Axle Drums

[RayTay23]

Sorry guys for the dumb question, but I cannot remember for the life of me which side of the jeep the left hand thread drum goes on? Putting my front and rear axles back together.

Thanks,
Raymond

[dct]

left

[TheGunny]

If the vehicle is moving forward, you want the wheel nuts to be tightening on their threads. That's how I think about it.

[gearhead]

Left - left. Right - right.
those 60s Chryslers made me remember!

Ed

[RayTay23]

As always, THANKS GUYS! 1942 Ford GPW

[tamnalan]

Looks like you do great work!

I don't know for sure, but I think that the brake backing plate's inside surface (where the shoes mount) is supposed to be left in red oxide finish. Who would ever know though, and you get the better protection with the OD on too.

[nick peters]

Hey Raymond
Looking at your picture of the brake assembly. Unless its the angle of the photo both of your shoes appear to be the back shorter 'trailing' ones Normally the front 'leading' shoe is much longer? Sorry if i've made a mistake but they do appear to be both the same length.
regards Nick

[artificer]

It really doesn't matter if the shoes are the same length as long as they are the long ones & some brake shops particularly with bonded linings/shoes will return them that way....
The picture indicates they are both short & that is not good. It may also indicate 2 long ones on one side of the axle assy & 2 short on the other, that is bad.
Also it is good practice to chamfer off the ends of the new linings slightly so they are not square

I note that an oil seal is sitting on the spindle & if this one was not taken off, fitted to the hub properly with greased lip, but left like depicted, the hub may not be pulled right home, thus the bearings loose & that seal not in the hub fully or properly. If left like that you will possibly have a strange scraping noise.

[Ben Dover]

Many of the present day aftermarket relined shoes are reconditioned with long linings on all shoes. Originally the factory shoes had a long (Primary) and a short (Secondary) lining. There are still quality shoes on the present market that still subscribe to the long and short primary and secondary linings. The shoes with long linings are installed facing toward the front of the Jeep and the short shoe is installed facing the rear. (As instructed in the manual for a reason). This is done the same on all four backing plates.
Factory paint on the inside of the backing plates is found both in lusterless OD and Red Oxide color paint. I have seen examples over the past 60 years or so of either on the MB/GPW. Gov't rebuilt axles I have seen over the same period have been repainted mostly Red Oxide color (on the inside), and on some, Red Glyptal type paint such as found inside electric motors . I use the Red Glyptal Insulating paint that I purchase in aerosol cans from a nearby electric motor rebuilding service as it goes on with a hard glossy red surface that is easy to wipe clean and it dries in just minutes.
It is always good practice to apply a touch of grease (old time Jeep mechanics used Lubriplate 630AA) on the surface of the brake adjusting excentrics, the raised areas on the side of the backing plates and on the brass cams for the anchor pins. This will ensure smooth quiet brake shoe operation.

[RayTay23]

It really doesn't matter if the shoes are the same length as long as they are the long ones & some brake shops particularly with bonded linings/shoes will return them that way....
The picture indicates they are both short & that is not good. It may also indicate 2 long ones on one side of the axle assy & 2 short on the other, that is bad.
Also it is good practice to chamfer off the ends of the new linings slightly so they are not square

I note that an oil seal is sitting on the spindle & if this one was not taken off, fitted to the hub properly with greased lip, but left like depicted, the hub may not be pulled right home, thus the bearings loose & that seal not in the hub fully or properly. If left like that you will possibly have a strange scraping noise.

Just got home and I am going to check about the length of the shoes right now to make sure I didn't put 2 longs on one side and 2 short on the other. That being said, I didn't completely follow what you meant about the oil seal? That is a brand new one, but I do not have it on there right now. It happen to be on there for the picture, but I have taken it back off since then. What do I need to do for putting it back on? You mentioned fitted to the hub properly with a greased lip? Not sure I fully understand. Thank you guys for all the help thus far. Any more advice is greatly appreciated!

[Ben Dover]

After you pack and install the inner wheel bearing, the oil seal is installed flush with the outer edge of the hub with the lip of the seal facung the bearings. You should coat the spindle with a thin layer of grease approx 1/8" and same for the area of the hub between the two bearings. The instructions for this are also in the TM9-803 Pages 48 and 184.

[RayTay23]

I did have the pads wrong by the way. They are correct now. Long towards the front of the jeep and short towards the back. Quick question though.

What is the torque value on the 2 big nuts at the end of the spindle?

[Ben Dover]

There is no torque value, the manual instructs to tighten the inner nut until the bearing is tight and then to back off 1/6th turn. The outer nut is a lock nut. Wheel Bearing adjustment procedure is on Page 183, TM9-803.

[nick peters]

Ray
Glad you posted the picture and that helped to show the mistake Dont forget that when you come to adjust your shoes that you set them twice first by those bottom adjustable bolts and then by the top eccentrics.Check your manual and it gives adjustments at both points. You,ll then have good brakes perfectly adequate for the speed obtainable from your sidevalve
regards Nick

[RayTay23]

Thanks for all the advice guys. Please keep it coming! Here are some updated photo's after correcting the shoes and packing/installing the bearings and seal. Last photo is where I am currently at with the 1st nut on. I still need to tighten it down per the wheel bearing adjustments per the TM9-803, Page 183 (thanks Ben Dover). Nick, you wouldn't happen to know where in the manual the brake adjustments are for those 2 points? I toyed with them some when installing, but not sure exactly where they need to be set. Open to advice on those.