Bill-
A good look at the photos in that eBay item listing gave me nudge to take this shifter unit off the 57 as I warmed the wagon up for the ride to work.
Pulled it apart here during a break tonight.
Was dry inside, but with rust scale, bearing was frozen, contactor pivot/wire lugs were busted off, one (tiny thin little) contactor return spring was corroded and broken, insulators for wire attachment screws were cracked and nearly absent, and the ball screw was crunchy.
That ball screw shaft and ball nut (big coil spring driver) is quite cool. It features a ball cutoff flange at either end of it's travel to eliminate self-destruction in the event of limit switch failure.
Both the ball screw and the cartridge bearing cleaned up in Kroil bath. I can get the motor control to work too.
If I get this back on the rear end and the 2-speed shift inside the diff works, I'll likely just buy that eBay unit.
Looks like I can get the hundred bucks out of it in functional value.
Next hurdle will be the front end.
Took it out for a 3-1/2 mile jaunt to the mailbox the other day on the local dirt roads - steering is loose (excessive steering wheel play) and the truck darts around in the ruts and rough spots. I'll look at the leaf spring bushings, and I'll check inflation and tire diameters. I could use a point in the right direction for tutorial on adjusting the play out of the steering gear box.
Also a point in the right direction for a source for ball joints etc on this steering rehab job...
-John
