Calm before the storm...

[jeep44]

We have had a couple of beautiful, warm days here in Michigan, but a massive snowstorm is reportedly looming on the horizon. I spent these days rebuilding the whole undercarriage of my '31 pickup-it was totally and completely worn out as I got it last fall. All new bushings for the shackles in the rear (and new US-made shackles). There was no evidence that the old shackles had been greased in many, many years. New rebuilt original shocks, and new links (it didn't even have shocks before). What an awful job it was getting those old bushings out of the springs and spring mounts!

In the front, I started with the Wishbone-the ball was badly worn, with a piece of rubber clamped in the socket. There were no springs on the two radius arm bolts. I had another wishbone with a good ball that I had picked up cheap at a swap meet, so that went on with a new socket mount set, and new spring perches with new bushings. I had a couple of nice brake actuators that were nice and tight, with holes for the pins not worn oval, and a NOS Ford set of kingpins and bearings. I replaced the spindle bushings, and line reamed them with the proper reamer. All new bushings and shackles up front,too. I got new steering arms with replaced balls, so I think this truck will drive like a new truck soon. Surprisingly, the brake shoes appear to be new, as do the drums. As a final note, all the "cotter pins" I encountered were actually bent pieces of coathanger wire!
That's a lot of work! Here's a shot of the front from today:

[Christoph]

Sounds like you are having fun lately.

Drive-comfort without shocks and with old-rotten-worn-springs is somewhat "get-a-strike-by-an-heavy-weight-Boxer"
Drive-comfort without shocks (but with good and greased springs) is somewhat between "Cadillac" and "seasick"

I bet, the Car-type holding the milage-world-record for driving without shocks has to be the Model A.
You might drive a lifetime (of the driver) without shocks... Do that to any modern car and you will be in real trouble

I guess, lots off Model-A-Owners will overlook the fact that that the shocks of their car are gone and useless.

Have fun and a perfect season 2016
Christoph

[jeep44]

The previous owner of this truck only seemed to use it for parades-it came with all sorts of big and little flags, and various holders for them. I suppose the lack of shocks wasn't too noticeable at about 5 mph. He did provide me with a set of rebuilt original shocks,though-I guess he was going to eventually get around to putting them on. He also gave me the set of NOS Ford-marked kingpins.

[tmiller6]

I hear you on the storm: Two Sundays ago I had a phone message that a car I wanted was back on the market because the previous buyer backed out. I told him the earliest I could be out to his house in New Jersey was last Saturday.

My son and I arranged for a trailer in Philadelphia and we picked it up Saturday morning after making sure the car was still there. We brought it home to Michigan and didn't have to wear anything heavier than a sweatshirt.

The weather was perfect and we even stopped at Hershey so we could drive by the AACA Museum and Chocolate World. It was funny to see the car corral empty. Now that the car is home safely, I'm turning my attention to the snow blower.

[Mitch//pa]

You got a lot done in a couple of days.. Good goin

[jeep44]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

How would you like to have pulled that trailer through those Pennsylvania mountains in a snowstorm like is going on outside today? I frequently go to New Jersey to visit my son. Every year there are a couple of those multi-car pileups out there somewhere due to a snowstorm.

For me, the part I hate the most in working on these old cars is taking them apart-old rusty fasteners-everything is a struggle, it seems. Putting them back together is the part I enjoy-everything goes together easily (especially if they are genuine original parts), and you can make sure it is all done correctly. I'm still aching and sore from my whirlwind of activity on this truck over the past few days.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

A Model A, without shocks is like when Buster T, goes BOING-BOING! And is like ROCK & ROLL Music. Old Timers used to say, "WHAT UR SHOCKS"???
Bill W.

[mantta]

That storm will miss us up here in the Upper Peninsula!

[jeep44]

It's "heart attack" snow-heavy and wet. My new tractor just pushed it out of the way with no problem, though. My old 8N would have had a hard time with it.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

I've been to Monarch Pass, in Colorado, 12,000 Ft Elevation, recently they had Record Breaking winds of 198 MPH!!!!
That's like driving a NASCAR car!
Bill W.