Jeep project underway

[Mike K]

The factory fitted WW2 era Jeep springs have beveled edges : on each of the leaves, the lower edge is beveled. Unfortunately for us restorers, the post war and repro springs ( at least the examples I have seen ) don't have this detail.

I have been experimenting with grinding a bevel into a few leaves , the old Land Rover leaves I have must have been made from good quality high carbon steel, these are hard as nails ! On the other hand, the new repro leaves are noticeably softer , they grind easier, makes you wonder what type of steel the manufacturer has used and how long these repro springs will last.

[Mike K]

I have played with DIY brass etchings a few times, it's a fun project . Rather than paying for a highly overpriced repro Willys data plate set , I am making my own . Not claiming it's going to be a completely accurate copy but hopefully it will be good enough. I used the free libraOffice software which is rather good.

I use circuit board Ferric Chloride acid to etch the cut to size thin brass sheets which are cheap as chips. You use shiny photo paper and a laser printer, you print out a negative image which is then applied to the brass sheet and heated with a household clothes iron , in theory, the black toner adheres to the brass sheet. It is rather a fussy process , not perfect but with practice good results are possible. If you mess up a few times , just print out a few more sheets of the image and experiment . Some use a office type hot plastic sheet laminator and run the job through a few times rather than a hot iron.

[Mike K]

Link to the etching process:

https://metalworkforums.com/f65/t205...ne-plates-mine

[Mike K]

Been looking around for decent quality bearings at a decent price. Jeep diff carrier bearings are expensive, the local bearing suppliers here want well over $100 per bearing, four are required plus the pinion bearings . These are not particularly uncommon bearings, they were used in various other applications.

I have looked into buying online but it's a minefield. There are numerous Chinese vendors selling brand names such as NSK, NTN and KOYO made in Japan, some even have TIMKEN. The Chinese prices are very cheap but postage makes it all add up to approx. $30 per bearing. But you takes your chances dealing directly with Chinese wholesalers - they can take your money and then deliver low quality crap. There is a worldwide fake bearing market, TIMKEN have even marked their boxes with a shiny water mark. TIMKEN have factories in India.

The two Aust. jeep parts dealers ( one is NSW and one in QLD ) I am not sure what brands they sell.

RFJP seems to be low on stock , he sells the cups and cones individually which adds up.