Pat and Wanda's 15th Annual Tailgate Party
September 25 - 27, 2009
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As usual, this was a great event. There were five classic Power Wagons', five M37's, two W300's, one WC51, one WC52, one Plymouth Trail Duster, one 2005 Power Wagon, and two Jeeps.
The Trucks
Greg Littlefield - '48 PW > Gary Thomas - WC52 > Don Sawyer - M37 "Frog" >
Greg Littlefield - Plymouth Trail Duster > Aaron Steinle - W300 >
Mike Wenger - W300M > Paul Cook - Power Wagon >
Sam Goin - W300 > Dwight Banks - WC51 >
Bill Jewell - '47 PW w/belt drive > Ron Sawyer - M37 > Mark McElyea - '46 PW w/OD >
Pat O'Bryan - M37 > Lloyd Bluntzer - M37 > Dennis Sherman - '48 PW > George Scott - M37
Lloyd Bluntzer - M37 > Dennis Sherman - '48 PW > George Scott - M37
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"The" Truck
This was the first outing for Mike and Deb Wenger's impressive '58 W300M. Mike just completed the mechanical work and would be taking it in for painting when he got back from Pat and Wanda's.
And YES, Mike and Deb did go out on the trails and get it muddy.
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Did any of you M37 owners ever...
have one of the balls on the steering Idler Arm (PN - 7374765) break off or have the whole ball become loose. This MAJOR MALFUNCTION happened to Lloyd Bluntzer while he was climbing over some large rocks in a stream bed.
Here is the link with the broken ball welded back on. The whole link is listed as a single assembly indicating that the balls are not available separately. The balls have a shoulder and a shank which suggests they may be threaded into the holes in the link much as a trailer hitch ball.
This picture shows a serious peening of the shank suggesting that they were "permanent" part of the link assembly. At any event, it was clear that there was no chance of replacing the ball - or even finding one.
There were several knowledgeable welders in the group, and they were unanimous in their opinion that the welded ball could not be trusted. Lloyd and I came to the Kempner Power Wagon Museum and "requisitioned" a steering idler arm from one of the trucks in the "hospice" line up. We did a "DX" and I will use the welded idler arm for steering that truck when I have to move it.
Our M37's are all to old for us to receive a "Safety Recall" from Chrysler/Dodge. Consider this as being your recall notice. This will be an item of special attention in the "pre-operation" inspections of my M37. Just have someone move the steering wheel back and forth and watch to see there's no looseness at either steering idler arm ball.