[ihc] Ryan needs help

[John Hofstetter <hofs@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ryan says that he can't post to the digest and asked that I get this
question to you. 

I think the center pins are 7/16's but I'm not sure, so .... here is Ryan.

Begin paste

First section is to Hoffs, since he's the only one who I know can actually
post right now...

As far as I know, I still can't post to the digest... and wouldn't you know
it, problems abound.  I don't know how everyone else is doing... to be
honest I stopped reading because it got so annoying to not be able to
respond to posts when someone asked a question which I knew the answer to (I
tried to say many times that my scout has a robert shaw 195 in it when that
issue came up too)...

Can you forward this message for me if you don't have an answer yourself?


I mentioned a good while ago that my scouts triangle spring leafs were
spreading sometimes on my passenger side front spring. Someone else said
their's did too, so I didn't worry about it.  Today something drew my
attention, just felt like I needed to check out that spring.

I decided to assure myself that the spring was ok by feeling the bolt on the
bottom... so I reach under and I feel a nice smooth piece of metal... which
felt nothing like a bolt or a hole for it to go in.  Seems the axle had
already shifted and covered up the hole from a broken center pin.  I had to
have been driving it like this for a long time now, with multiple long trips
on the interstate in the meantime and just today finishing a 90 mile or so
each way drive.  Makes me really nervous thinking about how lucky I am that
the ubolts appear to have been tight enough to hold the axle in its
appropriate location... well, within a few iches, I think it is 2 inches off
of where it should be.  This is the reason I think it's been like this for a
long time, because it explains why I my steering wheel was off center
towards the left, when I was trying to figure out why when the lift would
pull it to the light due to the drag link.  Thought it was just play in the
steering box with a slight pull to the right, but this seems to pretty well
explain it.

My question is:  what size is the center pin, or bolt or whatever you want
to call it?

The local 4x4 place doesn't stock them because "the parts stores do" and the
NAPA only has 1/2" ones, and I thought they were 7/16ths.

Of course, I imagine almost everything will be closed tomorrow and there's
probobly no way I'll get an answer in time to get anything today.  I can
only hope that I can get the pin and u-bolts in time to get the scout on the
road again in time to head to TN.  I leave saturday with a friend for a
short trip to N.C. and then I have to head to TN on the 5th.  It's not
looking very hopeful to have the scout on the road in time, but I'm going to
do my best... I'm still a little in shock thinking about what could have
happened if that axle had started sliding around going down the interstate
or if I'd tried to make a panic stop.

Thanks,
Ryan (not having the greatest day at the moment)