A story with my first C-10

[Gokart Mozart]

I was reading some background stories and remembered I wrote this a few years ago and thought I'd share it.


Sometimes you are given the opportunity to reassess a problem that has befallen you and readjust your attitude to compensate and improve conditions. The wrong approach is to ask, "What else can go wrong?” The following is what stopped me from asking that masochistic question forever.
Back in the 90’s on a southern Alabama Sunday night on my way back to Keesler AFB, MS from visiting a friend in Selma for the weekend. I heard a tremendous racket emanating from the back of my 1972 Chevy pickup. What I thought happened was the spare tire holder came loose and was slapping back up to the underside of the truck. I stopped the truck and looked under and the holder wasn't dragging. I turned off the radio, rolled down the window and listened while I started to drive off. The noise started up again. As I drove slowly, I opened the door and looked under. The noise came from the center of the truck. I got out and looked and saw the drive shaft had broken loose at the carrier bearing. The truck had one because of two reasons: 1. It was a long wheel base truck, needing a two-piece drive shaft. 2. Someone had modified it. It originally was a 3/4-ton, v-8 with an automatic transmission. They replaced it with a six-cylinder, 4-speed 1-ton transmission. When I bought the truck it looked like a professional job but I'm getting ahead of myself...
There was a convenience store about 500 yards up the road. As I went in and asked if there was anyone around who could help me. After about 45 minutes the local law enforcement showed up and tried to think of who could help me. After he called a couple of places, he was able to reach a mechanic. It took him about 45 minutes to show up, 10 minutes to hook the truck up and 20 minutes to drive to his house. By this time it’s now about 8pm.
After 3 hours welding and fabricating a new bracket, he was done. Of course I didn't have enough cash on me to pay him, so I followed him to an ATM in town about 10 miles away.
I didn't drive 8 miles before THUNK, THUNK, THUNK, broke again. I limped the truck the 2 miles into town and paid for the tow, but not the work. He wasn't happy, but he understood.
Now I start to ask the infernal question,” What else can go wrong?” After the 4th hotel that had no vacancy, I found a place that only had a suite available. The manager was kind enough to give me a discount because of my situation and the time.
When I got up in the morning, I asked the front desk clerk who might be able to help me. He gave me a few suggestions and being a small town they were all close by.
On the way back to my truck, the handle broke on my suitcase, causing me to carry it awkwardly in front of my chest. Did I mention it was hot and humid?
I got to my truck and limped it into town. The first 2 places said there’s nothing they could do. The 3rd place said there’s someone who could help but he wouldn't be on shift for 4 hours. What else could I do but wait?
When he showed up it took him 30 seconds to say there's nothing he could do. The makeshift welding job from the previous night had damaged the frame and there would be too much for him to do repair while he was at work. The two options left were: 1. Wait 8 hours until he got off work plus the time it took him to work on the truck or 2. Hire a flatbed wrecker to take me home and worry about it there.
50 miles and $90 later I was back on base. As I was unloading the truck, I asked the stupid question again, and sure enough...
One of my classmates came up to me to tell me the locks on the dorm rooms had been changed and I need to go to the MP station to get my key. Minor inconvenience but that’s what this story is about.

The next phase was a learning time for me about all the driveshafts and carrier bearings that were used by Chevy. In my studying I found out its better to start with a driveshaft that’s too long and cut it down than to start with a short one and make it longer. The best thing I could do is to get a used driveshaft from a junkyard and make it work. I called several junkyards and finally found one that had an old tow truck that had what I needed. We made arrangements for me to go there after school but I had to hurry. It was 5:15pm and the owner had to be somewhere at 6. He wheels out a cutting torch, hands me a hammer and points me to the truck. He says be careful because there’s a big wasp nest in the cab. Don't want to disturb them... As I'm starting to crawl into the mud the truck is in, I look at the sky. Thunderstorm approaching. I managed to get out from under the truck with the driveshaft and part of the frame with the carrier bearing at 5:45 without disturbing the wasps and just as the rain started to fall. Nothing else could go wrong, right?

Fabrication time. I lined up the driveshaft with the carrier bearing at the frame and noticed two things; the front was too short and the rear was too long. I measured it and took it to a machine shop and showed them my measurements (the trucks, not mine and yes, I measured about 4 times. I know better than that). They look at it and said the driveshaft is backwards... What had happened is the bearing was holding up the front part of the rear driveshaft. What should happen is the bearing holds up the rear of the front driveshaft, allowing the rear driveshaft to move with the suspension. Argh! What else... I took the driveshaft back to the truck, mounted it right, measured it and found it was too long in both places. The front half had a sleeve collar that slid in, allowing for travel so I just needed a new one. The front half needed to be cut about 2 inches. No prob. Get it cut, buy new U-joints and throw it all back together. Easy fix. Nothing else could go wrong.
The bearing and frame I cut from the junk truck was too bad and the frame wasn't shaped the right way (?) so I got some sheet steel and repaired the frame and made a bracket for the bearing. There were a few types to choose from so I got the opinion from the parts guy that proved to actually work. I picked up 3 new u-joints and was a happy camper.
The sleeve collar and u-joints were for a 3/4-ton truck. That’s what I had. The transmission and driveshaft came from 1-ton trucks. Run back to the store. Get the right parts. Take them on the truck. Ran out of time. Everything else good. No more problems, right?

