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"Special Delivery" a '71 DJ5-B...

142K views 994 replies 68 participants last post by  freaknajeep 
#1 ·
So since i pretty much finished up the xj project

and i decided sure it looks bad to the bone but didnt like the ride...i picked up this lil jewel for cheep

so here goes...lots of pics for now most should be pretty self explanatory but i will do a little narration

donor parts


bye- bye drive train


bye-bye suspension


haha drag jeep...lol

cancer removal/door opening modifications

modded door opening and suspension mock just for giggles

just a pic of the xj and mail jeep kisssin

so now on to real work



11gauge inch and 1/2 square tube subframe for tub/body

grill moved up to bumper

axle housings cleaned and painted


frame mostly finished


still have to make permanent rear upper spring buckets since i wont know exactly where the need to be untill i have drivetrain and body back on...

so heres the list of parts getting thrown at it...
winches: xrc10 front
m8000 rear
gears: 4.56:1 front and rear...rear spooled....lockrs would be nice but have 3 girls and a grandbaby on the way

drive train: ford 400/c6/205(soon to be twin sticked)
axles: hp d44 front/d60 rear
tires: 11.2x24 r-1s for now new 38.5x15 boggers to come round tax time...lol

ok thats about it for now will post more pics tomorrow mostly regarding suspension...would really love some feed back on this one...have a thread on nc4x4 but no one seems to care they are all ecours or nuthin...im a po-boy if i
want to go fast i have other rides for that...lol
 
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#567 ·
well its getting down to the line...there are only 2 big ticket items left to possibly purchase...radiator and heater core...I have a heater core(brand new) from a ford...since it mounts on the outside of firewall I could just make a box and bolt it on...a new one $80...I believe the radiator has a pinhole, like microscopic, but I haven't been able to find it yet...overall the rad looks to be in decent condition...a new one is between $190 and $300 depending on whether I get an all brass or a plastic/alum model...1800radiator doesn't even have a listing for one....theres is a guy in town say he can fix it for about $65, but ill prolly be a cheap skate and try the gas tank/radiator epoxy stick first...have had real good luck with it in the past...granted not ideal but if it will get me thru xmas then ill be able to afford the new one....well so far I have gotten steering box mounted(need coupler repair kit), got rear brakes done, and 1 cargo window in, and rear door lock cyl replaced...I was ableto get 2 for $5 so im gonna use the second on to fashion the locking mechanism for the gun rack...pics to come later
 
#569 ·
thanks and yep yep..im hoping my two will be cool someday:laugh:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

well didn't get nearly as much done yesterday as I wanted...hopefully I get something done today..have to run to town, go buy steel, go to Oriely's, go to AZ and get a battery for wifes van...yada yada yada...on a positive note..ordered a Caldwell fieldpod and 30 rounds for the 50.cal today, as well as another 1 ton TRE from ruff stuff(duh white boy cant count)...and heading out to go up to Memphis TN tomorrow, so major progress prolly wont happen till next week...but ill keep plugging along as usual...only have like one or two pics at the moment and since its such a chore to post them ill wait til I have few more(going for the wow factor)...cheers
 
#570 ·
well today was a complete and total lack of progress save installing a t-stat and gasket....did however get the necessary steel for front shock mounts and steering...the hood latches got here as well at ujoint strap kit, which had 2 different size straps and 2 different size bolts....so now I gots ta order another set...man it sure gets frustrating some times...but im so close...lol
 
#573 ·
Hah yeah I hear you on that, but hey if it were easy everybody would be out driving DJs around town.
 
#574 ·
ok well im back...not like I went anywhere just was having an "Im overwhelmed" moment....finally found the camera...out in the rain(don't worry its fine)...got the last of my TRE's in from ruffstuff...at this point I have pretty much everything I need to fire it up, except trans fluid, heater hose, alt belt.... and the 7/8" drill bit for drilling the knuckles....I thought I had one but apparently somehow I ended up with 2 1"bits from last time I was at a buddies fabbing...I guess he has my 11/16's and my 7/8s and I ended up with his(self sharpened) 1"...oh well it wouldn't be an issue if my cash hadn't run out thanks to fun goodies from bassproshops....im also very burnt out on cleaning and painting but will get fenders painted body color since its still warm enuff of course this will require removal again...uuggghh...why man? why?..why do I have to make it so complicated?........well ill take pics as usual and should finally have enuff for a good update later this evening....:cheers:
 
#576 ·
ok quick pic update time....

rear brakes minus e-brake hardware...


new steering gear box all mounted up...


all the pretty grade 8 hardware for bumper bracing and steering gear mounting.....



new tiebar with 1ton TRE's...from RuffStuff.....




another shot of gunrack this time with bedliner coating and garden hose on the cradles....


windows Yay!!



stereo install...


one painted fender...muah hahahahaha...


ok so I skipped a pic or two....



then I might have sticker bombed it.....





