and re­
move
axle shaft, as shown in Fig. N-8.

Caution:
Should a bearing disintegrate on the
axle shaft because of inadequate lubrication, the axle shaft and housing assembly must be carefully inspected for possible damage before new parts are

installed.

If
the bearing
cone
(inner race) is seized (cold
welded)
onto
the axle shaft due to excessive over­ heating, the axle shaft must be discarded and a new
axle shaft and bearing assembly installed.

Note:
Make certain the bearing cup has been
removed from the axle housing.
f. Remove axle shaft oil seal from axle housing tube using tool C-637.
g. Wipe axle housing tube seal bore clean and in­
stall
a new oil seal using driver tool W-186, as shown in Fig. N-l7.
N-4.
UNIT BEARING

Basically,
there are five parts to a Unit Bearing assembly: the cup, or outer race, the cup
ring,

the cone, or inner race, the tapered rollers which

roll
freely
between
the cup and cone, and the
cage

which
serves as a retainer to maintain the proper spacing
between
the tapered rollers grouped around
the cone.

When
the bearing is manufactured, the cup and
rib
ring are bonded
together
with an adhesive to
facilitate bearing handling and installation. Since the cup and rib ring are clamped
together
in the axle housing, there is no need for a permanent
bond. When the bearing is serviced the cup
will

usually
be separated from the rib
ring.

The
bearing is held on the shaft by the press fit of the
cone
plus the press fit of the retainer
ring.

The
cup and rib ring are clamped
together
in the axle housing through the outboard seal by the re­

tainer
plate. The outboard seal wipes on the rotat­ ing axle shaft and at the same time functions as a
static seal to prevent lubricant from escaping be­
tween the housing and the seal outside diameter.
It's
important to
note
that the seal serves also as

a
"spacer" or "filler" in the clamp-up of the bearing

in
the axle housing.

Note:
All Unit Bearings are manufactured with

built-in
adjustment for axle shaft end play. No adjustment shims are necessary when installing a
flange type axle shaft.

N-5.
Servicing Unit Bearing

The
Unit
Bearing
assembly should be serviced each
12,000
miles [
19,200
km.] with bearing cleaning,
inspection and relubrication. The Unit Bearing re­
quires
little attention while in service if the bear­
ings have been properly installed and are ade­
quately lubricated.
•
Cleaning and Inspection

a.
The Unit Bearing assembly should not be re­ moved from the axle shaft unless the outer seal is defective, the retainer plate is distorted or damaged,

or
the Unit Bearing is defective.

Should
it be necessary to remove the Unit Bearing

from
the axle shaft for any of
these
reasons, refer
to Par. N-7 for proper Unit Bearing removal.

b.
Clean
bearing cup with solvent and inspect cup
for any possible wear, nicks or damage.

c.
The bearing assembly can be cleaned in place
on the axle shaft. Use cleaning solvent and a stiff

bristle
brush to
loosen
the old grease. To assure
removal
of old grease and any contamination that
might be present, use compressed air. Air should be directed at the bearing assembly so that it
goes

through the bearing from one end of the rollers to the other. It is important not to "spin dry" the

bearing
with compressed
air.
Spinning the dry bear­ing may score the raceways and rollers due to
lack

of lubricant.

d.
Use cleaning solvent to clean out the bearing

and
oil seal bore in the housing. Wipe the area
clean
making sure it is free from old grease or other
contamination that might be present.
FIG.
N-9—LUBRICATING BEARING

290