Horrible cut line location.... but probably easier than cutting the wheel well loose to put in the correctly shaped additional panel... The wheelbase and interior room is wonderful and you get to keep the correct shaped door opening.
Project CJ-5 stretch to CJ-6
The time has come to stretch the ol' CJ-5 to CJ-6 specs. When it was just me it was fine, but now with the Family it's not cutting it anymore. Plus the added wheelbase will be nice for the long steep hill climbs and having a chance at getting up ledges without winching. Later I plan to purchase a CJ-6 soft top for it.
I plan to fill this thread with lots of details and pics as I go. I've just begun this project so I don't have much yet. I've laid out my cut marks as shown in the pics below. I love my laser level. It has so many uses.
In the next few days I'll remove the rear half of the tub and set it off to the side. The roll cage has already been cut. I'm leaning toward building an entirely new cage rather than scabbing this one back together after the stretch.
In the next pic you can see how much rust was hiding behind the left factory drivers seat belt attach point. There's not much sheet-metal left retaining the anchor plate. I seriously doubt it would have held up in a substantial accident so I'm very happy to find out about this.
In the bottom pic you can clearly see the cut lines I chose. I've drilled the spot welds and removed a portion of the support brace to allow me to make the cut. I spent a considerable amount of time evaluating the best place to make the cuts to keep this as simple as possible and this was it.
I plan to fill this thread with lots of details and pics as I go. I've just begun this project so I don't have much yet. I've laid out my cut marks as shown in the pics below. I love my laser level. It has so many uses.
In the next few days I'll remove the rear half of the tub and set it off to the side. The roll cage has already been cut. I'm leaning toward building an entirely new cage rather than scabbing this one back together after the stretch.
In the next pic you can see how much rust was hiding behind the left factory drivers seat belt attach point. There's not much sheet-metal left retaining the anchor plate. I seriously doubt it would have held up in a substantial accident so I'm very happy to find out about this.
In the bottom pic you can clearly see the cut lines I chose. I've drilled the spot welds and removed a portion of the support brace to allow me to make the cut. I spent a considerable amount of time evaluating the best place to make the cuts to keep this as simple as possible and this was it.
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Go take a look under your CJ and you will see tub stiffeners and structure throughout the underside, then come back and say horrible cut line location. :laugh: That line is the only spot I won't cut through any of that. It is mandatory for my Jeep to keep the same door openings, so I can use a store bought CJ-6 soft top.
I don't know if all, but I know at least some of the original CJ-6's out there were cut by the factory in the same location following the same general line. I've seen the filler panel they installed in the location of my vertical cut line. They left the seam visible in the factory stretch. Here's pics of the seams.
Oh, I know how hard it is to stretch an assembled 5 tub, looked into it before I bought my repop '6 tub. Just a '6 owner giving you crap about stretching and not having a factory looking stretch panel, the one that is cut and added to before they weld in the floor/wheel well/tub supports.Go take a look under your CJ and you will see tub stiffeners and structure throughout the underside, then come back and say horrible cut line location. :laugh: That line is the only spot I won't cut through any of that. It is mandatory for my Jeep to keep the same door openings, so I can use a store bought CJ-6 soft top.
I don't know if all, but I know at least some of the original CJ-6's out there were cut by the factory in the same location following the same general line. I've seen the filler panel they installed in the location of my vertical cut line. They left the seam visible in the factory stretch. Here's pics of the seams.
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Watch out though, the 38X13-16's will begin to look small after the stretch and you will be bolting up 42's....
You will have the wheelbase, so why not a 203/205 doubler behind the 4L80E? Glad to see you are back on this project.
http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/transmission-drivetrain/1605-how-to-build-an-np203205-doubler-for-a-4l80e-transmission/
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