I forgot to mention while I was having fun with this I was in forecasting school, the second hardest school in the Air Force, behind air traffic controlling. I had about 2 hours a night max and a few more on the weekend to figure this out. During the week there was about 1 1/2 hours after class the stores would be open.
I put the front u-joint on. It fits. I put the sleeve collar, middle u-joint and carrier bearing on. No problem. I put the rear u-joint on. Problem. The driveshaft is from a 1 ton. The truck is a 3/4-ton. The rear axle joint requires a u-joint that’s smaller than a 1 ton. I go back to the store and find a u-joint that’s 3/4 ton on one side and 1 ton on the other. It’s about 3 times more expensive. I put it on and everything works. Finally. Stop asking what else could go wrong and enjoyed the truck.

A couple months after I fixed the truck, I got in an accident. No major damage; just tore out the grill and got a new (old) hood. A couple of weeks after that I was on my way to my friend's place again. All of a sudden it looked like it was raining but the skies were clear. The check engine light came on. I turned the truck off and pulled off the road. Steam started rolling out from under the hood. I opened it and noticed my radiator had fallen 3 inches into the fan. The support brackets were knocked loose from the accident. Luckily I had a gallon of water in my truck. I don't remember why. I also had my toolbox, just in case.
There was a town about 2 miles away and after letting the truck cool down a little I put in the gallon of water and drove into the next town. Just as I was getting off the off-ramp the check engine light came on. I turned off the truck and coasted into an AutoZone parking lot (no power steering or brakes made it easy). I went in and asked them if they had any radiators. They didn't and it would take 2 weeks to get one in. I asked if there was any place around that could help me and there was a radiator shop down the street about 3 miles. I asked if they had a water hose and filled up the truck and went to the shop.
Just as I drove up the driveway the light came on. Turned off the truck and went in to see if they had a radiator available. They only had one that was ready to use but it was a four-core radiator and mine was a two-core. It would fit with no problems but if the worker did it would cost alot. I said I can do it and started to. He came out and continued talking to me while I was taking out the old one. He started helping me put the new one in and didn't ask to help and kept the conversation going. We filled up the radiator, said our goodbyes and I drove off without a hitch.
When I got to my friend's house I told him I never going to come back up here, I always have problems! Later that night as we were driving around I got a flat. Luckily I had a spare.

After school I moved to Colorado. That winter the heater core stopped working, creating frost inside the truck. When I checked the oil one time, it was white and foamy. I needed a vehicle immediately so I ended up selling it and getting a 1984 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

[Indyuke]

Wow! I don't know what to say.

[yuccales]

Bummer!

[flashed]

Your luck sounds a lot like mine but you did OK inspite of it all so it seems like an adventure to remember.

[dhaymaker]

This is a classic story! Sounds like a lot of my own adventures from over 45 years of owning old cars and trucks. This is what my old friend/boss would call "character building"! lol

[jim-bob]

..So..how's the jeep doing?

[hugger6933]

I got one almost that good, but it is to long to tell here, Lets just say it involves buying a wrecked suburban on ebay [a rollover] and ending up driving it down I 40 with the other suburban [on a trailer] without a mark on it. I had tow strapholding the doors closed and had to get in thru the right 1/4 window hole. But that is not why I'm responding. Back many years ago when I was first starting out in drag racing, I had a 71 chevelle. I was a the track one day had blown out the power valve and I had a small fire in and around the carb. I was a lot younger and a lot less mellow, and was getting really mad. I had an older man probably in has 70's come up to me [while I was mad] and he told me, "son if you never remember anything else in life remember this, if it has tires on it or ti##es it is gonna cause troubles" Iinstantly calmed down and even could laugh about it a short time later.

[Gokart Mozart]

Originally Posted by jim-bob

..So..how's the jeep doing?

Short story is my brother drove it when I went overseas and his buddies didn't check the oil so the engine blew.

[GOPAPA]

Great Story ,,sorry about all the mishaps ,,but thats one to remember ,for sure..keep tabs on the Cherokee if you still got it and write its story ,,be sure and tell us how to get to the Jeep forum..LOL

[50bomb]

Great story even though you had to go through some bad things you did good by what you said. You tried your best and these trucks they are older now and need the maintenance all the time. Do you have any other old trucks now? THere was another long story where a guy bought a truck and drove it with his dog and had alot of problems too. These types of stories make me even more motivated to want to build,learn and daily drive my truck forever.