We have previously established the near 20 year difference in our chosen vintages. I am not sure whether you knew or understood that mine is nonetheless still a Willys, or not. Regardless, I am merely laying some groundwork for possible inconsistencies in my knowledge, and memory. Thirty some years have past since I did the major work on my beast.
Do you know of “steering dampers”? Regardless of the condition of any of the components that make up the front end, a good damper should be in place. If one is already there, disconnect an end and check for functionality.
I can’t recall the correct term/s regarding the steering box, thus I waffle. Do you know of the “drag link” and the adjustment that can be made there? While this is normally only an issue with slop at the steering wheel, a series of seemingly minor conditions can net the shimmies so many Willys have.
It would be foolish to mention wheel bearing adjustment, so I won’t.
Raising the front end and settling it down on blocks at the leaf springs, such that there is only an estimated 100 pounds or so of weight on each wheel, will allow for a bit of classic “shade-tree” inspectionism. The following will be some of what can be done without any dismantling, but requires that your hands and noggin have a bit of learned or innate “touch” in, on, and about them.
Since the wheel bearings are a non-issue, it would be pointless to suggest grabbing the top of a tire with both hands while putting the ball of one foot against the side wall, and then levering the wheel back and forth in search of the near undetectable little bump, so ignore that.
With a low profile scissors type jack, or blocks of wood and some sort of pry bar or length of 2X4, you can lever around on swing arms looking for obvious slop in bushings, ball-joints and the like. Slop at the upper and lower ends of the “king pin” is traditionally a culprit in the shimmying problem.
Unless you remove the cover on the “pumpkin”, and carefully wedge things tight, as close to the splined end of the axle as is possible, your mechanical senses needs be on a fine setting to make any reasonable assessment of the drive/steering knuckles. If you jack up under a lower swing arm until that wheel is near a normal running position, and use your magic hands to roll the wheel back and forth,(with one eye closed and the mantra “there’s nuttin’ like a Willys…ooohhhmmm” richochetting around the ol’ convolutions) you will definitely be able to tell if there is a significant problem, and could quite likely be able to detect a smaller one. The simplest version is that it should feel similar to grabbing a drive shaft and rolling it to and fro. There will be some slop. You would evaluate it as best as you can.
Southern California once had three reliable sources for information and new/used parts for the good old vintage stuff. The local after market lads can help on some things, but there are too many who are much too willing to speculate on that which they know not, just because of the inability to say, “I don’t know”. Sooner than later, I will find what specific information I have, incase you desire some concrete information.
If you have any measure of the frugality that I do, I can offer up that a simple method of checking your front alignment using string or wire and a ruler will allow for being sure that you have some at least token degree of toe-in, before paying someone your ducats. Caster and camber are much less significant on a beast such as yours, with an unknown service/wear/replacement history than is the toe.
I am more convinced of your likely ability to rise to the occassion than I am of most of those who post so intensely and vociferously on some of the 4-wheeler boards.
Do keep those of us who enjoy this type of occasional interruption, informed, when you can.