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Coiz 1979 CJ7 Frame Off Resto; picture crazy

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#1 · (Edited)
Coiz 1979 CJ7 Frame Off Restoration - picture crazy

I started working on my Jeep in 2/08 and wanted to document my progress in a thread so I could share with all of you and have an easy reference for my friends and family. So first I will give a brief history. Sorry for the book as the first post.

I've owned this Jeep since my 3rd year of college in 1995 in Colorado. We had a lot of four wheeling around the college and used to take a lot of trips to Medano Pass as well as a couple Easter Jeep Safari Moab trips. The 258 had a bunch of Clifford performance parts and ran like a champ but I could never get the carburetor working correctly on the trails. You could walk up to my Jeep grab the roll bar and shake to get it to stall. So when I got out of college and moved to Detroit for work I opted to install a fuel injected 5.0L out of a 1992 Mustang GT, last year for the forged pistons. :thumbsup: I put some GT40 heads on it with some Cobra roller rockers, SVO block hugger headers and a K&N air filter. During the engine conversion I swapped to a NP435 and kept the D300 transfer case. I also full floated the rear Dana 44 and installed a Detroit locker at the same time with 3.73's. The D30 front currently has a Detroit EZ-Locker. I removed a 4" ProComp kidney buster to install a 4" Skyjacker Softride suspension and a 20 gallon gas tank around the same time. I also had a friend who had a Corvette that switched from brown to black interior so I picked up the seats from him for the Jeep.

The PO installed the 6 point roll cage, custom front bumper and welded in the Scrambler bulkhead behind the seats. It appears that he also did some bodywork.

I drove the Jeep for about a year with all the upgrades before I moved to Memphis with a job that supplied a new company car every 4-6 months. Needless to say the Jeep stayed parked most of the time. I got out of four wheeling and into motorcycle road racing so it ended up sitting for 6 years in a friend's climate controlled warehouse. I moved to northern IL where it sat in the corner of my garage for 3 more years. I finally came to the crossroads where I needed to either sell it or fix it up.

Realizing that I couldn't get half of what I had in it and the fact that I just love the Jeep, I decided I would just replace the rusted fenders, some quick bodywork and fresh paint to make it road worthy. Yeah right.... It wasn't long after I realized I was at the beginning of a frame off restoration.

I am fairly well along in the project but still have a lot left, a lot. So I am going to post up some pictures and comments of the progress I have made along the way and continue to post as I go. With any luck it will be on the road by next fall but don't quote me on that. Questions and comments welcome.

Here are some pictures before the tear down:

Look at how clean the garage is. Hasn't looked like that in almost a year. :crying:

Worst of the rust:


Dash:


Interior:


5.0L HO with about 29,000 actual miles:


Minor dents:


Rust on the cowl/windshield area:


The only bad spot on the frame, driver's side inner rail:

The passenger's side ended up about the same. Anyone who owns a CJ knows what looks like hairline cracks are not. More details on that later.

Next up will be pictures of the tear down.
 
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#1,582 ·
that looks complete!! Nice job!
 
#1,583 ·
Thanks Mike.

It is not quite complete but it is very close. I am looking for a spare wheel to match what I have and think I am just going to repaint them black to match the frame and bumpers. I'm still trying to decide between the KM2's or the MT/R's.

 
#1,584 ·
Looks to me like you're ready to get that thing dirty Mike. :)

Hey when you put new heat shrink on the wires are they now water tight? Your bumper looks good all mounted up too. You're almost done my friend.

Both of those look like great tires Mike. Hard choice but I lean towards the KM2s. You going bigger on them than you have?
 
#1,590 ·
Looks to me like you're ready to get that thing dirty Mike. :)

Hey when you put new heat shrink on the wires are they now water tight? Your bumper looks good all mounted up too. You're almost done my friend.

Both of those look like great tires Mike. Hard choice but I lean towards the KM2s. You going bigger on them than you have?
Yes Jim, the adhesive lined heat shrink does make them water proof connections.

I had originally added the extra 1.5" of lift and cut my rear fenders for the 35's but now that it is done, I think I'm going to stick with the 33's. I like the stance and don't want to sacrifice any more performance in acceleration and braking due to the added weight of the 35's. The 1" I would gain in ride height would be minimal and not worth the trade off considering it will be more on road than off for a while.

