I caught the Jeep Thing!

[rockhopinCJ]

So the other day I was searching the local craigslist and came across a 78 CJ 7. Guy wanted 2900 for it and said only minor work. Well I ended up trading a 92 Explorer for it! This is what it has on it at the moment:
Chevy 350 Balanced and blueprinted
Turbo 350 tranny
Fiberglass body
6" suspension lift is what I was told
3" body lift
New 35's
B&M ratchet shifter
chevy 6 lug axles

Work it needs done:
All gauges hooked up
brakes need some work you have to stand on them to stop
want to fix the weld job on it (dont look to safe)
and some how make the tub stronger (you can see in 2 of the pics how I fixed the cracking under the drivers seat)

Now for the pics!!












Let me know what you think and any ideas for it!

[rockhopinCJ]

Here are the res of the pics. Would only let me post 10 at a time.

[SlikRic]

Well welcome to the jeep world and Congrats I hope you have a full-time job! Nice jeep, but I can tell ya now you're going to hear alot about all that lift.

[1979CJ7]

Originally Posted by rockhpoinCJ

So the other day I was searching the local craigslist and came across a 78 CJ 7. Guy wanted 2900 for it and said only minor work. Well I ended up trading a 92 Explorer for it! This is what it has on it at the moment:
Chevy 350 Balanced and blueprinted
Turbo 350 tranny
Fiberglass body
6" suspension lift is what I was told
3" body lift
New 35's
B&M ratchet shifter
chevy 6 lug axles

Work it needs done:
All gauges hooked up
brakes need some work you have to stand on them to stop
want to fix the weld job on it (dont look to safe)
and some how make the tub stronger (you can see in 2 of the pics how I fixed the cracking under the drivers seat)

Now for the pics!!












Let me know what you think and any ideas for it!

click free

looks sweet

[1979CJ7]

Originally Posted by rockhpoinCJ

Here are the res of the pics. Would only let me post 10 at a time.

click free

[ChrisYJ - Italy]

Welcome to the jeepin' scene and congrats for the cj
I do not know how prices are over there, if it was here in italy that price would have been a fair price... for the motor alone. So i say you had a good deal, in buyng a Jeep body, a set of axles, a drivetrain and a frame. Now you are missing just some suspensions to make it all work. If it was my jeep, i would tear it all apart and grind away every single inch of that stuff, and redo everything to my taste and needs (choose the right leaf packs, the right shocks, steering linkage, brakes) and do it the right way. I do not know if you are mechanically inclined and willing to work on your own rig or not. I think this can be a nice project to start with and have fun building
Since it's your first Jeep, i'll assume you are not schooled on the offroading world
My suggestion is to join a nice, serious club where you will meet knowledgeable Jeeper's that can help you to sort it all out. And try to partecipate in as many trail runs as you can , even as a passenger, and look at other's cars, how they work and why, and how are they built. Different suspension schemes and heights means different reactions and driving styles, there is no "one size fits all" in Jeepin'!
And read the forums, there is a LOT of knowlegde scattered around.

After you started to understand how things work (or not work) ask for some help at the club and plan / build of your own Jeep suspension/ armor/cage/ whatever you feel you'll need to accomplish what you intend to do with it

Have fun!!!!!!
Chris

[ChrisYJ - Italy]

PS: that's really some creative fabwork there... Must love the antiwrap sys.!!!

[JoonHoss]

very, ummm, interesting 'coilovers' and 'limiting straps'. just weld those chain links together, and toss the springs!

also, most people would just use the shock mount for a shock mount, as opposed to a battery cable holder..




in any event, congrats, and welcome to JF!



Hoss

[JeepHammer]

Let's take on catastrophy at a time, shall we...?

This is an accident looking for a place to happen!

The first thing that grabs my attention is the 'Jury Rigged' springs.
This isn't just stupid, it's dangerous.

Get some proper springs in this thing and get rid of that idiotic clamp off the shock.



The next thing that comes to mind is while I have nothing against out boarding the springs for wider axles,
Or with reversing the front shackle,
But I want to know what retard decided to weld on junk metal on the frame for the the front spring perch?

A simple piece of box tubing is all it takes to do an outboard bracket for the out boarding, why the giant piece of ugly scrap iron?

