[VAC] Re: Replacing Shocks / Balancing Wheels

["T. Byrd" <tbyrd@xxxxxxxxx>]

This is timely information for me. I'm in the process of replacing the
wheels/tires, shocks, and brakes, as well as repacking the wheel
bearings, on my '58 Overlander.

First of all, the Dexter dealer from whom I purchased the wheels & tires
didn't balance them. I figure this is okay, since all of my hubs are not
balanced (when spun, they all return to the same position, even rocking
back and forth as they come to a rest), so I am going to try to find a
place that will balance the whole assembly. I'll be amazed if this
actually works, as the hubs are so heavy it will probably take a 5 lb.
weight on the rim to offset the imbalance in the hub...we'll see I
suppose.

Secondly, my shocks were very dirty and rusty, and haven't the slightest
spring left in them. Thank goodness for Tom Patterson's archives, and
the recommendation of using a Nut Splitter to get the old, rusty nuts
off. Whoever you were that recommended that, thank you! Now, I don't
know if I have "horizontal shocks", or not. They are mounted vertically
on the leaf spring suspension like an auto shock. I took them to NAPA,
and the old Delco part number didn't cross reference to any of their
numbers. The parts guy reluctantly measured the compressed length,
expanded length, and the diameter of the mounting hole. What he provided
had a metal collar through the rubber shock mounts, and the top hole
turned out to be 1/2" and the mounting studs are 5/8". I spent the
ENTIRE day today trying to mount ONE shock. ARG!! I had to pull the top
collar out, and use an X-acto knife to cut a 1/2" hole into the rubber
bushing in order to slide the top of the shock over the 5/8" mounting
stud (ever tried to drill rubber? HA!). The bottom mount on the shock
had a 5/8" diameter collar, but it was too wide to fit on the stud, so I
had to cut off about 1/4" of it. At some point, someone had bent the
bottom stud down to get the shock on or off, so I also had to tweak the
collar in order to get it to fit correctly. What a pain in the
butt...there has to be an easier way. Is there an Airstream replacement
for the shocks used on the '58 Overlander? I'd sure be willing to pay an
inflated price if I have to, to avoid going through this again.

Next, I had to replace the worn out brakes. These were not a problem, I
found generic 12" x 2" brake assemblies (loaded backing plates) at a
local truck & trailer supplier for about $40/wheel. Replacing this
piece, thank goodness, was very easy and straight forward once I got the
old, rusty bolts off.

Lastly, the old National felt grease seals were easily cross referenced
by the NAPA man, and they were only about $7/seal. But I tell you, they
don't make seals like they used to. You could kill a moose with the old
seals if you chucked 'em hard enough. The new ones look like they could
be carried away by a humming bird. As long as they hold grease, I
suppose that's what counts.

Three wheels to go and the running gear will be rolling...Man, I need a
beer.

--
Ted Byrd
1958 Overlander