Rear Corner Replacement Compatibility

Hi all - recently pushed in the rear passenger corner on my 72 Cj5. It's a (late 80s?) replacement steal tub done by a long lost owner. I know it's a replacement for a few reasons. No stamped JEEP anywhere, rear corner radius don't match the radius of the besttop soft top bracket and the tool box weld job appears to have been done by a 3rd grader.

I'm looking to replace both rear corners because of the massive dent and the incorrect radius. My question is, will replacements for 76 and later work on a 72? I know there's plenty of differences discussed, but I'm not sure about the rear corners themselves. I'm inclined to think they're the same but looking for confirmation.

Thanks in advance

 

Welcome from Michigan, Jack. You should probably go to the next section, this is the Early CJ 5 section, the next section covers the latter CJ 5. I think I would look for parts for your Jeep, try to find someone with a donor 72 body to cut out the pieces you need, that way you know they should fit your Jeep. Good Luck.

 

AFAIK the outer body shells for all years of the CJ are the same size and shape. If you need patch panels, any year could be a donor. The CJ-7 has a different tailgate so the amount of the rear corner that's the same will be limited. YJ and TJ may be the same too ... Details will change over the years; you could even use an M38A1 or M170 body as a donor, I'd think. A '72 will have the vapor recovery expansion tank under the left rear corner. Backup lights may be present or not in the donor, and the locations may change when the penetration was added for the rear tank filler. From '76 on, the taillights change and the fuel tank penetration likely changes. The indent for the top bows goes away in 1976 too.

Classic Enterprises makes rear corners specifically for your year, if you want new steel. 1972 - 1975 Jeep CJ5 - Tail/Rear Reports about Classic Enterprises body parts are very positive.

First post - welcome from Boston!

 

Thanks for the replies and feel free to move this to the intermediate forum (sorry for the oversight).

I've got one donor in the driveway now for the T18 4 speed. Unfortunately most of the body is swiss cheese. Don't think the wife would appreciate another donor . I've looked at the full side panels from Classic Ent. in the interest of getting JEEP stamped panels along with the rear corner. The price on each panel is pretty insane. In addition to the feedback I've seen on them, I'm pretty hesitant.

If the corners are pretty consistent year to year that gives me a bunch of options to work with.

Thanks again

 

If it’s a cj 5 all the corners are the same the cj and yj have a different top edge but are the same radius.

 

You mean YJ and TJ?

 

No a seven and a yj . The tj has a totally different top profile probably the same radius.

 

Thanks again everyone. At this point I'm thinking of getting a full passenger side panel for at '76+ https://www.summitracing.com/parts/omx-1200908 and patching in the indent for the canopy to keep it consistent with a '72. I forgot to mention that when I pushed in the rear corner, the whole side crumpled up to the bulkhead. I don't think I'd be able to get it straight enough without piles of bondo. I'll then get a rear corner patch for the drivers side so the radius match. I can also cutout the JEEP stamps from my donor and patch them in on each side.

I wont be doing this work for a little while so I'm sure the "plan" will change many times before I get there.

 

pull the mashed spot out first or you will have trouble fitting a new part. you would be surprised how many of the wrinkles will come out.