I did get some of the front shock tower/mount pieces cut out today...as well as the modifications to the front shocks....but brown santa showed up with all the projectiles ive been waiting on for the muzzleloader....TC .50cal shockwave sabboted 200 Grain spire points...and my Caldwell dead shot FieldPod...and my bone collector shooting glasses/earmuff set...so might not get much done tomorrow...:D...
 
#577 ·
ok so non jeep related post here...one of my, well I wouldn't really call it a hobby more of an affliction really, is to reword songs turning them into well silly songs(kinda like Weird Al)...normally I keep these to my self or share them with my kids when they are age appropriate...however...I thought id share this catchy one, and get it stuck in your heads all day as it will be stuck in mine unfortunately...ok so here goes....:cheers:

first of I am sure you all know the hiphop song "Thrift shop".....come on I know you do....now that you have the melody in your head....come on sing the chorus a few times...alright got it?...good...now all ya have to do is sing these words to the tune of the chorus and you can thank me later.....

I think that ive caught crabs...
theres an itchin in my crotch yea...
I keep on scratchin..
but nuthin seems to happen...
can anybody make it stop yea....

truly I don't have crabs and I hope no one finds offense in this.....if so I apologize in advance...

up next a truly twisted version of the "Lambchops" theme song.....Muah Ha Ha Ha!!!:D
 
#578 ·
ok sorry bout the last post I was in a mood..lol....anyways didn't get much(anything) done and now its raining....should clear up by tomorrow tho..did git out and sling a few projectiles thru the .50cal....now that I got it pretty much zeroed in at 60yrds ill take it out to a local field and give it some walking distance...im one of those folks who cant seem to leave things alone and last season I changed scopes on two of my rifles right in the middle...it really messed up my harvest....I didn't just want to go waste lots of rounds and further spook the critters we were all attempting to put in our freezers, so I only got them close enuff but not dead on...so im starting from scratch this year and getting it right before hand and then im gonna leave it alone I swear......its 10 days from opening day of muzzleloader season and I still haven't fired off the dj I am getting worried I wont make it....there are loads of things I had wanted to accomplish before hand but as it looks im going to be doing good to get it running period....at least I have the knowledge the motor and trans are were fully functional before I disassembled it...:D........the worst thing I have to deal with at the moment is, my wife gave me that look the other day...you all know the look...that one that says you've gone way over budget and are about to be single again if she even hears the word "Jeep"....yea im at that point....lol...but anyways hears whats left to be done to be drivable....

left to do

bleed brakes
bolt up DS
flare the ends of trans lines where I cut them for a better seal and or buy new metal ones and rebend
adjust shift linkage
drill knuckles for 1ton TRE's
make drag link
modify pitman arm(no drop available)
steering stabilizer mounts(will prolly wait till after driving)
finish front shock mounts
make the stupid egr block off plate(10 minutes tops)
alt belt
and some other minor crap not worthy of mentioning...

left to buy

alt belt
trans fluid(3-4 qts)
gear oil(dif change)
7/8" drill bit
heater hose 10'
lights for front signals
and that I think is all for now

im actually considering donning my raingear and going out to wrench in the rain.....I am glad that all my electrical worked and came out beautifully including all the gauges in the main guage...if the two additional gauges weren't just so so ugly id prolly have used them as well, but the two 2" gauges are stolen from the big DJ's triple set...well enuff babbling for now...I needs ta gets my lazy butt off this couch and do something, anything, beside drink coffee...lol..
 
#579 ·
ok so I managed to make good progress today....as it would appear im coming to the end of anything interesting to post about my build and the obvious drop in regular readers, im going to slack up on posting as much...ill still stalk and post on others builds...im not giving up just going to wait till something interesting comes along...once work starts on the big DJ again ill prolly fire this build back up with some dedication....I was able to manufacture a throttle cable out of the old cable housing some gorilla glue a 1/16" shaft collar and an old brake cable from my son's mtnbike...hey he's grown now and its a youth sized bike...been sittin in the weeds for around 10yrs...anyways I thank everyone for all their time and comments...no need to check in everyday from here on out...ill try and make a weekly post or so ifn there's enuff to post...all in all im feeling a little down at the moment...even once the little dj is done it will be another 6-8mths before I can hope to see a trail again:(.....at this point it has been almost 3 yrs since ive been offroad(in a vehicle)...im not getting any younger and the work isn't getting any easier....not that I would but I have considered(several times recently) just buying an XJ that's mostly built and just putting the finishing touches on it and parting ways with the big DJ....but then id just be like every other rig in the woods....I don't know...just feeling a little burnt out....
anyways heres what I got done today...

