Mystery Spare Tire Carrier with Issues

[lpnsocal]

I just picked up an 82 BJ42 with a nice spare/ aux tank carrier, rt side will swing open with effort but left side is frozen I figured to just disassemble and grease the hinges but not going as expected.

I need to get a little instruction since once I removed the hinge caps and applied reasonable torque to the nuts welded to the top round retainer above washer no movement occurred. Since the nuts were welded on, really about half area available for socket and limited torque can be applied. So before I put a 3 ft pipe wrench on the retainer itself and possibly ruining it, maybe someone here has been where I am now?

Does anyone recognize the unit and manufacturer? or ?

ALL 2 cents appreciated!

 

[Pighead]

I don't think that nuts gonna come off. Have you tried lifting up and wiggling and turning the arm? Looks like just some tube over a bronze bushing...

 

[archie73]

I agree with @Pighead , the bolt on top holds the cap in place. The cap retains the swing arm by screwing into the bolt welded to the spindle. Interesting design.

Put some upward pressure next on the arm next to the pivot. Apply choice of penetrating spray. Maybe some heat. It’ll come loose.

 

[lpnsocal]

Upon closer inspection of the action of the moveable arm's capless hinge, the washer may be a T sleeve as it remains stationary whjle the cylinder post with nut welded to it rotates. I am going to soak both hinges in Kroil overnight and see if the upwards prybar pressure with jiggle gives a ll

 

[lpnsocal]

Was able to remove the easer of the 2 arms with the pry bar twist method. Being able to to move the arm back and forth , albeit slowly was critical.

The other arm went from virtually immovable last night to 90' movement with 120lbs of force to about 60lbs this afternoon. Lots of Kroil, a little up pressure with jack and prybar, and some modest hammer strikes all around. I need more free arm motion to use technique from other side., maybe tomorrow?

Once I clean up the scoring on the hinge post and brass bushings grease and reassemble.

Any preferred grease for this application?

 

[charliemeyer007]

That brass disk might be acting as a bearing retainer - see if it will unscrew. lefty loosey would be my first try with padded jaws water pump pliers. N/A now

added Waterproof grease. I like Mystic JT-6. laughs at water, hard to wash off your hands with gasolene.

 

[lpnsocal]

The brass disk from earlier pic is in fact the top of a T bushing, one top one bottom. They appeared to pressed in based on the removed arm. I'd say each is about 1.25-1.5" tall, thereby leaving a gap in the middle of the post( where most rust and pitting occurred. you can sorta tell in photo.

 

[archie73]

No comment on the grease.

Add some gas struts to the arms. It’s lovely way to limit swing and get a nice smooth open/close- once the pivots are repaired.

 

[MOTOV8R]

The internet says for bronze bushing with heavy load, slow moving parts NLGI 2 with Moly. Nice work figuring out that puzzle. Maybe add a zerk fitting in the middle?

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/VAL985?cid=paidsearch_shopping_dcoe_google_monthly-special_202503&store=27392&campaign=GSC-Catch-All&campaign_id=6478877959&adgroup_id=79272987338&adtype=pla&gclid=CjwKCAjwn6LABhBSEiwAsNJrjnzRvvOYR33PGehVy4JsmIWA1pjxhTmGR2MszoEa0PQcMWhFKUXYRBoCTwwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADzGEwzAyojD2refoNz5YV7NkhiRt

 

[lpnsocal]

Well, slow goes the battle, but arm has moved up about an inch. (floor jack and some tough slow wiggling.) None of my pullers will fit under fuel tank box, but AutoZone may have a loaner I can make work. Once I am at one bushing , I won't want to use jack, maybe the prybar will work by then?

Synthetic grease is what was thinking too, but that Valvoline in the link is about half the price of that "Green waterproof Synthetic" No brainer!

 

[lpnsocal]

Happy days! As luck would have it, the bushing remained on the post, allowing me to use a puller, down (to clean rust/dried grease) and then up to remove. A bit of cleaning/lite filing/steel wool and the hinge post, a little worse for wear, is ready for grease. I just cleaned the old grease from the bushing and gave it some scotch brite. Even with just that it slid easily down the post. I figure all the scoring and pitting will just give the grease more pockets!

