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Jim's 85 CJ7 rebuild

613K views 4K replies 198 participants last post by  Jim1611 
#1 ·
After years of owning other kinds of 4 wheel drives and always wanting a Jeep I finally bought one about 10 years ago. It was a typical rust bucket. As bad as the body was rusted the frame only had some rust in the rear cross-member area. I drove it and worked on it for about 3 years and finally decided to take everything apart and start from the ground up.

I got the frame sandblasted and painted after making repairs that need to be made. Acquired a Ford T-18 and an Advance adapter to mate it to the Dana 300. My intentions were to rebuild a 302 that came out of a 68 Mustang but I bought a 95 5.0 HO from a salvage yard. I also wanted lower gears and some kind of lockers but really didn't want to put the money into the factory axles so I bought Ford 9" front and rear housings from Currie. That's about where I stopped about 4 years ago. Since then it has been taking up room in the shop. Last year I joined this forum and that really got me interested in the Jeep again. Now I've started working on it as time and money permit.

Anyway I figured I'd start a build thread on here. Here's some pictures of what things look like back when I took it apart.
 

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#231 ·
I need a new job. Chasing mexicans around sounds more fun then driving truck 14hr's a day....... (yes officer I only work 14hr days)

My skid plate will be 1/4" plate with another 3" strip of 1/4" plate welded flat to the edges where the frame rails are. the lower (full width) plate will have large holes for the mounting bolts to be countersunk down into. that's it, just flat plate 1/2" below the frame rail with some angle welded side to side on the top side for strength
 
#233 ·
ya I ill clock the case. The whole jeep is being custom built so I'll do what needs to be done but I was just reading a thread that used just a single 1/4" plate and he just needed like 1.5" body lift to clear his trans. I would cut the trans tunnel out and raise it before I do more then 1" body lift. Right now I'm trying to find a front axle so I know what side I need a t case to drop on. If I can't use my dana 300 I will have to spend the coin on an atlas. then I can get a tcase adaptor and bolt it all together so I can fit it and burn in the mounts
 
#235 ·
Now both mounts are tacked together. They're ready to weld up, grind down smooth and put some paint on them. Think I'll spray them with POR first then topcoat them with something else.

There wasn't any issues at all with the header clearing on the driver's side. I think I could use just about any kind of header I would want to in fact. These will be what I use though.
 

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#236 ·
ya I'm building mine to mainly offroad but yet be more streetable then the CJ is stock.

You can clock it a good bit before you need to worry about hitting the floor. Also you could do a flat 1/4" belly pan and cut it where the t-case hangs below and then box around it with 1/4" it would still have alot more ground clearance then that monster shovel the factory uses. With you're skills you could do it up right
 
#240 ·
Did some welding and grinding on the mounts tonight. Had the heat pretty high and burned through one of the pieces of DOM on the end and will need to fix that. Almost cussed at that bubu.:D

Also need to make some 3/8-16 copper threaded studs that I can screw into the holes where the weld intersects it. I think I can put that in the threaded hole and weld right over it without having to fix th threads. We'll see.

I decided to grind everything down smooth after welding. Once I started it was hard to find a good place to stop. The weld fillets won't be ground though.
 

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#243 ·
Thanks Guys. Seems like these things have turned into a major project. I'll be glad to get them all finished and in place.

Woke up about 2:30 this morning and layed in bed thinking about them!! Almost got up and went to work then got sidetracked thinking on other stuff. We have a sickness with this you know. :D
 
#246 ·
I finished up the welding on the mounts this evening and ground the edges down. I installed the bushings and hollow pins and put them in place. Nothing warped or moved enough during the welding that they had any problems lining up. Something some of you probably know, maybe all of you, is when I was making this stuff I drilled all of the holes just big enough for the bolts to slip through. Now that it's all welded I'll open all of those holes up to a bigger size for more clearance. If you do that before hand you may end up using all of the clearance up and they not fit right.

I also started making the crossmember out of some wood to see how that's going to fit and look. I thought of making it out of 1 1/2" x 1/8" square tubing. Maybe 1 3/4" DOM? What do you guys think? It will be bolted on so it can be removed in case I need to get the oil pan off.
 

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#264 ·
I finished up the welding on the mounts this evening and ground the edges down. I installed the bushings and hollow pins and put them in place. Nothing warped or moved enough during the welding that they had any problems lining up. Something some of you probably know, maybe all of you, is when I was making this stuff I drilled all of the holes just big enough for the bolts to slip through. Now that it's all welded I'll open all of those holes up to a bigger size for more clearance. If you do that before hand you may end up using all of the clearance up and they not fit right.

