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I have recently purchased a 80 jeep CJ7 with a AMC 304 4spd. I would like to swap it to a 5 spd, can you guys help guide with with what I would need to make that possible? also do any of you guys know a website where I would be able to get the stock height leaf springs? The guy who had it before me put a million leaf springs on it's very tight. Any help will be appreciated. thanks
I have recently purchased a 80 jeep CJ7 with a AMC 304 4spd. I would like to swap it to a 5 spd, can you guys help guide with with what I would need to make that possible? also do any of you guys know a website where I would be able to get the stock height leaf springs? The guy who had it before me put a million leaf springs on it's very tight. Any help will be appreciated. thanks
What 4 speed do you have in it now? How many leaf springs are we talking here or did they just do the over axle mod? What are you planning on doing with the CJ?
No the leaf springs aren't over the axles there are a lot packed in! Off hand i'd have to say at least 9 or 10 packed in. Not sure was Transmission , T-176 i believe. Whatever one came with it that year. Will a T-5 be a direct swap?
1978 CJ7
Silver paint with black hard top on 33" radials & eagle alumium rims. Good looking ride and have done lots of work to make it look and run great.
Stock equipment is 258 carb, power brakes, power steering, hard top & hard doors (per vehicle gross weight) tilt steering wheel, big brake package with large rotars & drums, T18 Trans with low 6.4 granny gear, Dana 20 transfer, Dana 30 front axle, Dana 44HD rear axle with 3.73 gears. True Trac ft & rear.
I was around jeeps in the 70's and drove a 1973 Jeep Truck. My family had 4 jeeps at the time. We also joined a jeep club back then too. So about 6 years ago looked for a Jeep CJ and found the vehicle above.
No the leaf springs aren't over the axles there are a lot packed in! Off hand i'd have to say at least 9 or 10 packed in. Not sure was Transmission , T-176 i believe. Whatever one came with it that year. Will a T-5 be a direct swap?
Most jeepers want to get rid of the T-5 and T-4 , the T-176 is a more desirable Transmission . Why do you want to change..... I will guess..... you want better gas mileage thus the 5th gear.... or you have issues with the 4 speed and waht to change the Transmission .
I / we can help you get better mileage... usualy about 25-30% depengin on how you are set up now. The Jeep Transmission are having issues because many of us are doing our part and changing the Transmission /gear lube......... BUT..... the only gear lube you will find on the auto shelves is GL5 and the Jeeps Transmission need GL4... its a shame....
I got my CJ7 4-5 yrs ago and doing my resto and fix work..... I was looking for GL4 and could not find it. I looked at 20 stores and online too. The GL5 is for pumpkins and the GL4 is not approved for pumpkins because they are different. The GL4 is approved for Transmission work and has less corrosive properties for yellow metals and has different lubrication properties. I put GL5 in my T-18 and it started to fail..... 1st/2nd and 2nd/3rd stated to fail going in gear from stop and up / down shifts too. I thought my Transmission was toast and saw a small glimmer of info on GL4 at NAPA .... I put the GL4 in and corrected my issues in days and two years latter you would never know the Transmission was not perfect. Use the same fluid in Transmission and transfere. The Dana 20 Transfere CAse shares fluid with the Transmission so should be the same. The Dana 300 transfere case is sealed but no reason not to use the same GL4 and I would recommend it.
Put the correct lube in and see if you like you T-176 better..
I recommend
Napa has a GL4 but the price has doubled.. $25 for gallon
AMSOIL has a MTF that lists all these Jeep Trimic Transmission right on the container. Did wonders for my toyota manual. $11/qt
I found the last few days...Bomgaars Farm Stores sell GL4 in two weights and it was $20 for 2 gal so half of napas price.
Valvoline GL5 std Gear Lube passed Amsoil corrosion tests... but it is still GL5 and lubrication properities are different. Many have/do use this but there are better options.
Mobil 1 has a synthetic GL5 that also passed the same corrosion test... but it is still a GL5... and GL4 would be a better choice.
RIDE....
I have 2.5 lift and still springs. It is a CJ but mine is very still tooo and not even sure if my rear spings even move sometimes. Lower your air pressure to 28 front and 26 rear and see if you like that better. Softens ride and still supportive in turns and moving in lane etc. That is what I run. Most running larger tires... 31 or 33 will find this works pretty well. The owners manual suggested lower press than the above.
1978 CJ7
Silver paint with black hard top on 33" radials & eagle alumium rims. Good looking ride and have done lots of work to make it look and run great.
Stock equipment is 258 carb, power brakes, power steering, hard top & hard doors (per vehicle gross weight) tilt steering wheel, big brake package with large rotars & drums, T18 Trans with low 6.4 granny gear, Dana 20 transfer, Dana 30 front axle, Dana 44HD rear axle with 3.73 gears. True Trac ft & rear.
I was around jeeps in the 70's and drove a 1973 Jeep Truck. My family had 4 jeeps at the time. We also joined a jeep club back then too. So about 6 years ago looked for a Jeep CJ and found the vehicle above.
So is have to change the bell housing and find one that matches the bolt pattern. And get a longer or shorter shaft? About how much am I looking to spend? The guy added a bunch of springs which I'm sure makes it much stiffer, can I just take them out and keep the shocks that r on it? The shocks r for 0-2.5 lift. If I do take or replace the springs to normal it should help the ride a little bit right? And I want to swap tranny just for that extra 5th gear. When im on the hwy its screaming at 55
1978 CJ7
Silver paint with black hard top on 33" radials & eagle alumium rims. Good looking ride and have done lots of work to make it look and run great.
Stock equipment is 258 carb, power brakes, power steering, hard top & hard doors (per vehicle gross weight) tilt steering wheel, big brake package with large rotars & drums, T18 Trans with low 6.4 granny gear, Dana 20 transfer, Dana 30 front axle, Dana 44HD rear axle with 3.73 gears. True Trac ft & rear.
I was around jeeps in the 70's and drove a 1973 Jeep Truck. My family had 4 jeeps at the time. We also joined a jeep club back then too. So about 6 years ago looked for a Jeep CJ and found the vehicle above.
So is have to change the bell housing and find one that matches the bolt pattern. And get a longer or shorter shaft? About how much am I looking to spend? The guy added a bunch of springs which I'm sure makes it much stiffer, can I just take them out and keep the shocks that r on it? The shocks r for 0-2.5 lift. If I do take or replace the springs to normal it should help the ride a little bit right? And I want to swap tranny just for that extra 5th gear. When im on the hwy its screaming at 55
I think you need to know more... about the axle ratio and tire size.
Tire size is easy, look on side
Axle ratio... tape a pc of string on rear axle while on a level surface. Push the jeep forward one tire revolution and count the string wraps on the axle.
Do you have a tac and know the engine RPMs when you are going down the hwy? Could also do this with a time light and extened leads while driving down the road.
T-5 may not live long behind a V8, they are prone to break if you use the pedal a lot. T-5 & T-4 are the prone to lubrication and failures than any of our jeep Transmission FYI The T-5 does have a over drive.
If you have the axle ratio of 4.1 or so or larger it was set up for larger tires and you may have smaller tires. Or you CJ is loud and the perception is screeming and you are not??? HWY should be doing 2500 rpms or up to 3000 depening on use
Here are some drive line calcs, the middle one is the best side by side compair