New CJ7 Tub?

[Damnitutk]

After much debate and weighing the costs vs hours of work it would take to repair all of my floor issues. I have decided to buy a replacement tub. I am sure this has been done before.... My questions are...
Where to buy a good quality and cheap price?
Any underlying issues that i have not thought about when taking on the tub swap?
Thanks all...

 

[CJ]

Cheap and quality are pretty much counteracting words.

AFAIK, all replacement steel tubs are built by the same Philopino company and sold to various outlets. They are very rough and require quite a bit of work. Holes, panels, mounts and more will need to be created and or made.

About the only bolt on steel replacement tub is sold by Willies Overland. They take the tub, mount it in a jig and rework the mounts and the holes to make it bolt on.

http://www.willysoverland.com/index.php/WO/replitub/

If you want a cheaper alternative, look for an used YJ tub. They are very close to a bolt on...

 

[gert]

X2 on the YJ tub

 

[Damnitutk]

Cheap and quality are pretty much counteracting words.

AFAIK, all replacement steel tubs are built by the same Philopino company and sold to various outlets. They are very rough and require quite a bit of work. Holes, panels, mounts and more will need to be created and or made.

About the only bolt on steel replacement tub is sold by Willies Overland. They take the tub, mount it in a jig and rework the mounts and the holes to make it bolt on.

Willys-Overland Motors : Repli-Tubs

If you want a cheaper alternative, look for an used YJ tub. They are very close to a bolt on...

I couldn't find a price guide..... What should I look at paying for a quality tub???

 

[j0114]

I was thinking about this for another CJ7 i got ,
I found an 85 witha fairly new paint job, no bondo etc, great shape tub, the electrical neded work, but it had a new soft top and new full soft doors,
Dana 44 's fr and RR and other things you could sell,
I decided then I was going to find a cj with a nice body running or not,
I was really wanting one without the fairly new paint job, b/c it makes me wary of hiding things but I found through trustworth people and a body shop i trust the tub was solid,
5000 for it all,
I mean most tubs are 3500 not counting the front end etc, and then paint inside and out isnt cheap,
This was a driveable vehicle

 

[twcj8]

My area one can sometimes find a cj tub in pretty good shape (no rust thru) in the $700/$1000 range. Check CL in Texas & Oklahoma, was a complete cj on there for $2800.00 last week. Frt. is going to be pricy. Good luck.

 

[ken98k]

About the only bolt on steel replacement tub is sold by Willies Overland. They take the tub, mount it in a jig and rework the mounts and the holes to make it bolt on.

Willys-Overland Motors : Repli-Tubs

+1 on Willy's
I have not personally bought one but my research tells me they're the one.

 

[JCsCJ]

If you want a cheaper alternative, look for an used YJ tub. They are very close to a bolt on...

Have to agree with CJ on this one. I picked up a 89 YJ for $600, all body parts were in great shape, just had a cracked head. Used the tub for my CJ and gave away the rest of the jeep a little at a time.

 

[Damnitutk]

Great feedback...thanks for all the comments and ideas to this point. If i went with a yj tub, what issues would come up during reassembly?. would a cj windshield fit the yj tub? (i had already purchased one) the tops would be different would the fenders also have issues bolting up? this may be the way to go to be honest...

 

[Busted Knuckles]

What about the steel tubs from Omix Ada ? They even have the "jeep" name/logo stamped in the side sheet metal. Not sure if they are "finished" or not, or who actually makes them, but Id look into it. I priced them, thy are not cheap, but dont remember how much they wanted a piece.

Ive made a couple trips to Phoenix, I buy 4 YJ tubs while Im there. Ive been paying about $500 a piece for them down there, and sell them up here for $850-1000 depending on condition. They never have rust, but some times dents here and there.

The guys buying them are putting them on Cjs.

 

[Busted Knuckles]

Great feedback...thanks for all the comments and ideas to this point. If i went with a yj tub, what issues would come up during reassembly?. would a cj windshield fit the yj tub? (i had already purchased one) the tops would be different would the fenders also have issues bolting up? this may be the way to go to be honest...

2 of the body mounts need shortening or extending, I cant remember which, windshield frames swap, but the Yj has a different stamping (re-enforcement folds in it). Also your gas tank filler neck is on the wrong side.

