Goal CJ-7 build. any segestions?

[JustaJeeper]

Year:
1981 – 1985 Prefer Laredo Edition
Engine:
AMC 360 V-8 (5.9L) Fuel injected
Tire:
35”-12.5”-15” Mudders
Wheel:
15”x8” wheel with 5x5.5 bolt pattern
Transmission :
Warner T-18A
Bellhousing:
T-176 or T-5 Bellhousing for T-18A
Transfer Case :
Dana 300
Front and Rear Axle:
Dana 44 Wide Track
Suspension:
Spring over axle
Springs:
Yj wrangler springs
Shocks:
Oil shocks
Body Lift:
1.25" Lift System (depending on result of spring over axle)
Axle Gear Ratio:
4.88
Differentials:
Full Time Locking
Hubs:
Manual Locking
Winch:
Warn 8274 8,000 lb
Fuel Tank:
15 gallon stock
Protection:
Full roll cage
Under Protection:
Full Skid Plates; Warn rock sliders
This is my goal build for a CJ7 rock crawler/daily driver. Any seggestions about anything, even if I did not list it, would be awsome. Thanks

 

[CJ]

JustaJeeper, I moved this thread to this forum since all your asking here is for information. Once you start an actual build of your CJ start a new thread in the build forum that chronicles the build.

 

[JustaJeeper]

Alright, Thanks I cant wait to start.

 

[Incommando]

Year:
1981 – 1985 Prefer Laredo Edition
Engine:
AMC 360 V-8 (5.9L) Fuel injected No such animal unless you make it with an aftermarket kit or junkyard parts...worthwhile when done.
Tire:
35”-12.5”-15” Mudders
Wheel:
15”x8” wheel with 5x5.5 bolt pattern
Transmission :
Warner T-18A
Bellhousing:
T-176 or T-5 Bellhousing for T-18A Why not a T-18 bellhousing?
Transfer Case :
Dana 300 As discussed in your previous thread and as you have not bought any parts or jeep yet...Why not a T18a/Dana 20 set-up? Or even start with an earlier CJ with some of this equipment already in place?
Front and Rear Axle:
Dana 44 Wide Track No such thing as a front Dana 44 wide track axle for a CJ unless you have one custom made. If you want a Dana 44 F/R a set of Wagoneer axles might be a good investment. The years you specicified will have a AMC20 rear that even its fans say need upgrades so a Dana 44 is a good choice.
Suspension:
Spring over axle
Springs:
Yj wrangler springs
Shocks:
Oil shocks
Body Lift:
1.25" Lift System (depending on result of spring over axle)
Axle Gear Ratio:
4.88
Differentials:
Full Time Locking
Hubs:
Manual Locking
Winch:
Warn 8274 8,000 lb
Fuel Tank:
15 gallon stock
Protection:
Full roll cage
Under Protection:
Full Skid Plates; Warn rock sliders
Body armor
This is my goal build for a CJ7 rock crawler/daily driver. Any seggestions about anything, even if I did not list it, would be awsome. Thanks


Just some thoughts off the top of my head

 

[JustaJeeper]

I plan on having the amc built proffesionaly by a friend of mine.

I was told that a T-18 would fit into a T-176 or T-5 bellhousing so that I could bolt it straight to the 360 with drilling holes or anything if it is from a ford and wont do so from the start.

I have not decided on the Dana 300 /20 100%, as of now I just like the 300 more.

The year is because I want the Laredo edition which was not made before 1981 and I have a hard top that I plan to use.

I am going to buy a set of custom dana 44s from a reletive who had them made spacificaly for a CJ7 .

And thanks, I had not even thought about body armor!

 

[Petescj]

I like your plan it seems well thought out. You are 100% correct about the bellhousing. The Dana 20 is a sound Transfer Case and more easily adaptable to the T-18a but when you want to really crawl...

I like your choice of the Dana 300 . It starts in stock form with a lower ratio than the Dana 20 and you can use a Tera lo kit to drop it to 4:1. For the Dana 20 its like 3:15 , I believe. If you can find one from a Jeep with the short input shaft it would be hard to argue against it though.

Im not really a fan of tearing up a Laredo . Id rather leave the decent ones to guys who'd like to restore them. You can use your hardtop on any other Cj so you lost me there. This is obviously your choice and its your money.

Bringing up money , this does sound like a lets max the credit cards and "Git er Done" kinda build. Have you wheeled a Cj before? This isnt meant as a put down , but if you dont have much experience youd be better off starting with 31s and learning the feel of your Jeep more.

I plan on having the amc built proffesionaly by a friend of mine.

I was told that a T-18 would fit into a T-176 or T-5 bellhousing so that I could bolt it straight to the 360 with drilling holes or anything if it is from a ford and wont do so from the start.

I have not decided on the Dana 300 /20 100%, as of now I just like the 300 more.

The year is because I want the Laredo edition which was not made before 1981 and I have a hard top that I plan to use.

I am going to buy a set of custom dana 44s from a reletive who had them made spacificaly for a CJ7 .

And thanks, I had not even thought about body armor!

 

[Incommando]

It would be a lot easier to start with a CJ that has more of the stuff you want and then "clone" a Larado. And cheaper. A "rock crawler" runs a pretty high risk of body damage and I would cry less if I tore up a cloned Larado than a real one...

