Jeep Enthusiast Forums banner

Introduction and some direction...

5K views 71 replies 23 participants last post by  hutch1200 
#1 ·
Hello everyone,

I wanted to just introduce myself (i'm 34 and heterosexual lol)and my jeep (a 1983 Jeep CJ7 Renegade). I can't post pictures yet, but I will once I pay the money to be a premium member. I'm now almost $45k in the hole with medical bills, down from $85k...after trying to save my son (next paragraph)

Long story short, I have recently acquired this jeep after a rough last year or so. I recently lost my dad, my son, my dog, and my wife was diagnosed with cancer and just completed treatment. I have a 7 year old daughter that I am working hard on keeping myself sane for her. SO...I daily drive this thing, which is a big deal right now once you read the details on the jeep below. It is in pretty damn good shape, needs a little this and that, but gets a lot of compliments already. Keep in mind that I drive it around town and <3 miles to and from work. I essentially got it to bring a smile on my little girls face, and my wife (she used to have YJ 10 years ago), and to keep my mind occupied with tinkering. I am mechanically inclined, and have built several cars from a 600HP grand national to a 550AWHP Subaru STi, and I used to (before my son's death) do high performance driving instruction...I only mention it because I am a true gear head, and catch on quick. But, I do not know much about CJ's...but I have been just reading and reading on this board.

It is a 5-speed, 258 (rebuilt) but with a carb (YIKES) that runs pretty good actually. Interior is nearly flawless. it has A/C and crappy heat (I've read about the blazer blower upgrade).

It has a 4" Pro-comp suspension lift (yeah, I know....)
35x14.50x15 boggers on 15x12 steel pro-comp wheels.
Obviously, it rides like crap. Steering SUCKS. And, I am sure it has stock gears...it is undergeared terribly.

My thought is to just buy 33x12.50x15 general grabbers and throw them on there with some 15x10 or 15x8 steel wheels. I also need to get the steering taken care of, and I think for the time being I am going to just try to get caster right and do the shackle reversal kit? Long term, I will be taking this lift off and putting something way better and my trail worthy.

Long term, I want to make this a fairly stout trail rig. I'm pretty sure I will do an engine swap of some kind...but I don't know a lot about the 258.

I welcome any suggestions or worthwhile points. I'm excited about having this thing as it is pretty freakin nice. I ultimately want it to be road worthy, and not work to drive on the street like it is now, and also have the ability to go right to a pretty hard trail without me worrying about breaking stuff.

As I said, I have to work on this counting my $$ carefully as I still have dr bills to pay. I don't mind working on things myself, but I welcome meeting new people and having a helping hand. I can pay with beverages of your choice and a stomach full of good food.

Take care everyone. I am happy to part of the community.:2thumbsup:
 
See less See more
#2 ·
forgot to mention it has 140,000 miles. Might be significant in case you guys wonder the age of some things like with the steering issue I have....
 
#3 ·
anybody?
 
#4 ·
Sheesh, I'm surprised you got passed over! Usually new members get all sorts of attention - pics of the jeep, please! and such.

Very sorry to hear about all the trouble you've been having. I can't imagine.

I'd agree with getting rid of those tires and dropping down. Not necessarily on the lift, but suit yourself. I've got a 4.5" lift on 31s, and I like it just fine. Someone must've paid attention to caster, because it drives straight as an arrow. I'd never done much wrenching, but learned on this CJ, and it's all been doable, from axles to transmission to fuel injection. As long as you have the tools and a little patience and time, you can do anything.

Tell us more about the steering - could be caster, could be steering components, could be wheel balance, etc.

And again, to make up for anyone not paying attention - welcome!
 
#5 ·
welcome to the forum.

I am also very sorry to hear about your recent tribulations. It sounds like you have a nice jeep and the knowledge to make it even better. I am pretty new to the forum as well and everyone here is very helpful and supportive.

Best of luck with everything, ask lots of questions, I guarantee someone here can answer them.
 
#8 ·
Welcome. Sorry about your bad run.

Now to the Jeep. A better description of how it rides will go a long ways. Is it simply rough?? Could be as simple as the shackles being too tight.

Same with the steering. Bump steer? Wandering at speeds? Stock or oversized shackles?

The crew on here is a wealth of knowledge, and the more details you provide, the more they can.

I run General Grabbers on mine. They do fine on the road, and great off road. They have a very soft tread, and a stiff, heavy sidewall. As far as the lifespan of them, I think it will be short on a daily driver.

Ps. I wouldn't worry about doing a shackle reversal. They will ride fine without one. Fix the other problems first, then worry about things like that.:cheers2:
 
#9 ·
billusher...reading your intro has made me think about alot of things. If I were you, I would either leave it as is, or get rid of it. My CJ has robbed me of a lot of time that I won't get back...time that I spent farting around in the garage, instead of with my wife/kids.
 
#10 ·
Welcome to the forums.
my thoughts on your steering issue could be from the tires. I have 33x14.0x15 boggers on my jeep (PO installed) and I notice the steering feels off also. I will also be replacing the tires for some that are narrower when i have the money.
 
