Ford GPW imported from the USA

If you have an unrestored WWII jeep, we would like to see pictures, and hear your comments. NO EBAY or COMMERCIAL SALES.
Post Reply
User avatar
macaddict23
G-Major General
G-Major General
Posts: 2832
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 9:49 pm
Location:

Re: Ford GPW imported from the USA

Post by macaddict23 » Sat Aug 22, 2015 9:49 am

Beautiful work, Dion! I think it's great you left some of the imperfections on the body.

-- Dex
"Originality . . . It just needs to be what it is."


Dion
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Posts: 360
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2009 8:30 am
Location: North Germany

Re: Ford GPW imported from the USA

Post by Dion » Sat Aug 22, 2015 10:58 am

Thanks Dex, and some of the parts I bought from you are on this jeep :wink:

Dion
1944 Ford GPW DoD 9/06/44 serial number 218811

stever0_3
G-Second Lieutenant
G-Second Lieutenant
Posts: 534
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2013 1:03 pm
Location: West Sussex UK

Re: Ford GPW imported from the USA

Post by stever0_3 » Mon Aug 24, 2015 2:20 pm

Excellent work Dion, are you near completion?

Regards

Steve

Dion
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Posts: 360
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2009 8:30 am
Location: North Germany

Re: Ford GPW imported from the USA

Post by Dion » Tue Aug 25, 2015 6:36 am

Hi Steve,

Thanks for asking. I am near completion, however I`m still waiting for paint and the petrol tank sump to arrive with the ship. As these parts could not be sent via airmail from the US, I had to have it shipped which takes 6 weeks. ETA is end of September.
Another big problem I have is that having driven it on Sunday for the first time, I noticed that my rear axle seems to be bent!!! :shock: The wheel is wobbling like crazy and it has toe out, quite a bit! I dont know if its the axle or the drive shaft??

Windscreen needs spraying and the drivers seat and a few touch ups under the jeep. I also need to replace the 2 front springs. Drivers side is hanging through and the jeep is totally sagging on the left front.
But other than that, its 98% finished :wink: Engine runs really smooth now that he crack in the distributor channel has been hopefully fixed!

regards,
DIOn
1944 Ford GPW DoD 9/06/44 serial number 218811

User avatar
Chuck Lutz
Gee Addict
Posts: 26829
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2006 7:00 am
Location: Jeep Heaven

Re: Ford GPW imported from the USA

Post by Chuck Lutz » Tue Aug 25, 2015 7:49 am

Dion....check out one thing....if you have one tire/rim that wobbles a lot it might just be the rim that is BENT....which is a common problem. If the problem is on one side only, try swapping the tire/rim from the other side and take 'er for another test drive....if the problem moves to the other side then the rim is BENT. if not you have a bigger problem....

Also check to see that the rim is actually seating on the brake drum FLAT....if for any reason it does not then the rim will wobble also.
Chuck Lutz

GPW 17963 4/24/42 Chester, PA. USA 20113473 (USA est./Tom W.)
Bantam T3-C 1947

stever0_3
G-Second Lieutenant
G-Second Lieutenant
Posts: 534
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2013 1:03 pm
Location: West Sussex UK

Re: Ford GPW imported from the USA

Post by stever0_3 » Tue Aug 25, 2015 8:02 am

Dion,

Lets hope your wheel problems aren't serious.

Regards

Steve

User avatar
horrocks
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1810
Joined: Fri Aug 31, 2007 12:34 pm
Location: Ongar, England

Re: Ford GPW imported from the USA

Post by horrocks » Tue Aug 25, 2015 8:11 am

I was following a jeep of mine and noticed an alarming wheel wobble and thought the worse, but as Chuck says, it was just the rim.

I would be very surprised if you had a bent axle, you would surely have noticed it during the restoration and refitting.
Toby

Willys MB 3/13/42 127415
Willys MB 1/9/45 404620

Dion
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Posts: 360
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2009 8:30 am
Location: North Germany

Re: Ford GPW imported from the USA

Post by Dion » Tue Aug 25, 2015 10:47 am

Hi Guys,
It's definately not the rim. I had noticed it during the restoration of the axle and thought and paid a guy to fix it, however, I might as well of burnt my money, as nothing was fixed!!
I took off the rim and noticed that the gap between drum and backing plate is wider at the front than the rear! In other words, the axle housing (drive shaft) is bent backwards and down. Now how this is possible is beyond me?? The axle must've taken a massive hit to be able to bend that badly. But how?? From a driving perspective that's nearly impossible?
I'm gonna have to remove the dr shaft and determine if that's bent, if not, then it's definately the axle housing
1944 Ford GPW DoD 9/06/44 serial number 218811

bazza46
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1550
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 4:28 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia
Contact:

Re: Ford GPW imported from the USA

Post by bazza46 » Tue Aug 25, 2015 2:07 pm

I assume that the wheel doesn't wobble as it rotates, but is pointing in a direction other than straight up and straight ahead. If so, then the axle tube is bent.
If it is the axle tube that is bent, then the fully floating axle within will have to flex every time it rotates. It will only be able to do this so many times before it breaks from fatigue, so I'd suggest you take the axle out and disassemble the hub and check as soon as possible.