 

[Old Dog]

A "rock crawler" runs a pretty high risk of body damage and I would cry less if I tore up a cloned Larado than a real one...

like a 100% chance.

the build sounds sound to me. Is the front set up for high steer already?

 

[JustaJeeper]

It would be a lot easier to start with a CJ that has more of the stuff you want and then "clone" a Larado. And cheaper. A "rock crawler" runs a pretty high risk of body damage and I would cry less if I tore up a cloned Larado than a real one...

What do you mean by "clone" a Laredo ? How would you do it? Mostly I just want the steering wheel tilt, but I do love Laredo ’s in general thanks to my dad’s old jeep (rolled by my cousin unfortunately,) also the reason for my interest in all Jeeps today. And thanks every one for the tips. I do not plan on going straight to 35s and a full build, this is going to be a sort of "build as I go" project. During which I plan to start small and wheel tougher and tougher trails as I progress through the Build. It would be too expensive and very stupid/reckless to build in a few weeks then go to an extreme trail and most likely crash () due to lack of experience.

 

[JustaJeeper]

what would be the average cost to repair ither of these jeeps? Just an estiment? White one? Black one? thanks agin.

 

[Petescj]

First by a "clone" he means grabbing a CJ7 model that isnt a Laredo and looking for the Laredo parts you desire and installing them yourself. That way you dont destroy a #s matching Laredo model. The Laredo package was basically "eye candy" so to speak.

Read here: http://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/f103/laredo-12032/


A little tough to see by the size of the pics but 1st thing I would do is go over the frames of both with a fine tooth comb. The white one looks like a tub swap at the least to me. The black one may be repairable depending on your talents. Yj tubs run in the $400 to $700 range around here. You can do a few mods to them to make it look just like a Cj.

Read this and check the site for more tub swap info: certifiablejeep.com - Project "Curtis Jeep" - part #1

 

[JustaJeeper]

Thanks, both jeeps run and are driven as daily drivers with almost the exact same set up. The white one is $1000, the black one is $3000. Which would you segest I get? I will not have time to make any repairs for at least a month and I have a buget of $3100 Thanks.

 

[Petescj]

Without being there and looking them over as well as driving each one this is extremely hard to determine. Lets say both are the same drivetrain with the same miles and in the same condition. What year is each one? They both look fairly stock so we can call that a draw as well.

The front clip and doors look better ( from what I can see in the pics ) on the black one hands down. If they dont need replacement you can value them at $AMC 150 for fenders and $400 for the doors. The hood looks ok on the white one as well as the grill. If not add $75 for a hood and another $75 for a grill. Those are the going rates in my area , yours may differ.

The hardtop on the white one looks better, but check both liftgates for rust. They are exspensive to replace. Last I checked a fiberglass replacement was between $400 to $500. Thats just for the frame. I shipped a liftgate to Co. for a guy just for that reason. In my opinon they would both need tub swaps so thats a wash.

So whats really left? By those calculations the black one is worth $1200 more tops in parts. That makes the white one my choice.The tub swap is the most difficult part and both need it. Bolting on a new front clip and swapping doors is something anyone can do.

That being said Id offer $700 for the white one. I wouldnt even bother with the black one if hes asking $3000. You havent seen better Cjs in your area for $3000?

 

[Petescj]

Year:
1981 – 1985 Prefer Laredo Edition
Engine:
AMC 360 V-8 (5.9L) Fuel injected
Tire:
35”-12.5”-15” Mudders
Wheel:
15”x8” wheel with 5x5.5 bolt pattern
Transmission :
Warner T-18A
Bellhousing:
T-176 or T-5 Bellhousing for T-18A
Transfer Case :
Dana 300
Front and Rear Axle:
Dana 44 Wide Track
Suspension:
Spring over axle
Springs:
Yj wrangler springs
Shocks:
Oil shocks
Body Lift:
1.25" Lift System (depending on result of spring over axle)
Axle Gear Ratio:
4.88
Differentials:
Full Time Locking
Hubs:
Manual Locking
Winch:
Warn 8274 8,000 lb
Fuel Tank:
15 gallon stock
Protection:
Full roll cage
Under Protection:
Full Skid Plates; Warn rock sliders
This is my goal build for a CJ7 rock crawler/daily driver. Any seggestions about anything, even if I did not list it, would be awsome. Thanks

And do either one of these Jeeps come with ****ANY**** of these parts????

 

[JustaJeeper]

I have been looking for one for at least 2 years now, I just have not had much luck. Both have the Dana 300 /T-5 combo which is what I have been looking for as a starting place. Thanks

 

[Petescj]

Ok so now I know they are both 80s Cjs. I figured they were cause I didnt see any sidemarker lights on the rear portion of the tubs. It was hard to tell on the white one though due to the rust.

Lowball the white one and see what happens.

I have been looking for one for at least 2 years now, I just have not had much luck. Both have the Dana 300 /T-5 combo which is what I have been looking for as a starting place. Thanks

 

[JustaJeeper]

Thats the plan. Thanks for your input. I thought the black one was a bit of a wast of money. Time to try, I am going to go look at the white jeep in about 2 hours.

 

[Petescj]

Good luck and report back.

 

[JustaJeeper]

Thanks, and will do.

 

[IOPort51]

How much you got??

what would be the average cost to repair ither of these jeeps? Just an estiment? White one? Black one? thanks agin.

The SOA will give you about 4" on stock springs. For all the headaches it will cause May I suggest a 4" spring lift??