DS installed
throttle cable fabricated
new plugs installed
air injection ports plugged
new temp sender and wire installed
fuel tank wiring finished
1 wire alt hooked up

would have gotten the trans lines in but once again I just assumed...turns out they actually made 5/16 trans line...have never seen it before but it exists...no biggie ill opt for compression fittings instead of rubber line for my connection....starting nov 11th ill be away from the puter for the most part until end of jan as ill be spending every waking moment of free time hunting...wish me luck(I meant buck)....I have never harvested a buck, but then I hunt for food not sport...I hope that everyone has enjoyed my extremely wry and twisted sense of humor...oh and I hope somebody was able to find usable info from my work as well....well cheers for now.....:cheers:
 
#580 ·
ok yeah I almost forgot....I did have one small point to make, as with any pastime, hobby, sport etc...offroading attracts lots of different type of people...from different races, ethnical backgrounds, even religious and cultural diversitys...some of us might even be able to type/spell...some of us are ivy league some are busch league...however there are those of us who think they are better than others simply because of the terrain they might wheel in...I feel this falls in to the same category as thinking someone is inferior due to the color of their skin or the god they believe in.....dimwits come in every size shape and color and even enjoy some of the same things....its like saying someone who drives formula 1 is better, more intelligent, and more refined than say someone who races sprint cars or nascar....I would bet money that a formula 1 race attracts as many dimwits as a nascar race...so saying that wheeling where there is mostly rocks is more refined than wheeling where there might be mud is BS...now im not saying go find a big hole and play in it, where is the fun in that.....if you feel like wheeling on the rocks(only) because you don't like cleaning up your rig afterwards then so be it, but don't condescend those of us who ride on trails that have a lot of mud and enjoy it....it doesn't mean we are stupid or less than ideal...nor does it mean we spend any less time, energy, or money, building our rigs it just means we have learned to enjoy what we have and embrace the pastime of spending time with our friends and family in an off-road environment...hell in my opinion it takes more skill and intelligence to build all your parts from scratch, than it takes to enter your credit card number, wait for ups, then bolt some crap on....not to mention its real easy to try and decide on which line to take when you can actually see what you are up against....but unless you have sonar on your jeep you cannot tell what you are getting into by looking at the top of the water...so next time you are wheeling just remember at one point and time you had your first 4x4 and id be willing to bet you did some dimwitted things...and also remember not all of us live close to or have the resources to get to where we would prefer to ride....but we all enjoy the great outdoors...personally I chose this site over pirate because I thought 1, I have jeeps, and 2, those pirate guys are really really stuck up...seems like high school all over again....peace out and don't be a hater
 
#581 ·
i do know what you mean there, i originally started building my jeep with the sole intention of crawling. since then ive steered towards over land expedition, access to the exact kind of wheeling you want is just near impossible. dont sweat it just keep building and keep wheeling :D
 
#582 ·
ahh don't worry bruh...I aint sweatin jack...I just think its rude that's all...but I defintly wouldn't call my jeep "overland expedition worthy" unless there was zero payvement involved....the r-1's work slightly ok on hard rock but don't really work well with payvement as they would wear out in about 1000-3000 miles...but they absolutely excel everywhere else and I can get 4-44"tall with tubes for right at 800 made by interco the same people that make boggers/swampers...soon as I get my suspension bugs worked out(big DJ) ill have more flex than most rockers and well just about anyone I know...unless I limit it...I already use up the full extent of my 36" shocks which have 18" of travel...I really like the idea of some 48"ers with 24" of travel...but cant justify the expense...definitely wish I had a 60 front tho...

anyways the fabbed throttle cable works perfectly....and soon to be hunting woohoo
 
#583 ·
anyways made some progress....got the knuckles drilled out to 3/4"...still waiting on 7/8" bit...but it allowed me to finish making up all the steering pieces...also got one side of front shock mounts finished up(100%)..just needs a little paint and new shock bolts...tried to find any of the flat surfaces in my shed...after about 3 hours I had at least 4ft of my main bench cleared...it was elbow deep in nuts bolts and all kinds of other crap...anyways pics to come...am pretty much wiped out, have been fighting some severe congestion for about 2 weeks...I really hope it clears up before the 11th...well nite jeepers
 