I agree with the km2's. Got them myself. And even though my cj is no where near the quality of yours, I still get crap from the guys for not getting her dirty. It's starting to gain more mall crawler status each time I take it on the roads and to the beach.
At least you have a CJ and you're out enjoying it. :thumbsup:

I bought 5 MT/Rs with Kevlar and have a year to go before they roll for real under the CJ. I've read that they are a quiet rolling tire but also have great traction...
Be prepared to be spoiled with them, once you run them you will love them. They are quieter than most all terrains but yet very good off road.
I think you are splitting hairs between the KM2's, MT/R's and the Cooper Discoverer STT's...I love the looks of the KM2's the best but ended up with the STT's because they are made in the USA...performance wise, they have handled everything I have dished out to them...
The MT/R's with Kevlar is your best bet for all around performance. Very quiet on road and a monster off road. With it's added side wall reinforcement, it can be aired down pretty low with decent stability. You will be very happy with these tires.
That's why I have been torn between the two. I saw a convoy of military vehicles on trailers stopped at a rest stop recently and everyone of them had brand new MT/R's installed. They looked mean with the center all-terrain section and the big beefy lugged outer tread. I figured if they used them in the military they probably tested pretty good.

The KM2's seem to get a little better feedback and ratings across the board on the internet. Mainly in that they are quieter on the street and they wear better/longer.
 
#1,586 ·
I bought 5 MT/Rs with Kevlar and have a year to go before they roll for real under the CJ. I've read that they are a quiet rolling tire but also have great traction... I hope to hear back from someone about an actual experience with them rather from someone with a vendor supplied set.:D:D
 
#1,587 ·
jeepsterjc said:
I bought 5 MT/Rs with Kevlar and have a year to go before they roll for real under the CJ. I've read that they are a quiet rolling tire but also have great traction... I hope to hear back from someone about an actual experience with them rather from someone with a vendor supplied set.:D:D
Be prepared to be spoiled with them, once you run them you will love them. They are quieter than most all terrains but yet very good off road.
 
#1,588 ·
I think you are splitting hairs between the KM2's, MT/R's and the Cooper Discoverer STT's...I love the looks of the KM2's the best but ended up with the STT's because they are made in the USA...performance wise, they have handled everything I have dished out to them...
 
#1,589 ·
The MT/R's with Kevlar is your best bet for all around performance. Very quiet on road and a monster off road. With it's added side wall reinforcement, it can be aired down pretty low with decent stability. You will be very happy with these tires.

Sent from my iPhone using JeepForum
 
#1,593 ·
So I took the Jeep out for work one day instead of driving the company truck. I drove it to one of my dealers about 25 miles away, held my meeting and showed off the Jeep to the dealer principal and technicians. I noticed a small puddle of gear oil under the skid plate when I stopped that appeared to be coming from the rear output shaft seal.

I left that dealer and drove it about 15 miles to another one to hold another meeting and show the CJ to the Parts & Service Director who is a big Jeep and Cobra fan. He used to mud race a CJ5 back in the day and also had a couple different Cobras. While I was there I put the Jeep on the alignment rack just so I would know where I was at.



I figured everything was going to be pretty close because of how well it drives and tracks on the highway. So I was actually surprised to find out I only have .8* of caster. The alignment machine lists 76-80 CJ caster spec at 2-4*. So it looks like I'll be adding a few degrees of caster to my front axle sometime soon.

While it was on the alignment rack I noticed another fairly large puddle of gear oil under the cross member and it was obvious it was coming out of the rear output shaft this time. I'm thinking, this sucks that seal and yoke are brand new.

So I drove it home and cleaned up all the oil, removed the driveshaft then pulled off the yoke. I put my finger up to the seal to see if I could feel any cuts or rough spots on the seal lip. As soon as I touched the seal, the entire thing moved back about 1/8" in the housing. I'm thinking, that shouldn't happen that seal is pressed fit and obviously shouldn't move. So it wasn't leaking between the seal and the yoke, it was leaking between the seal and the housing.

I went to NAPA and asked for the seal expecting it to be a $3 part, $1.99 at Moris4x4, and nearly choked when she told me it was $23. Once I compared the Napa SKF seal to the leaking Omix seal, I gladly paid the extra amount. It was obvious how the metal portion of the Omix seal was very thin and flimsy metal which allowed it to easily distort in the housing. The metal portion of the SKF seal was much stronger, it had green sealing paint around the outside edge and the rubber sealing surface had a smaller diameter which makes it seal to the yoke tighter. Now I'm wondering about my front seal and how long it's going to last. I got the new seal installed and the driveshaft put back on. I drove it another 30 miles or so and all is dry. I'm confident this one won't leak.

After the trip to the dealerships, I determined I drove 77 miles overall after correcting for my 2 mph speedo discrepancy. I had filled up right before I left and then again at the same pump when I got back. I figured my average speed was right around 60mph judging the time spent on state highways, interstate highway and around the small towns. It took 5.0 gallons to travel 77 miles which comes to 15.4 mpg. Not too bad if you ask me. :)
 
#1,595 ·
This thread still amazes the heck out of me! I was just reading older posts from 2010 based on a link from a different thread. What attention to detail and you have proven to be able to tackle any issue small or large with great success. Cheers, Mike! Hope you have an ear to ear grin as you rumble down the road!!
 