#11 ·
Thanks for the comments and support everyone. It has been a ROUGH last year and a half. But, what can you do but push ahead. And 85Laredo, while I understand where you are coming from, some of my best memories are my little 5-6 year old daughter being the best helper a guy could ask for, and my wife sitting just outside in the garage sipping wine and baking in the sun. :)

Here are some pics, I went ahead and paid the membership $$ so I could post pics and support what looks to be a great site. I will update tomorrow with more details on some of the questions asked.
 

Attachments

#12 ·
Sweet but flawed. It would look real nice with a bikini top.

Welcome to the Forum, friendly bunch here you will give you penty of advice, often wrong but free.

If it was mine, and it is not so feel free to ignore me, I would weigh up the cost and trouble of regearing and then go to 31" or 32" tyres. Stock CJs run fine on trails on 31" tyres, most of your current issues surround those big tyres. If you have several k to invest you can make them work but otherwise dump them. The PO made the mistake of going for the monster truck look without doing it properly.

You would then find it far more lively and enjoyable to drive and stop and the steering will not be as tough.

There is a Stickie on the steering issues. I suspect yours are allied to those tyres. Get underneath and get someone to play with the steering wheel, you may find some excessive play under there, not uncommon on CJs. Otherwise it could be caster. Anyway they are not impossible to fix.The other suspension mods you are thinking of will not help with the basic issues which I suspect are wear and alignment.
 
#14 ·
It looks like a sweet family cruiser in the making. My boy is just 2 and says "jeeeeep" when we go to the beach down the trails in the CJ, anything else is just a "kaa".
 
#16 ·
No, that is a "krait". Anyone calling bagusjeep an old krait will get a punch.
 
#18 ·
BagusJeep said:
No, that is a "krait". Anyone calling bagusjeep an old krait will get a punch.
Make mine rum punch.

OP, I feel for ya buddy, I've been in your shoes when it comes to our sons it was 15 years ago. I'm in a time crunch but I'll get back to reading the entirety of your thread.

And welcome to JF, Bill
 
#19 ·
Thanks guys. I thought it was a pretty cool jeep. It has one tiny spot of rust just above the rear wheel arch on the passenger side. It looks like, when I stick my hand up under the fender, that mud and water gets trapped in that seam...haven't researched it though.

I think before I do anything, I am going to get rid of the wheels/tires and then re-evaluate. My first thought was to go to 33x12.50's, but then after reading your comments about 31's and doing some measuring, I may just split the difference and go with 32x11.50's. I'll have to read up as to what wheel specs would need to be with regards to backspacing and off-set.

As a side note, I am curious about how common the frame cracking is on these? I've seen steering box supports and weld in frame reinforcements.

I also think I will hold off on doing anything with axles. I will spend 90% of my time on the road for the next 6 months anyway.

I do want to upgrade the brakes, I've never driven manual brakes until this Jeep. Looks like there are a couple of ways to go with that as well.

Thanks again everyone.
 
#20 ·
Welcome to the Forum!

With a 4" lift IMHO I think the 33 x 12.50 x 15 look best.

I have approximately 4.5" of lift, a drop pitman, 4" Crabtree Shackels www.crabtreetool.com, new bushings, borgeson steering shaft and mine drives like my daily driver.

With regards to the frame cracking I'm not sure too much on your year. HD steering box brackets help...http://www.mountainoffroad.com/_e/S.../SB7686/SB7686_CJ_Steering_Box_Mount_H_D_.htm

Going to smaller tires will help with braking. I have no problems with my manual brakes and 33" tires.

Anyways, here's a shot of 33x12.5x15 with 3.650" backspacing on a 1972 CJ with 4.5" of lift.

Again, Welcome to JF...

SC
 

Attachments

#21 ·
With a 4" lift IMHO I think the 33 x 12.50 x 15 look best.

SC
Do you happen to have any front/rear or 3/4 shots? Your jeep looks great! What is the size of the wheels?
 
#23 ·
if you like the rims that are on it already you can use those and not have to worry about backspacing cause you are down sizing. the tires you have right now look like they have good tread and in good shape you might be able to get enough from selling them to recoup your money that you are spending on your new ones
 
#24 ·
I do, but I worry if I get 33X12.50 it would still be darty on the road... Something I'm trying to avoid.
 
#28 ·
Well, I ordered some 33x12.50's today, on 15x8 wheels. I'm hoping they don't tuck but are just at the edge of the flares or maybe a little bit past them. Just my taste.

I hope this makes it way more livable. Then I will start with stuff like fuel pick up (gas gauge doesn't work) and figuring out if the temp gauge is shot too.

Just curious, I am guessing I have a dana 30 up front and an amc 20 in the rear, but how do I know if it is a wide track? Still reading up...so I may not haven't gotten to the explanation yet...

Thanks again for the well wishes and the help.
 
#30 ·
Is there a way to know for sure? I need to read up on what a wide track really is....lol
 
#31 ·
I really need to figure out what the gearing is too.

And get the freakin carb off this thing....
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top