 

[pb4ugo]

Can you add grease fitting?

 

[Chungas Revenge]

For sure add a Zerk fitting. X^^^

 

[lpnsocal]

So..., I think a zerk fitting is in order , between bushings, but I do have a bit of reservation. Consider that the void between bushings and hinge post is packed during install, and with a good shmear on hinge post. Therefore after the install, applying an initial zerk application of grease, everything(potential voids) are fairly grease packed and the new grease thru the zerk has to displace air or grease to enter the fitting and beyond. Usually, there is an escape of sorts that allows this. Sure there are pits and scoring(now filled with pre applied grease ) that create a "possible" exit for the air/grease forced out by newly zerked grease, but realistically that's a crazy exit pattern if it exists. So......, the new fitting may have a limited or non-existent benefit. Remember, it is likely that this hinge has not been apart for 20(+) years, and it now resides in a low humidity, semi arid region that will not experience the past water intrusion potential as New Zealand, Utah, Oregon(past homes.)

Since, the zerk fitting idea makes a ton of sense at manufacturing, based on my real world does it still? This is my reservation and yes, I ordered some zerks.

Thoughts?

 

[MOTOV8R]

Eventually grease will work its way out. Usually replaced by water or moisture. Periodically regreasing will displace any moisture and force the grease into the bushing area. It would have also helped you out in the situation you started in with the joint frozen. Forcing some grease in there would have helped to loosen things up. Petty much a no-brainer.

 

[pb4ugo]

Your way over thinking this. It's not like your greasing it all the time. Grease will be forced out the top and bottom. It will force dirt, water and old grease out of the hinge. When you see Grease starting to seep out, stop greasing and clean it up.

Its just like greasing a tre or a ujoint is 2 fold, interduce new grease and force old crap out.

 

[ducktapeguy]

So..., I think a zerk fitting is in order , between bushings, but I do have a bit of reservation. Consider that the void between bushings and hinge post is packed during install, and with a good shmear on hinge post. Therefore after the install, applying an initial zerk application of grease, everything(potential voids) are fairly grease packed and the new grease thru the zerk has to displace air or grease to enter the fitting and beyond. Usually, there is an escape of sorts that allows this. Sure there are pits and scoring(now filled with pre applied grease ) that create a "possible" exit for the air/grease forced out by newly zerked grease, but realistically that's a crazy exit pattern if it exists. So......, the new fitting may have a limited or non-existent benefit. Remember, it is likely that this hinge has not been apart for 20(+) years, and it now resides in a low humidity, semi arid region that will not experience the past water intrusion potential as New Zealand, Utah, Oregon(past homes.)

Since, the zerk fitting idea makes a ton of sense at manufacturing, based on my real world does it still? This is my reservation and yes, I ordered some zerks.

Thoughts?

The gap between the bearing and the shaft will provide an exit route for the grease.

However, I probably wouldn't even bother with a zerk fitting. I can see the benefits if you lived on the east coast or somewhere else, but if you're in Socal you could probably just pack the gap between the bushings with grease and you'll never have to think about it again.

 

[lpnsocal]

Zerks are in and there's nice arm movement. There is a tiny bit of play in the hinge but I think that will work well for grease to flow. Before I mount the spare tire side, I figure now is a good time to fab a spare tire lock plate/bracket onto center of the spare tire mount. Maybe just a u-bolt tacked on and a slotted plate that would extend across to lug hole width +/-. Of course that was the 5 min idea, who knows after a night of sleeping on it! Then, of course, I could always search this site for ideas. Seems like no shortage of creative minds here!

Thanks again for all the input on how to turn my original 1 hour job into 4 hours of quality time with my new BJ!

 

[lpnsocal]

Spare tire now locked(albeit against lazy/stupid thieves.)

FWIW, Erroring on the side of simplicity, I opted to just buy a "Pin Lock" off the internet for $17. I just had to drill a hole to line up with lug hole and forego any welding in my original idea. With the exception of the 3/8 galvanized washer the rest of the parts are old plumbing parts i used to snug up the lock and thereby maintain my 32 rattles and squeaks limit on the BJ.