Maybe someone loaded them up with red loctite, try some heat on them to see if they free up.

 

After sifting through a number of black and white diagrams I finally found what I needed straight from Volvo penta. Not the cheapest hardware I've ever purchased but I know it will be right and holdup without a hiccup. I'm so close to getting this buttoned back up.

 

Well, I put in a new speedo cluster yesterday, only to find that the odometer/trip did not work. I pulled it out, and dissected it, only to find that the small motor that operated the gears was not in the holder. It's gear was also gone and the holder for the motor was broken in the case. It was just hanging there. No wonder things weren't working.

I have a second cluster, so I removed the speedo-cage unit from it and swapped the mileage unit (swapped the original mileage wheel) over into the original. I swapped the readout to the newer cluster, and also the drive motor with gear. Now everything is up and working like it should. It took me about 30 minutes to disassemble the second cluster and install the parts from the first one with the bad holder. All in all, the 97=98 clusters are not bad to work on. You do need some smaller torx bits to get things apart, but not too much work is necessary to get things apart. You just have to remember to remove the 10 inner screws holding the stepper motors for the gauges. Once they are gone it comes apart with little resistance. The motor for the gears is plugged into a module board at the top of the cluster. You remove the 3 screws holding it to the top, from the outer housing and then you have full access into the inner workings of the speedometer.

 

Oh yea, took a little over a couple hours to do both. New bolts, bushings and shackles. I posted the progress in another thread, here-

https://www.f150forum.com/f6/what-di...695/index2986/

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The 2wd's are old school most likely...not sure if you have to pack the bearings still but you might. At least on the 2wd's you don't have to replace the control arm as well.

 

Glad to see you got that done. Another big pot hole would of taken one of those out.

Here are some pictures of the inside of the 97-98 instrument cluster. The part that made mine inoperable was the motor retainer being broken on one side and the gear was gone completely. The shaft was bare.....lol. This is the motor I removed, or should I say unplugged? It is how it was found. NO gear attached. No workie that way.

 

Welp.... my Wife backed in my truck today. Now I need a new tail light.

 

Lol, so who's fault was it? lol.

 

The tail light.

 

Well, chances are I'm going to have to pull one of those 30 footers. Just from A to B with the truck. Well, I don't have to, it's more want to lol. So I'm looking her over closely now since I found the shackles like that. I'm not sure what would of happened if I lost a shackle with a trailer in tow...it wouldn't of been fun. Probably pop a wheely ehh.

I've pulled/trailered vehicles in the past with it, but it's been along time. The factory original u-joints check out....can't find a thing wrong with them. That kind of blows my mind lol. Guess I'll corner real slow...so I don't snap the frame off lol. It's getting rusty if a few spots and I've these frames break right off on these trucks. Ehh, I'm worrying too much I expect.

 

Damn rear shocks. Those bastages were really frozen on there. After a bit of trying to get them loose, I decided that it was time for the reciprocating saw with metal blade. It made short work of the stems, and left the nut available to be removed with a socket and ratchet. Once I got to it, easy, but getting to the nut, rather involved.

Making a long story short, I finally got the new rear shocks in. The design to get to the top nuts needs some serious improvement. lol Another inch of clearance wouldn't of killed them to find. ROFL.

Brew.....as far as the frame, I think you'll be fine. Those shackles sure have seen better days though. Yeah, I think you are worrying too much, just a tad. lol