I also started making the crossmember out of some wood to see how that's going to fit and look. I thought of making it out of 1 1/2" x 1/8" square tubing. Maybe 1 3/4" DOM? What do you guys think? It will be bolted on so it can be removed in case I need to get the oil pan off.
I hate to be negative while everyone else is being positive, Jim, but I just don't see the value in your crossmember design. Ultimately, you have to feel good about your work, and no one is going to bash you for building it, but I don't think it will be very strong, especially with that design. It seems to me that if you had a moderate sideward impact it would bend the piece. It could get hung up on any stump, etc, where you might pass over if you didn't have it. A good hit could damage your motor mounts. It is my respectful opinion that you should go back to the drawing board.

Sometimes life brings good surprises my way. Today the UPS man showed up here with a box all the way from Florida!! And I hadn't ordered anything from there either. Seems that a real great fellow Jeep member here was thinking about me. :D I have to say this is the kind of stuff I have always liked too!! Homemade preserves, salsa, pickles and more!!:drool:

Thanks a million Scott!!:2thumbsup:
You're welcome a million times! :highfive:
 
#247 ·
Shoot off a patent so no unscrupulous scoundrel can copy and license your work. Then fire up the production line and start pumping them out; you'd make a mint:D. Especially if you branch out to other engine mounts:thumbsup:.
 
#250 ·
You know I have been giving allot of thought to building these to sell. This week I have an appointment with a customer of mine that is in the sheet metal fab business. My shop is tool and die. Anyway my thoughts are to cut these out of flat plate on a laser and form them to the shape you see here. There will be allot of trial and error and I need to make 100% sure my design will work. As far as a patent goes, just look at Eddie's (Besrk's) bumpers he sells and as much as they are copied and he still is busy making them. You are right though, there are some, like Smittybuilt, that copy other's stuff. One thing I have NOT done is to buy another company's mount in order to get the placement on the engine I have in my mounts. Right or wrong they are my own ideas. There is always room for another guy to build a quality part. Others may very well be coming too!!

If you use dom, would you bend it or have cut and welded angles?
Bill I think I would bend it. The ends will need to be cut to fit though after it's bent. This bending is a new thing for me too. I bought a JD3 bender last week, no dies yet, and I have to get the hang of using it. I'll need plenty of tubing!!:D

I agree with eaglekeeper. With your skills you could make a killing. I know I'd love some aftermarket motor mounts for the 4.2L that are stonger than stock. Also would be interested in the trans/xfer case mount skid. Of course the shock towers we've talked about. You could be on the way to starting your own company!
Nick I was laying on the creeper studying the transfer/tranny mounting I want to build. Got it in my head and will be getting started on that soon. I'd like to see if it's doable to have a full length belly pan mounted on the crossmsbers. The shock towers are coming up real soon, I've got them brewing in my head. Good grief guys I woke up at 2:30 this past morning thinking about this stuff!! I know what Eddie means by saying he lives for this:2thumbsup:

Thank all of you for the encouragment and feedback too. It really helps keep me motivated. :thumbsup:
 
#248 ·
If you use dom, would you bend it or have cut and welded angles?
 
#249 ·
I agree with eaglekeeper. With your skills you could make a killing. I know I'd love some aftermarket motor mounts for the 4.2L that are stonger than stock. Also would be interested in the trans/xfer case mount skid. Of course the shock towers we've talked about. You could be on the way to starting your own company!
 
#251 ·
Jim let me know if you need any help if you would like to start up a business. I am pretty good with designing websites and could help put together a site for you with a shopping cart, secured checkout, ect. Another thing on my mind is a strong shackle for the front and rear. Possibly 1/2" lift but no more than 1" of lift. I've been researching shackle lifts and I'm not sure if a regular straight shackle or a "boomerang" type shackle would be better. Do you have any thought on this?
 
#253 ·
I want a bender so bad! I want some heavy duty front and rear bumpers. I want a small stinger for the front and a hoop that goes all the way around and follows the profile of the grill then two braces from that to the stinger. D-rings and a receiver hitch. I don't want the front bumper to be wide though. Prob just a couple inches longer than the frame on both sides.

Rear bumper same with receiver hitch and D-rings. Maybe a swing out tire carrier for full size spare and mounts for a Jerry can or two.
 
#254 ·
I also think square would be better because like he said you could use it to make an engine skid which would be great to have! Is this something you would be able to make for 4.2L motors?
 
#256 ·
I like the square tubing better too. I don't see why they couldn't ne made to work with the 4.2. It's just a matter of getting the mounts figured out.

Man, I wish I was closer, I would let you practice on tubing while we built me a cage!!!
:D Bill if you lived closer I'd be glad to do that. :thumbsup:
 
#255 ·
Man, I wish I was closer, I would let you practice on tubing while we built me a cage!!!
 
