1973 Wagoneer - Full Size Camping Goodness

[Dr. Marneaus]

would you look at that. some actual work done.

For some time now i have known that my rear shackle bushings have been TOAST. The springs and axle would shift left and right with a massive CLUNK every time i took a corner or turn. Finally decided to tackle it.

You can see the shackle riding high on the mounting pin, because it was just floating on there.


It was a pain in the ******** to remove the sleeves from the shackles. One busted loose with a balljoint press but the other was mangling the shackle so i had to cut it with a hack saw and peel it out.



Pressed back in.


Voila!


Then did an oil change for the first time in god knows how long, and replaced wiper blaces since i have found them less than functional in the snow.

 

[Dr. Marneaus]

Wish I had some updates. Other than putting around the desert behind our house and taking a road trip to carson city and genoa, wag has been sitting still, parked outback. All time money and efforts have been focused on the new house.

 

[lumpskie]

Congrats on the BJ's Calendar! You rig is so iconic now that a calendar would be incomplete without it. Also, nice job on those shackle bushings. I've had the rubber vulcanize like that too. What I did was use a propane torch to heat the metal around the bushing. When the metal heats enough, the rubber releases from the metal and you can pull them out by hand. The way you did it looks like it worked great but I figured I'd pass that along to add another method to your toolbelt!

 

[bishop2queen's6]

I just read through all 56 pages. Great looking truck! I admire your work and perseverance through all the gremlins.

 

[WilliamKElliott]

Congrats on the new house, and Nice Looking Jeep!

 

[Dr. Marneaus]

Definitely got some use out of the wag this weekend. Headed out at 10am on Sunday for what was supposed to be a stock friendly easy trail ride. Long story short, it was wet, muddy, and rutted out in a number of spots. The wagoneer was all sideways coming down some switchbacks. It was a group of 17 mixed rics, jeeps, toyotas, an old rover and bronco, a few full size 2500's....I was getting a little worried at some parts and some stuff didnt go so smooth with other vehicles, but looking back on it all it was a fun if not slightly stressful time. The wag powered through everything and gave me absolutely zero issues.

Pics never do the trip justice, but I may have some more later.

While there were really only 1 or 2 pucker moments this is definitely the roughest and most I have ever put the wag through with maybe the exception of rocky gap in vegas that first summer I owned it. It was fun in the end.

 

[lumpskie]

Wow, that's some mud! Good thing you got your new tires on there! I'm glad everything turned out well... did you disconnect your sway bar for the run?

 

[Dr. Marneaus]

Swaybar? Whats that?

The truck has never had a sway bar in my time owning it, I dont even know if they were offered in 73. It didnt have any provisions for mounting it to the front axle, but it does have 2 bolts under the sides of the frame on each side up front, where it looks like the brackets would mount. I have or had the swaybar plates for the 77 front end, but I dont think I installed them and I dont thikn i have them anymore.

 

[Dr. Marneaus]

More pics from my wife:

 

[Dr. Marneaus]

 

[Shapeshifter]

Take me with you please!!!!!

 

[Dr. Marneaus]

Take me with you please!!!!!

where you at in norcal?

 

[Dr. Marneaus]

 

[Zeiderman]

JF is looking for pics for a new Web banner, not saying you would win....but the pic of the back side with their logo would certainly get my vote.

Sent from my SM-T230NU using Tapatalk

 

[Shapeshifter]

where you at in norcal?

Im in Vacaville but I will come meet you if schedules work out!