The axle housing isn't that hard to bend like that. Someone colliding with a jeep from the side could do it, or even a heavy roll over into a rocky ditch at speed could do it. But it probably didn't happen on your jeep. The axle assembly may have come from a wreck.

The manuals don't recommend straightening steering parts (which would include axle tubes) hot, so by default, the suggestion would be to do it cold.
But it would take an enormous amount of force to do it cold.

But maybe a machine shop with a large press could supply the grunt, but where the tube is supported during the straightening process would have to be watched, as it could leave indents where it touched, upsetting bearing seatings and causing possible future crack propagation from that spot (not a big possibility, in my opinion).

Get it off and get an opinion on straightening it.

Just my suggestions
"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt"..Bertrand Russell

User avatar
Chuck Lutz
Gee Addict
Posts: 26829
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2006 7:00 am
Location: Jeep Heaven

Re: Ford GPW imported from the USA

Post by Chuck Lutz » Tue Aug 25, 2015 2:45 pm

I agree, the axle housing is probably bent due to an accident. The OP probably replaced the bent/broken AXLE SHAFT itself and was OK with it destroying his tire due to being out of alignment.

Finding a good donor housing isn't that hard, but shipping would be ridiculous from CA to SA....

I would probably just replace it as shop time is rather expensive in these parts and getting that housing trued up again isn't a five minute task....and who knows if it has cracks you can't see than may fail when they try to align it....

Major bummer!
Chuck Lutz

GPW 17963 4/24/42 Chester, PA. USA 20113473 (USA est./Tom W.)
Bantam T3-C 1947

Dion
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Posts: 360
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2009 8:30 am
Location: North Germany

Re: Ford GPW imported from the USA

Post by Dion » Thu Aug 27, 2015 4:10 am

Ok guys, here`s the latest. Chuck, you were partially right with your prediction and I am embarrassed to admit, that when I checked the rim, 1) it was loose, and 2) the rim is bent! :oops: Where the rim fits against the drum, its quite bent. But, also, I noticed that the drum looked a bit warped? Hence the difference in gap. So after replacing it with a new one I had, the spare wheel ran absolutely straight!! :)

So, thank goodness the axle is not bent, and the guy who had repaired it originally, had done a good job! So, sorry to say, I did jump to conclusions way too quickly! Now its just a question of getting that rim straightned :wink:

I feel a little like a fool after having mentioned this, but as a newbie to jeeps, and no experience with the runnings of these little wonders, I guess I need to learn a bit more!

Thanks to all that replied and gave advice, and this just proves that without this forum, I`d be quite lost! (Or just have to use my brains a bit more)THanks guys :wink:

regards,
Dion
1944 Ford GPW DoD 9/06/44 serial number 218811

User avatar
Chuck Lutz
Gee Addict
Posts: 26829
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2006 7:00 am
Location: Jeep Heaven

Re: Ford GPW imported from the USA

Post by Chuck Lutz » Thu Aug 27, 2015 8:22 am

Dion....the good news is you aren't going to have to import the whole axle to SA! Even better...you found the problem and you had the parts to solve the problem and you are now good to go....

All you needed was a little nudge in the right direction to find the problem and that's the best part of G-503.....you can get guys thousands of miles away to give you a little guidence and with a little luck sometimes you can fix the problem as easily as you have done!

Glad you got it sorted out now and you can get back to the restoration!
Chuck Lutz

GPW 17963 4/24/42 Chester, PA. USA 20113473 (USA est./Tom W.)
Bantam T3-C 1947

Dion
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Posts: 360
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2009 8:30 am
Location: North Germany

Re: Ford GPW imported from the USA

Post by Dion » Thu Aug 27, 2015 10:29 am

Thanks Chuck!! :wink: :mrgreen:
1944 Ford GPW DoD 9/06/44 serial number 218811

Ralph
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1649
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2007 2:17 pm
Location: Florence,Kentucky
Contact:

Re: Ford GPW imported from the USA

Post by Ralph » Sat Aug 29, 2015 3:40 am

Dion, good job on taking advice and figuring it out.We are enjoying the pics and your story.you are not a newby anymore.
Ralph

Dion
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Posts: 360
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2009 8:30 am
Location: North Germany

Re: Ford GPW imported from the USA

Post by Dion » Sun Aug 30, 2015 8:32 am

Hi Ralph,

Thanks mate, but I do consider myself still something of a newbie, but, gaining experience all the time :D
I guess, the longer one works on these old gals, the more one finds out the small hickups they suffer! I`m planning on having tons of fun in this GPW and attend plenty of car shows and oldtimer classic events. Will post more pics at the end of September when she is finally finished. Just need a canopy now to complete the project :wink:

Dion
1944 Ford GPW DoD 9/06/44 serial number 218811


Post Reply

Return to “Original Unrestored WWII Jeeps”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 63 guests