1. The daily dribble of WD-40 on the lug nuts finally rendered the lug nuts removable. They had been tightened very thoroughly - perhaps too thoroughly. Problem here....I have 3 non-matching rims yet 2 very good matching tires and one flat spare tire of a completely different size. There might be some future expense in this department.
2. With the removal of the wheels, I was able to flip the frame over and work on removing the rust and undercoating of an undetermined, ancient date from the underside of the frame. At this point I thought a careful inspection of the running gear and the unofficial lift kit would be in order. Time for some more WD-40 action.
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| WD-40 - the next best thing to Duct Tape! |
With a small effort the carriage bolts securing the I-beam to the frame loosened up. The bolts will be replaced with new Grade 8 hardware as since the flange of an I-beam is angled in relation to the bearing surface, this caused the bolts to become bent. I will have to come up with a tapered washer of some sort if I want to keep the "lift kit" in my plans. The photo also shows the 2-inch rearward offset of the axle. I'm not sure if there was any science behind this or if it came out of an issue of Better Homes and Hovels, Trailering Illustrated or what.
3. With the suspension off the frame, I can almost pick the frame up and move it by myself. The axle assembly is kind of weighty but surprisingly, the foot-long pieces of I-beam are light in comparison!
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| With the pillow blocks off, things look pretty clean |
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| Curbside |
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| Streetside |
Removing the pillow blocks allowed for inspection and the fit of the axle. There is some wear but nothing that appears to be out of tolerance.....or even looking worn down or fatigued. Now to inspect the pillow blocks after some cleaning.....
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| Things look pretty clean...and will look even better after a good beadblasting! |
I do notice an interesting feature to the pillow blocks: In the larger casting, the one that attaches to the frame, there is a wider section at the parting line (it can bee seen in the photo above. I wonder if it for grease retention or some sort of split bushing? More research here....
So what's next? Sheet metal! Last night I moved the skins and wheel wells from Dave's shop in order get things out of his way and to get them a little closer to my house so I can measure or polish or polish some more. I need to get started on that polishing at some point. I also need to talk to my friend Mitch about doing a little welding to restore the frame laterals that had fatigued and weakened over time. I've got some ideas on how to do this while reinforcing all of the frame laterals but his expertise will be the final word. He's a pretty smart cookie. And he has a welder in his garage. And he's just down the block. Did I happen to mention there might be some polishing to do?
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| Better get a photo of this label as it may not last much longer |
Also on the "to do" list: Trailer wall design.......when a single thickness of plywood and foil paper insulation simply will not do. In the meantime, I think spring has arrived!
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| It made it to 61 today....! |
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