#584 ·
ok so been surfin Cl....looking at xj in the $2000 price range...seem to be about a bijillion within 100 miles or so....also been lookin at the 8.5" lift kit from BDS....says you can fit 33"s with no trimming.....what this means to me is....hold on....wait for it.....late model 4dr XJ 4.0l aw4, 8" per side dovetail losing 16" total rear width(keeping rear shackle points in factory location), shrunken rear hatch(to keep original rear appearance), homemade highline front fenders(front end possibly dovetailed 3-4" per side), 8.8 rear/hp 30 front(both with artex trusses(prolly end up with homemade) maybe, 4.88s, chromos, dual detriot lockers, 38x15 x15r boggers(uncut but 3/8" deep zigzags on lugs for extra bite on rocks)

now I just have to figure out how to convince the wife that it "IS" a necessary expense.....been dropping hints for about a week....am about 1 week away from having the little dj driving....then ill get back on the big DJ...however I have been trying to figure out how to add some sort of a rear seat(big DJ)...as it sits now there is only room for 2 passengers, I have a family of 5...if you count the grandson...I have a couple projects I could liquidate that would put a large healthy dent in the price of said build....but I have decided that after my last fiasco, I would much prefer to have all the parts needed before I ever disconnect the battery...and by all I mean everthing including 20lbs of weld wire, primer, paint, tubing, tires, everything just sitting in a pile...might even buy all the parts before I even get the XJ...it will be a new experience...the world of bolt on...except for the body work...this is what happens when I cant sleep...I plan out projects im doomed to never start and or finish...yay me...go team...oh wait right almost forgot its just me...lol
 
#589 ·
thanks guys....I will keep on with the updates....its 6 days till muzzle loader season im bout to go nutz....I lost a day of work today due to having to make a run up to Tennessee...and rain is coming in tomorrow...but only one days worth....so ill basically only have like 3 days to try and finish the little dj..sunday ill be finishing stretching out my reach on my rifles and setting up my blinds..if I absolutely have to ill drive the ford but its not really safe...its in dire need of kingpins, swing arm bushings and I noticed a few cracks in the welds on the bed mounts(not my welding)...the welds are easy enuff fixed...but everthin else is iffy...my hunt property is only like 15 minutes away tho...ill just have to play it by ear....no way im getting any blood in mamas van tho...lol
 
#590 ·
ok just bout coughed up my dinner as I heard the announcer on the outdoor channel say "Silverado the official truck of the outdoors".....sorry I just don't see it that way
 
#593 ·
ok so shocks are all in, steering is just about done all I have left to do to it is the steering coupler and backyard alignment(think I be needin some balljoints)....hoping to fire it off later today and try and drive it around to the drive way...I do still have to finish bleeding the brakes...oh and set timing and points once I have it running...definitely gonna be going to the gm style "HEI" dist for 150$ once I got some extra pennies...still gonna have to make up some doors and finish the paint work but its too cold at this point for me to worry bout any of that(doors needed yes, paint can wait)...would be nice to just take it all back apart take all the pieces and entire body over too where I used to work and have them powder coat the entire thing darn near for free:D....maybe next year once I remove the roof to replace the multi-channel section that attaches the roof to the body and gives the structure strength...ehh it will prolly end up getting good quality camo job sooner or later im still not sure....ahh the issues that arise from having ADHD....oh look a squirrel.....im still gathering pics so sorry for that....:cheers:
 
#594 ·
ok so here goes again...had a whole blurb typed then poof the whole thing just vanished...weird man...anyways as I typed before....didn't make it all the way to start up...tomorrow tho...picked up a few non jeep related goodies....I have some year, some make and model 4 wheeler coming tomorrow(don't ask)....one of those buddy calls up " hey I got this old 4wheeler I aint got no use for" things...don't think it runs at the moment...also picking up an 80's model Suzuki GS1000 with new motor in need of being reassembled into a bike....and a new old Thompson Center Renegade .50cal....(a Hawken replica)...I use a TC thunderhawk .50cal during primitive weapon season...hmmm a welder, a 4wheeler, and a fresh 1000cc motor...oh boy this might not be good...well Monday is the start of primitive weapon, and a cold front is coming thru as well as the rutting moon is on the 17th this year(ha like ill ever see a big buck) so ill be attempting to fill my freezer...it bees rempty main...lol...well im goin back to bed its 3:15am here
 
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