Last Man Posting

[Bellhead]

Crash course on winter driving: Good flipping luck.

Roads covered with ice cause wheels to slip, as if you're floating above the road instead of on it. Around here, we use salt to clear the ice, but it severely accelerates corrosion on any kind of metal. Snow itself is heavy and usually dense. If you're in a storm, you might not see more than 20 feet ahead of you, and if you start sliding, you won't stop until you hit something, preferably a snowbank.

As far as winterizing goes, make sure your coolant is up to par, and freezes WELL below freezing, or you'll crack the engine block. For larger engines, you might need thinner oil for cold starts. Start your car before you need to leave, and ice scraping will be a daily routine. On the CJ, because of the metal, winterizing also includes grinding off the rust and undercoating the frame and wheel wells. And because it's a Jeep, it also needs a hardtop and hard doors installed, neither of which I have nor can I get. So I have to make do.

[Technic[Bot]]

I do know we have it easier here as we rarely have to deal with such horrible driving conditions, we rarely even see snow here, except on mountain peaks.
Personally I have only seen snow twice in my life.

[Bellhead]

I like snow. I just don't like clearing it.

[Neutral Smith]

I liek chocolate melk.

[Technic[Bot]]

I remember once reading that a large percentage of americans, like 40% believed that chocolate milk came from brown cows.

[Bellhead]

That's childhood education 'round here.

[Technic[Bot]]

Welp I was wrong,, after some digging, the number is actually around 7 percent.

Still that only covers adults so it is still worrying.

[Bellhead]

And now I have a (semi) comprehensive parts list.

Right front wheel bearings and races, hard door hinges (which I may have to manufacture), wiper blades, transmission input shaft bearing, transfer case rear output driveshaft seal, gas cap seal, and (if they still exist) a CJ-5 hardtop.

And snow tires. Need snow tires. Well, probably. Definitely probably. But the garage smells like fresh gas, so I think that's more important...

[Technic[Bot]]

Do they still make compatible bearings for 50 odd year old cars?
I have problems finding non-metric bearings.

Also regarding education a joke:
From smb

[Bellhead]

I go to Crown Auto for my Jeep parts. They're exclusively a Jeep parts store, and the people there know about almost every component from anything under the Jeep logo, and can still get most of it. As far as bearings go, Jeeps are about as generic as they get. I'd honestly expect, "I need a wheel bearing for a 19XX CJ-X, with XX axles in X.XX ratio." -and- "Hang on, I think we've got a set on the shelf."

This place is well-known for this sort of stuff. And not just for the stock, but for the knowledge of the personnel, as well. They'd not only have one, but would know how you're supposed to change it, and the best way to do it, if that's different. It's no AutoZone. And I don't mind spending my day off, and a few extra dollars, to get that kind of service. Worth it every time I've gone.

EDIT: Here, have a look. This is just the transfer case, just one model. But the parts are used in so many models, it's almost crazy. "Pinion Nut" is a good example. And for such simple common parts, there's no real reason to discontinue them. They still sell, if you can believe it.

[Technic[Bot]]

Oh I see. I was not aware car parts were compatible for more than one model.
Being honest I am not very knowledgeable in automotive mechanics. My limited experience with bearings is buying them via part number: "Do you have any 51110 bearings?"

Also believe it or not Autozone exists here too, never heard about the other one though. However I do not frequent those type of shops. My mechanic, or dealership if guarantee is still valid, does the part shopping and the repairing. I simply pay and pick up the car.

[Bellhead]

To be fair, most newer cars are that way, where one part will fit pretty much one model, over a short few years. Jeeps, especially the older ones, were quite the opposite.

'Round here, AutoZone, Advance Auto, those types of stores will look up parts by vehicle, rather than by part. It doesn't really matter, unless what you can use, is slightly different from what you should, but works just as well. For instance, you cannot buy a battery for a '79 Honda CBX, but you can buy one for an early 80's Honda Goldwing, and it's stronger, and fits perfectly. But the part number doesn't match, so a chain store like that would never know it. That's why I like Crown, as small as they seem to be, because they know the parts, not just the models.

[Technic[Bot]]

Small brands and mom and pops shop's tend to have better service than transnational juggernauts. Sadly it is extremely hard for those kind of stores to complete with said juggernogs.

[Bellhead]

In a niche market, like vintage Jeeps, it's not as difficult as you might think. If you know the product, and you can sell it for a decent price and reasonable quality, you'll easily beat out multinational chains that only have generic parts. And Crown isn't that small, it's just one store.

On another note, I am proud to announce that all 4 fenders on the CJ have been cleaned and undercoated. I made the shop turn rust brown from the cloud, even with a fan on and doors open, and my face is 3 different colors from the grime and grit, but it's finally done. Well, that part anyway...

Now I just have to mount the door. Piece of cake. Sure.

[Kellard]

Ah yes
Rust lung