New Here... 66 Cj5 Vs M38a1 Front Spring Mounts

Hello all. I have a 66 CJ5 that was severely rusted from life in New England. I bought a frame for a M38A1 which was rust free and seems very similar to my CJ5 frame. Of course there is the weapons mount toward the rear that is not necessary. And since I have a V6 I know my motor mounts are different. But a detail I missed was the aft mounts for the front springs. I already have purchased some BDS springs for my project that are for the CJ5 application. I am wondering if I can use the shackle setup that is used on the M38A1 or if I should cut off the brackets from ny CJ5 frame and use them? I await your sage advice!

 

The m38a1 front shackles should be mounted towards the rear and not to the front. Some guys say they are great and others not so much. Not sure the cj5 ones are are a different length.

 

Should be able to slip some bushings into the frame and use an H style shackle. The only thing different is that the front driveline on an A1 had a longer slip then a CJ to eliminal the possibility of collapsing solid. The shackles in the back ride sooooo much better then up front shackles that it is worth the extra work.

 

Welcome to the site.

 

Thanks! I'm off to a good start with the M38A1 frame then. And thanks for having me on board. I'm set to do the double hole passenger knuckle, double reservoir master cylinder, Saginaw steering box, disc front brakes, and 11" rear brakes. I'm still a bit up in the air about clutch linkage. The cable setup doesn't seem too impressive.

 

Welcome from Michigan, You will get all your questions answered on this site, Good Luck

 

Welcome from Oklahoma!

 

I did the cable setup and it was superior to the tube linkage. I installed swinging pedals and went with hydraulic clutch and power brakes. All the upgrades you listed are great. Good luck!

 

You will notice it is reinforced a bit more than the civilian frame.

 

Springs will be fine with a bushing and an "H" shackle.
Check out the pic, that's what I did on my '56 that has the factory reversed shackle.

 

Nice ride!