Tomorrow I’m heading to Longview, Washington to pick up a bunch of amazing parts I bought on eBay for my WWII Jeep project. Those parts — four axles, a transmission, a transfer case and maybe an engine — are not going to be lightweight, putting my new 1992 Jeep Comanche through its toughest test yet. Here’s a look at the trip ahead, and my thoughts on how well the Comanche will handle the job.
I had been going back and forth on whether to install new leaf springs on my Jeep Comanche in preparation for this trip. On one hand, I have no idea how old the current springs are, and my research showed that the standard replacement leaf springs from Dorman are known to offer a bit more ride height and stiffness, so they should be able to handle a bit more load.
But my current springs seem fine. The ride quality is great, and the ride height is pretty much within factory spec, which is 9.2-inches +/- 1/2-inch between the axle tube and frame. Why swap out my springs for less comfortable, stiffer ones just for a single trip? I do plan to haul things regularly, but rarely more than 1,000 pounds.
Speaking of, here’s my estimate of how much my Comanche will be hauling this week on my 2,000 mile round-trip:
- Axles: 150 pounds x 4
- Transmission: 70 pounds
- Transfer case: 80 pounds
- Engine: 400 pounds
- TOTAL: 1,150 pounds
I’ll probably buy another 200 pounds worth of stuff when I’m up there, if I had to guess, bringing me to 1,350 pounds.
My truck’s payload rating is 1450 pounds, and the sticker on the door pretty much echoes that. I have never loaded this truck with that much weight, but I did load it with 800 pounds — all at the very rear of the truck — and it still had some space for jounce (though the angle of this photo makes it seem like less room than in reality):
The springs are on the softer side, which I like for daily driving, but that could cause some sagging during this trip (i.e. I might bottom out on the bump stops). If I had more time, I might look into an airbag system, or maybe I’d just install the leaf springs I have sitting here. But alas, I know the current leaf spring’s bushing sleeves are seized in place, and swapping these springs out is going to be a nightmare requiring a Sawzall. Plus, again, I quite like these springs; the ride is great, unladen.
And so I have decided to explore something… a little different. They’re called air shocks, and while the engineer in me doesn’t love the idea of them, I think they’re going to work just fine for this application.
Having gained notoriety in the 1970s in the vintage American car scene, air shocks (these are called Gabriel Hi-Jackers) basically act as both an air spring and a damper, with the former helping the leaf springs lift up the rear of the vehicle. The reason why air springs seem like a compromise is that they require the shock mounts to do something for which they were not designed: carry a sustained load (i.e. support the vehicle instead of just taking shock loads).
But half a century worth of testimonials seem really positive for what I’m doing here, which is only supporting a small portion of my load solely to keep my axle off the bump stops. We’ll see how it works out; I will load the truck up, drive around, and see if I like the ride. If all feels good, I’ll proceed, and if not, I’ll just grab a U-Haul trailer. I have options.
In any case, I’m excited to see what this little MJ can do, and I’m excited to pick up this amazing treasure trove of Jeep parts so I can really get this eBay WWII Jeep project under way next week; I am flying in the WWII Jeep king himself, my old Jeep-engineering buddy Brandon. Things are about to get crazy.
P.S. If you’re in the Portland area and want to hang out tonight, email me at david@theautopian.com!
[Ed note: David mentioned the idea of building a brand new WWII Jeep to the team at eBay, and they loved the idea so much they said, “How can we help?” Their support and David’s Jeep-obsession are the fuel behind this crazy build. – MH]
The post I’m Driving My Jeep Comanche 2,000 Miles To Pick Up 1,300 Pounds Of WWII Jeep Parts I Bought From Ebay appeared first on The Autopian.