This is very well documented swap, search this site, and then google it if you need more info.

 

[Damnitutk]

2 of the body mounts need shortening or extending, I cant remember which, windshield frames swap, but the Yj has a different stamping (re-enforcement folds in it). Also your gas tank filler neck is on the wrong side.

This is very well documented swap, search this site, and then google it if you need more info.

Thats sounds a hell of a lot better that shelling out 3K+. I would definitely be interested in taking one off of your hands. When are you planning your next trip?

 

[JCsCJ]

As Busted said the filler hole needs moved to the passenger side, the windshield will bolt up but the defrotst is external on a YJ and blows inside the frame on a CJ. You will have to cut a hole in the cowl for the defrost. I found this pic on the web. I just cut out the whole section from my CJ and welded it in on the YJ, but either way will work.

 

[Damnitutk]

As Busted said the filler hole needs moved to the passenger side, the windshield will bolt up but the defrotst is external on a YJ and blows inside the frame on a CJ. You will have to cut a hole in the cowl for the defrost. I found this pic on the web. I just cut out the whole section from my CJ and welded it in on the YJ, but either way will work.

you are now one of my unofficial hero's... did you have any other issues with the swap?

 

[JCsCJ]

you are now one of my unofficial hero's... did you have any other issues with the swap?

I think there is a total of 4 body mounts that you either have to cut and weld back on the frame or drill new holes in the tub, which is what I done. There are a couple dash mounting holes that doesnt line up perfect but are easy to elongate just a little to get to work. If you keep the CJ tail gate be sure to get all the little pieces off your old tub, ie..brackets for the cables, hinge backplates inside of the tub, and locking striker I guess its called. If you do a search you will find lots of info and pics....I wasnt a member of any forum when I done my swap so I didnt think to take very many pics of the little changes I had to make.

 

[CjDan]

As for the tailgate tho, im sure you were wondering about that, a YJ opens out like a car door, but a cj tailgate opens down like a truck would have, for that the mounts on the side where a yj tailgate hinges would be will bolt right up to the spare tire carrier for a cj.

 

[Busted Knuckles]

Thats sounds a hell of a lot better that shelling out 3K+. I would definitely be interested in taking one off of your hands. When are you planning your next trip?

We are headed for Sedona/Phoenix late this fall for R&R, but I think we are flying, due to the cost of fuel. I used to make enough $ to pay for the driving of the trip by purchasing the tubs and re-selling (plus a little fluff), although Ive not run the numbers, but I dont think its do-able anymore (cost of fuel). Im also taking the S/O (which I have never in the past), and she does have a "regular" job, and I dont think she can manage the time that I take to poke around and collect 4 tubs, plus the 4 days of driving (plus a week in there).

Im not sitting on any tubs either, I would list them on Craigs, and they would go away as quick as I could list them. The last one I sold went to a guy from KY, I was surprised to have somebody drive that far for a tub, being from that far south, I didnt think tubs where rusty down there ?

 

[Damnitutk]

I am in knoxville, and down here the humidity can be pretty bad... for the price... i am just about willing to drive to get a decent deal on a tub.. its not that my tub is a total loss but it would take more time, energy and effort to repair than i have. easy choice is to just pick one up and recomp some of the cost by selling my old tub or selling it for scrap metal.

 

[Busted Knuckles]

Id like to have one of those tubs back myself, I found a nice 1994 one owner Yj last year at a garage sale of all places (it needs a tub !). Was out looking for a bike for the S/Os kid and here in the front yard of a house is this loaded Yj with a sign on it for $1250. Complete with a hard top and air, even new goodyear tires.

The seal is out on the Transmission , or the T/C is cracked, its got a good leak up front. I just happen to rebuild transmissions,.... ended up getting into this guys back garage, and managed to buy a bicycle off him too, it worked out well. The jeep was his wife's since new, she has stopped a couple times wanting to buy it back. She bought a used Zj that she does not like.

Im planning on "converting it" to a Cj. Will just be a fuel injected Cj with the gas cap on the wrong side...

 

[Damnitutk]

that sounds like a good idea, fuel injected cj..... but i couldnt deal with the cap in the wrong place.....