[TIPPEDITOVER]

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.

 

[Fourtrail]

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.

 

[JoonHoss]

Don't mind me, just pulling up a virtual chair in the corner of the shop...

:wave:

Hoss

 

[TIPPEDITOVER]

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.

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.

 

[Fourtrail]

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.

Watch out though, the 38X13-16's will begin to look small after the stretch and you will be bolting up 42's....

 

[TIPPEDITOVER]

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.

Watch out though, the 38X13-16's will begin to look small after the stretch and you will be bolting up 42's....

Felt like you were just messing with me, I should have known it haha. Oh come now, it's not that hard if I can do it. Oh wait, I haven't done it yet. So far I've just hacked up a couple stiffeners and ruined my cage and found more rust. I looked at the repop tubs, but I don't have 4K laying around. I've got a few hundred bucks to get this done.

 

[Fourtrail]

Yeah, paying 4K for a new tub hurts, almost as much as denting in the cowl on that new 4k tub a couple of weeks out of paint. But the old tub came off of the frame without having to remove any body mount bolts, so it was my only option. Last word of advice, don't eat up too much of the stretch gaining leg room for the drivers seat... but it sure is nice being able to stretch out.

 

[only in a jeep cj]

If you are trying to duplicate the same OEM cut lines of the CJ-6,it appears that you do not have enough horizontal distance after your door curve. That cutline is going to be just behind the Inner fender not in front of it.
If you put your tape measure on the same surface of the tub that the dash panel bolts to it is exactly 35 1/2 inches back. Then your extension panel will have the under flap

 

[ben-jeep]

Interesting project. Looking forward to see how this goes.
*

 

[TIPPEDITOVER]

Thank you. Unfortunately this stretch may not happen. Do to some personal reasons I'd rather not get into, I've decided to sell the Jeep. This time it's for real. To help secure a sale I've offered to stretch it for any potential buyer. So because of that, this thread may still happen.

 

[Skerr]

I hope you're okay, Shaun. Best of wishes to you and yours.

Subbed anyway!

 

[JoonHoss]

Saw in on CL... did you take it to moonshine last Sunday? Any bites?

Hoss

 

[TIPPEDITOVER]

Thank you guys! I didn't go to the swap meet. Had a buddy there spreading word about it. I've had only a tiny bit of interest so far. I'm also trying to part it out, starting with the engine.

 

[TIPPEDITOVER]

So I have some good news. This build is back on and beginning this summer, hoping to wrap up by next summer sometime. I sold the engine, trans, t-case and some other bits out of it, but I have enough of this CJ left over to rebuild.

Specs of new build:

WB stretched to 108-112", staying leaf sprung (for the next few yrs at least). Tub stretched to CJ-6 specs to allow fitment of CJ-6 soft top.
LQ4 or LQ9 6.0 liter iron block with some bolt on's. Shooting for high 300's both hp and tq. (cam, intake, sniper efi, headers ect...still learning what's possible).
4L80E (stand alone controller) coupled to a built D300 or Atlas case (leaning heavy toward Atlas)
37" Nitto Trail Grapplers
Staying with Ford 9" rear and HD D44 front axle for now. They have both held up nicely to heavy offroad abuse so I don't see any reason to delete them right away.

This Jeep must serve a dual purpose. No more trailer queen, I don't have a truck that can pull it anymore. It will be driven to the trails while also pulling my 3K lb 16ft travel trailer behind it up and over 5K ft mountain passes. It will be equipped with wd hitch and sway control plus brake controller of course. Pushing my luck on the wheel base, but I'm gonna try it anyways.

This build will take awhile so bear with me. I'll update when I get something new accomplished. Gonna be working lots of overtime to fund it haha!

 

[TIPPEDITOVER]

No forward movement on the frame/tub stretch. Soon though. The other day I bought an LQ9 LS 6.0 liter out of a 04' Escalade, so that's some forward progress on the build. Haven't taken delivery of it yet. I'll call the JY tomorrow to find out when I can go get it. Next up is the EFI system. It will control fuel/spark/ and a 4L80E trans, no separate controllers for spark, or trans needed. The system I chose will do it all in one nice tidy package.

Originally I was planning on a TBI (wet manifold) type EFI system for this, but have since learned alot through reading and have decided to go MPFI. Specifically the self tuning Holley Terminator LS MPFI kit. They say it can handle a mild performance cam swap no problem. Haven't been able to find anything bad written about the system, so that's the one I've settled on. I'm getting excited. Still gotta come up with a 4L80E trans and another t-case. Would love an Atlas, but it just seems out of reach for now. It'll either be a well built D300 or a 32 spline input NP241C (pass drop). I'll SYE the 241C if I go that route, which I probably will, to save some money. It's a fine case and will work well.

 

[Fourtrail]

Still gotta come up with a 4L80E trans and another t-case. Would love an Atlas, but it just seems out of reach for now. It'll either be a well built D300 or a 32 spline input NP241C (pass drop). I'll SYE the 241C if I go that route, which I probably will, to save some money. It's a fine case and will work well.

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/

 

[TIPPEDITOVER]

I have learned that 4:1 low range gearing is way too low for the wheeling I do, didn't like it at all when I had it in my last tcase. 2.72:1 the 241C offers is just perfect. Of course the D300's stock low range is just perfectly fine also. The D300 with an upgraded rear output is plenty strong enough. The 241C with SYE same.

 

[Jim1611]

When does the cutting begin?

 

[TIPPEDITOVER]

Late next week the cutting starts in the mornings, but the next 3 weekends are booked solid with camping trips. Not much real cutting progress will be made till a month from now. I'll work on it a little every day before work though, see how far I can get with an hour here and there.

 

[roadhog304]

Cool. I want a 6 so bad. I will be following along so post lots and lots of pics.