#1,596 ·
You mean the little issues like this? :shhh: :D



Thanks for the comment Boom, it is a lot of fun to drive and I get a lot of satisfaction from it. All the thumbs up and waves I get when driving it around is pretty dang cool. :highfive:
 
#1,600 ·
That picture, to me, is daunting, and I have a lot of respect for your Mike. Boom is right. I hope everybody left drool stains on your rig after you showed it to them.
 
#1,598 ·
Coiz, I had mine in the alignment shop about 2 months ago. Same problem, mine was about 1.5 degrees. My guy told me it needed to be about 5-6 degrees to drive and wear tires correctly. I bought the 4 degree shims and installed. It drives totally different with the new shims installed. Much better... I am still waiting on the short output shaft from Novak and will go back to get it checked once I install the new AX15....
 
#1,601 · (Edited)
Coiz took me the better part of two days to read all 107 pages. Very impressive build! I'm also partial to your choice in paint job. I own an 07 gt500and like your stripes / cobra theme. I hope to build my jeep once I'm done restoring my old (1966)mustang. Lots of good write-ups and I'm sure I'll be refering back to this thread quite a bit. Thanks for sharing with us.
 
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#1,606 ·
Thank you for taking the time to read the thread and post a response. I love the GT500's and would really like to have one but it is not practical for me right now. It is also funny you mentioned your 66 Mustang because now that the Jeep is almost done, I have found myself searching CL for early Mustang projects. Not sure if I want to dive into another restoration but if I found the right deal I might consider it.

Coiz, sorry for being late on responding, been busy here. I bought the shims from 4WD.com. Here is a link below. Good quality (machined not cast).... Fit was good and took about 30 minutes to install...

http://www.4wd.com/search.aspx?kw=spring+shims
Thanks Calvin. I'm probably several weeks away from diving into this but I'm sure I'll post about it after I install some.

Just read the entire thread. Unbelievable. That's the best CJ7 build I've ever seen. Congrats and I hope you have big smiles driving that thing for many years to come. :cheers2:
Thank you. It is a little more unique than what I had originally planned but I loved the way it turned out and have a great sense of satisfaction while driving it. :thumbsup:

love it!!!! awesome build, wanna see the new tires.
.
Mike,

Speaking of the new tires, have you decided what rims and tires you're going with?

.
New tires are going to be 33x12.5x15 BFG KM2's. I'm going on vacation for a couple days so I will order them when I get back. Don't want them shipped while I'm not here.

I also plan to use DYNA Beads as a weight solution. I have never personally used them but they are supposed to work. It will keep me from having to use the massive wheel weights you typically need for the larger tires.
 
#1,602 ·
Coiz, sorry for being late on responding, been busy here. I bought the shims from 4WD.com. Here is a link below. Good quality (machined not cast).... Fit was good and took about 30 minutes to install...

http://www.4wd.com/search.aspx?kw=spring+shims
 
#1,607 ·
The Dyna-Beads sound interesting. I've never heard of them before. I don't understand the physics that would cause them to evenly distribute throughout the tire, or how they can react quickly enough to offset vibrations. You will be a good test case for everybody! Won't they be noisy when stopping and starting, clacking together inside the tire?
 
#1,608 ·
It is a little weird how they work. Here is a decent attempt at explaining it and lets you "see" them in action. I'm not sure about being able to hear them inside the tire.

Actually now that I have been trying to find a good source for them I might bail on the idea. The best pricing I have found would be right at $100 for the 40oz of beads it would take for five tires. That is a little pricy.
 
#1,609 ·
I know this is naive, but couldn't you emulate the Dyna-Beads with small ball bearings or something? I don't know what kind of weight they would have to be, but a ball is a ball! And a ball rolling around on the inside of a spinning tire would act the same. I would look into the weight issue of the balls. Just a thought... as you slow and balls come out of rotation, they will likely hit the wheel on the inside of the tire and make some racket!
 
#1,619 ·
Absolutely you can use other stuff. I use Daisy BBs. I've also usd airsoft beads. Either works, EXTREMELY well.

Anyone that pays the price for Dynabeads... isn't thinking.

I have also used Centramatic balancers with great success. I have them on the wife's Jeep. $200 for a set of 4- and yes, that's expensive... but I don't have to hear anything from the wife when it comes time to getting new tires. The last set of tires I put on her Jeep, I had 12 ounces of BBs in each wheel, and the "professional" at the tire store went on at length about how stupid that is. She believed him instead of me... after all, he's "the professional"...

.. well, apparently he missed "balance day" at the "tire university", because this is the EXACT same sort of thing that 18 wheelers use to balance their tires, as well as other large tire users (airlines).

Some folks will be concerned about the BBs abrading the tire carcass or the wheel. This is FUD. (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) I have run these on several vehicles ranging from my motorcycle to 37" tires that "couldn't be balanced" on a friend's Hummer. NO problems. The only change I noted was the copper cladding on the BBs was removed. BFD!
 
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