Build Thread 79' CJ-5 RockCrawler Build

[FreedomCrawler]

Hello to all. My wife and I just traded in our JKU that I had built for traveling and crawling for something we could take out and not have as a Daily Driver. Insert finding a trail rig here.

Came across a listing for a 1979 CJ5 that already had Chevy axles underneath. With an agreed price it was delivered to us.

 

[GatorBate]

Sounds like you have a good start.

 

[mriplaybass]

:ww: Looking forward to following your build.

 

[Posi]

Welcome,
Appears to be too much + caster, but I'm sure you will be redoing a lot of the PO's work. First time I saw a brake line run across the front axle.
Assuming your swapping out the T-150 , and rear drums?
Whats your mod list look like?

 

[Hedgehog]

Cheaper and far more comfortable to go with a Razor or something similar. Your CJ looks like it's in fairly decent condition for a fixer upper. Sorry, but it's true.

 

[Peanut Butter]

I don't want to throw a monkey wrench in your dream here, but after looking at all of your pictures on photobucket, I wouldn't worry about the paint, and worry more about the mechanics of your jeep. The full size axles were just thrown under the jeep without much thought to the other components of the suspension. Do some research on how others have made this conversion, compare their results to yours, and the come up with a plan and a budget to get the jeep you want.

 

[tarry99]

Freedom...........Front axle Castor will be a problem as Posi suggested.......
The only way to fix that would be to knock off both the spring hangers and the Large Inner C's and set those to the correct pinion angle first with the hangers and Castor with the large inner C's........

Brake lines should be hanging from the chassis not laying on the axle's .......

You also have a huge amount of issues with the steering up front.......although it looks like it has High-Steer flat top knuckles which is a positive thing but for some reason were never used or finished.........

The Drag link has to much angle which will compound the Bump Steer........ And between that and the Castor this Jeep would be a handful to drive and stop just about anywhere.

Get it fixed.........You can still make this into a nice vehicle....Unfortunately the PO did not have much experience in doing these upgrades.