Grandpa, tell me bout the good ole days............

[Oaktree]

Remember the "High speed wobble?" God riddance, along with mechanical brakes, hand cranks and plate glass windshields.

I've heard the term "death wobble" in reference to Jeeps, but I've never experienced on any of the 3 I've had. Maybe it's more common on ones where they've been lifted or had other suspension mods done for off-roading.

You look at vehicles on the road in winter and some people still drive with just a hole cut through the windshield. "Experts" discourage you from warming up your vehicle before driving... it isn't uncommon to hit a temperature in winter and have that nicely scraped windshield turn to ice. I want enough heat coming out of my defroster to keep that from happening.

I live near a river valley, and often in the late fall/early winter before the river's frozen over there's enough icy fog that re-forms on the windshield almost as fast as you can scrape it off. No choice but to let it warm up.

When I was younger, I'd often have the heater/defroster either off or set very low during a snowstorm so the windshield wouldn't warm up and melt snow as it hit. Kept the wiper blades from icing up.

 

[MossRoad]

 

[user.69169]

Memory Lane- Heaters were optional extra on all new vehicles till at least 67, and so called high capacity heater fer pickup was 30 bucks extra fer bein lied to by salesman. Smart man put valves in heater hoses fer summer cooling, longer life of heater core too. Vent windows delivered 2-35 cooling cause little doors under dash not do much.

Jeep FC trucks 150 was half ton 170 was 3/4 ton wid full floating X could mount duals. You could bolt up Chevy 283 to either if you had hours to spend. 150 rear end would grenade so best to put in 170 truck. Post Office jeeps, know where is 1 sitting, inline 6 AMC engine and finger chopper doors in good enough shape to restore. Dey went pretty fast an was only 2 wheel drive. PO stopped sellin em after hippies in Califoulup took to reletterin em wid things like USe Dope. Gave bunch to municipalities who used em fer things like parking ticket spitters so lardo didn't have to get out to award ticket to parked car.

Ford Econooops, engine sat back even wid seats. Not much worse gettin stuck den any half ton pickup.

Corvair trucks- drove 2 of dem. Both IK if not cold outsidde. Pickup real good fer frozen food in cab. Van little better. Stewart Warner gas heater worked good in pickup cab. Brakes, pretty sure made by Suggestion Company. Van was automatic, put in Neutral before foot on brake. Pickup 3 on floor, shift throw like Pete got worse as linkage wore. Pretty sure rear brakes sucked cause hose to engine assembly need replacement every year. Brakedrums way too small too. Stopped better after getting to 45 angle cause tires scuffed better.

AM/FM radios, FM stations started coming on air around 66. Lot of dem sold converter for cheap so people could hear de station. Better den sharp stick in de eye. Western Auto transistor radio fer $39.95 better deal and better den factory radio too. Most company got rule you get time off fer hookin radio to truck battery so GE sold lot of cigar box transistor radios. You change direction reach radio and rotate fer reception. Radio cost 6 bucks at feed store, replacement batery 3 bucks. Blew up if you hooked to cigarette lighter.

 

[JethroB]

I would have thought Jeep would have resolved the wobble by now. All the Willys we have had from the 40s & 50s have had it. My MF 135 has it. Easy solution is to run with low tire pressure but that is rough on the tires and steering system exacerbating the problem long term.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I've heard the term "death wobble" in reference to Jeeps, but I've never experienced on any of the 3 I've had. Maybe it's more common on ones where they've been lifted or had other suspension mods done for off-roading.



I live near a river valley, and often in the late fall/early winter before the river's frozen over there's enough icy fog that re-forms on the windshield almost as fast as you can scrape it off. No choice but to let it warm up.

When I was younger, I'd often have the heater/defroster either off or set very low during a snowstorm so the windshield wouldn't warm up and melt snow as it hit. Kept the wiper blades from icing up.

When the kingpins were pretty well worn, the front end had a tendency to vibrate very rapidly, like maybe after hitting a bump, and shaking the steering wheel...and the car...violently.

 

[PILOON]

I saw a few Vietnam era jeeps (not Jeep brand) at a government surplus facility back in the 70s. These jeeps had been completely cut in half across the front floorboards with a torch. Was told they were not road legal in the US. State agencies, counties, volunteer fire departments (me), etc. could go there and scrounge. I remember thousands of Jerry can on pallets. Huge place.

Not all that long ago Canada auctioned off a large lot of Jeeps with the condition that they be cut up.
A licensed scrapper won the lot bid with the promise that he'd do so.
My understanding is that only a few 'demos' ever saw the torch.

I owned a civy version for many years, Never plated it and loads of fun on our country roads.
LOL, while structurally sound it sure sported more Bondo than tin.
I gave it up when the brakes failed as access was placably impossible without a lift, besides I could not source a replacement master cylinder.
The 3 speed box was ill-suited for our terrain as well.
Even had a NIB surplus engine @ $100. for it.
At that time a fiberglass 'tub' was available in the $500. range.
Tempted but other priorities (plus brake issue) prompted me to sell it.

Now retired I wish I'd have kept that 'project' but time moves on.
Now tractors and tractor mods have taken over.
LOL, don't think 3-4 months pass without some tractor 'improvement'.

 

[tallyho8]

WLS was good. We could pick it up in north Florida under the certain conditions.

I think WWL radio was one of the most popular clear channel radio stations at night. A trucker's favorite.

 

[ovrszd]

(removed), no offense, heaters were not optional in cars in the sixties. Without doing a lot of research, I doubt they were optional in the fifties.

 

[/pine]

...1962
In 1962, hot water heaters became standard on all General Motors cars. For several years, it was possible to buy a car without a heater if specified at the time of ordering. However, few cars were sold without heaters....

~Google~

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Saw this on Craigslist today. Sweet old truck, price seems cheap.
1928 model A pickup - farm & garden - by owner - sale