#257 ·
Sometimes life brings good surprises my way. Today the UPS man showed up here with a box all the way from Florida!! And I hadn't ordered anything from there either. Seems that a real great fellow Jeep member here was thinking about me. :D I have to say this is the kind of stuff I have always liked too!! Homemade preserves, salsa, pickles and more!!:drool:

Thanks a million Scott!!:2thumbsup:
 

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#258 ·
Haven't had as much time to work on the Jeep this week as I'd like, the real job has taken too much time. :D Very glad to have the work though!!

Today I dropped some parts off at a customer's place and on the way back picked up my DoAll band saw. It was made in 1952 and a neighbor of mine had it in his shop after buying it at a salvage yard. It worked when he got it but it was rough. I told him if he ever wanted to sell it to let me know. He called me up sometime after that and said I could have it, free!!

I started going through it and soon found my skill at machine rebuilding wasn't going to get me anywhere but in trouble. I found a shop in the St. Louis area that does that kind of work for a living. I called them up last week and it was done. It still needs the guards painted and some other sheet metal but everything works. Anyway I thought I'd put a couple pictures on here. This thing is even older than me! :D
 

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#262 ·
That bandsaw with the right blade will cut anything you want, holy crap the power they have, used to be a butcher and used those at A&P supermarket back in the 70's. Didn't know any still existed.
 
#267 ·
I never knew they used DoAll saws for meat. You're right they do have allot of power. This is sick but something I saw years ago was a picture of a guy that had committed suicide using a band saw. He had tied himself to the table, it had a hydraulic feed, and he cut himself in half. It was gruesome!! You could see his lower torsoe laying on the floor and the upper was still on the table. That was bad!!!
 
#263 ·
YOU SUCK!!! I say that with the utmost respect................. :)
 
#266 ·
YOU SUCK!!! I say that with the utmost respect................. :)
:rofl::rofl::rofl:

I hate to be negative while everyone else is being positive, Jim, but I just don't see the value in your crossmember design. Ultimately, you have to feel good about your work, and no one is going to bash you for building it, but I don't think it will be very strong, especially with that design. It seems to me that if you had a moderate sideward impact it would bend the piece. It could get hung up on any stump, etc, where you might pass over if you didn't have it. A good hit could damage your motor mounts. It is my respectful opinion that you should go back to the drawing board.

You're welcome a million times! :highfive:
The other night when I was trying to fit the wood mock up in there it didn't suit me either. So I too thought I needed to go back to the drawing board but so far I haven't come up with anything that suits me. Thanks for the constructive criticism. That's why I'm posting pictures, so I can pick your all's brains. :thumbsup: For now I'm moving on to other areas and will come back to that later. The transfer and tranny need a mount now, that's what's on my mind today.

I think of you every time I get a jar of that stuff out!! You are just too good to me.:thumbsup:

On a 4.2L wouldn't a crossmember like that fit up into the oil pan area? Where you would hit you oil pan before that crossmember? It's been a while since I've seen the oil pan on the motor, but I have a spare oil pan at the house maybe I'm thinking about it being backwards :confused:
You're right Nick, it does need to fit close to the pan. On Fords they have a double sump pan and the part that is closer to the crank is where I'd like for this to fit. I'm not familiar with the 4.2 pan enough to say for sure. If you have any pictures send em my way.
 
#268 ·
Been working on Jeep stuff this morning and took a break from it for a while to post one of the engine mounts. Got it all welded together and ready to go back in place. Small short welds like this are tough for me to get sometimes. You guys have an advice? I think a tig would be the way to go, there's a bunch more money.
 

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#271 ·
Thanks :thumbsup:

I hate to be negative while everyone else is being positive, Jim, but I just don't see the value in your crossmember design. Ultimately, you have to feel good about your work, and no one is going to bash you for building it, but I don't think it will be very strong, especially with that design. It seems to me that if you had a moderate sideward impact it would bend the piece. It could get hung up on any stump, etc, where you might pass over if you didn't have it. A good hit could damage your motor mounts. It is my respectful opinion that you should go back to the drawing board./QUOTE]

The crossmember tucked in close like it shows would make a great front mount for a forward belly pan. With the right skid plate and that style mount, a jeep would just slide over a stump or rock.
Scott caused me to look at this in a different way. Since allot of what I'm making may wind up on my website for sale to other Jeep owners I thought that making a crossmember that's a direct bolt on for any CJ, no matter what engine, will be a better idea. If I attach it to my mounts then I limit myself to who may want to buy one. On the other hand if I make it so it fits a wide application then I'd have a better chance of selling them.

I'm open to ideas. I've got a couple in my head but my head aint always right. :D

Thanks for the comments.:thumbsup:
 
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