I believe I would add some brake line while I was cleaning things up!
AND,
I'd move the brake line from the 'Pinch Zone' under the frame!

Anything more than about 2 or 3 inches of suspension lift and you should lengthen the brake lines!
(Not move the tabs down under the frame in harms way!)

[JeepHammer]

Take a look here,
Not only are the transmission lines exposed and hanging down in harms way, but take a look at what I assume is the positive battery cable wrapped around the old shock stud!
I can't wait until that thing gets rubbed through!
You better have a REALLY GOOD fire extingusher, because that's going to be HARD to put out!



Take a GOOD LOOK at that upper shock mount!
This honestly looks like preschoolers put this together!
That isn't safe, and in my estimation, you should change it IMMEDIATELY.

You are down to the last 2 or 3 inches of the shock with it sitting still!
How are you going to get any articulation like that?
You don't need 'Droop' limiting straps with leaf springs, but make up your mind, Leaves or Coil springs! One or the other!
You have plenty of room outboard of the frame for coil spring conversion if you want a super slinky suspension, but you can't have super slinky with leaf springs!

Those look like Rancho springs, so the 'Lift' should be coming from the springs/spring perches (by lowering them, since they had to be added for the shackle reversal), or replacment lift springs...
Instead it's coming from coil springs scabbed onto shocks!
Break one of those over loaded shocks, and you are TOAST!

And just for the record, Rancho springs are stiff as a board!

[JeepHammer]

I don't even know where to start with this...





Attempting to preload the spring to keep down spring wrap and wheel hop I imagine.
Not only ineffective, but dangerous since it's limiting the springs natural travel/geometry.

A torque arm would have been a MUCH better idea.

[JeepHammer]

The bad news is you have a LOT of cutting to get all that scrap iron off the frame and axles.

The good news is the frame should be in fair condition since it would take all that welding in the first place.

Seriously,
If you want to drive it on the streets, you can stay with leaf springs.

If you want to mostly off road it, and you want the articulation, you might as well throw a couple of hoops in each end, and put some proper coil over shocks in both ends, effectively converting it to coil over suspension.
There isn't enough of the stock suspension left to mess with, and what there is left of the Rancho kit in the front, I wouldn't mess with...

A couple of hoops, some trailing arms and you have a super slinky crawler.

Some square tubing for proper outboard mounts and a lot of cutting/grinding the old stuff off and you can go back to leaf springs...

I wouldn't drive it around the block like it is!

[JoonHoss]

Originally Posted by JeepHammer

... There isn't enough of the stock suspension left to mess with, and what there is left of the Rancho kit in the front, I wouldn't mess with...I wouldn't drive it around the block like it is!

it would appear that he has (in all likelihood) full width (chev???) axles/springs/shocks/hangers (upfront at least) so I'm guessing none of that is salvagable for a return to stock set-up

Hoss

[high51977]

Originally Posted by JeepHammer

Those look like Rancho springs, so the 'Lift' should be coming from the springs/spring perches (by lowering them, since they had to be added for the shackle reversal), or replacment lift springs...
Instead it's coming from coil springs scabbed onto shocks!
Break one of those over loaded shocks, and you are TOAST!

And just for the record, Rancho springs are stiff as a board!

If you look closer not only are they outboarded springs, they are SOA as well. That in itself is dangerous but I agree with Hoss, they look like full width chevy axles and springs IMO that jeep is only worth about $1500 and that's only because it has a salvageable glass body personally I wouldn't have paid more than $500 because of all the work that needs to be done to make it even remotely safe for the road but you did unload an explorer so you probably did get the better end of that deal anyway, welcome to the jeep world and good luck with your project

[BIG REED]

If you look closer not only are they outboarded springs, they are SOA as well. That in itself is dangerous

I dont see what difference the soa makes, these axles were probably soa stock on whatever they came from, i cant see it but ill bet the spring mount is cast to the housing soa.

i do agree that you would be best off to cut all the spring hangers, funky shock towers, and chains. make some better outboard brackets, get a small lift kit, maybe just yj springs and some new shocks. make an actual anti wrap setup.


good luck, it still looks like alot of fun to me.