73 CJ5 Compatibility with 76+ CJ5

I have done a lot of reading about the 72-75 Hard Top issues. The issue being they are really hard to get. The advice is to switch the windshield and everything else lines up fine.

If that is correct, why does almost everything else also say 76+ when being sold. I am looking for a cover I can use on my CJ when I have the Soft Top off. I hate all the condensation that forms overnight and want an easy cover to throw over it. I was looking especially for a trail cover that just covers the windshield and cab (including door openings). I also have a full roll cage.

Do you think most 76+ covers would work ok?

Another question. The previous owner must have been really short. He has aftermarket seats that do not fold, tumble or slide (but the backs do recline). I am so far forward, I can not properly work the clutch. The seat does not adjust and when I look at it, it is all the way back and touching the fender behind the seat. What would the best approach be to get something I can actually use without fabricating (I can not do that) a part myself?

Thanks for the advice. I just got my CJ and it is my first. I have always been a K5 Blazer driver before this.

 

There are "seat sliders" available in the catalogs (about $99 each), or I guess a junkyard, too. You'd have to drill appropriate holes in the tub for your chosen bracket (the seats I got are Laredo seats from a CJ-7, had to do this, no biggie). Then you'd have to either buy seats appropriate to your sliders or figure out an adapter for yours. Very little, and simple, fabbing for this. Short pieces of Flat bar and angle iron is available at Sears Hardware. I'd suggest Grade 8 bolts & washers for any seat and seatbelt work. TJ seats and brackets are common now and they slide fore n' aft and the seat fold and recline.

 

Welcome to the board. I understand your frustrations... I have a 74 and a 77. I have found that many of the things are harder to find for the 74, rock sliders, tonneu cover, cab cover, those kinds of things. Some will fit from others with modifications. But there is enough differance in the windshild frame that if it is made for 76+ it won't fit the earlier ones. The frames are also significantly different.

As far as your seats it would be a lot easier to figure out with pictures. I have solid mounted seats in both my jeeps. Made to fit me. I am 5'8" tall so many wouldn't be able to drive my jeeps.

 

Welcome to the board. Well, as far as i know, as long as you replace the windshield with the later model a soft or hard top will be able to fit(76+). I know a guy here locally that replaced his 75 windshield with a 79 and his top fit perfectly. The hard top should be the same principle. And as far as the clutch issue goes, doesnt really matter if you have sliders or not if its already as far back as it goes. The only real solution that i know of is to notch the wheel house. If you do a search i'm sure it will bring up a lot of info. You might also try putting in the original low back seats, it might give you more room. The PO of mine put in aftermarket seats and i didn't have too much room either, putting in lowbacks seemed to help me out and you have the added benefit of easy access to toolbox and backseat. Oh...here is link to a thread about that cover

- http://www.earlycj5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31713

 

Here are pictures of the seat and mounts. Can you tell anything about them. Are they stock sliders and mounting locations?

 

Definitly not stock sliders. Look homemade

 

steering column isn't stock either... there is probably room for a slider between that mount and the seat but it is going to raise the seat that much more... is there room behind the seat for it to slide back?

 

No room behid the seat. It hits the fender well. The steering wheel and column is both tilt and telescoping, so I can adjust it a lot. My only problem is leg room to use the clutch.

So the slider is not stock, but are the mount points in the floor the stock mount points? That would at least let me use stock bracket and slider and get a stock low back seat. That seat should has a smaller a$$ area and give me more leg room.

 

No, the front seats don't mount directly to the floor. Driver's side, the front bracket is a piece of bent tubing that spans from the door opening to a bracket beside the tool box. If you look at the door "threshold" there should be an obvious hole. The entire floor under the seat is clear. From the tube, flat brackets go up then rearward to suport the sliders. The sliders are about 3/4" thick, betwen the barackets and the seat. The back end of the flat bracket attaches to the front edge of the rear floor. The passenger side has a similar hoop of tubing that the front of the seat locks into. However, the supporting bracket is attached to the seat, and the whole seat assy flips forward to access the toolbox. This is referred to as the "fold and tumble" passenger seat.

 

I just found a company, KustomFit, that makes a low back seat for the 73 CJ5. Now I need to find all the stock mounting hardware. None of what I have will work for me. Does anyone still sell the slider and the actual mounting brackets. None on EBay and no luck with Google. They are all 76+.

 

Do a search for a wheel well notch or the boyink notch. It removes part of the wheel well and lets the seat move several inches back. ive done it and its not that hard.

 

Yes, I saw that one but thanks for the tip. I would much rather take it back to stock before notching the well.

 

Your best bet is to 1)put a add in the wanted section for stock lowbacks and mounting hardware, 2)check local newpaper adds or the bargin post and 3)check salvages and scrap yards

It might take a little while but this is how i found mine.

I can search around and see if i have any currents pics of the stock mounts and seats but im sure if you ask around, others will have pics as well. Good luck

 

One of the best sources for used Jeep parts in the nation is in the Sacramento area, J&W Jeep Parts http://www.jwjeep.com/ ... they won't be cheap though. There's also Scotty's in Fontana http://www.scottysjeepand4x4.com/ Both are a ways from Buellton (home of Split Pea Anderson's), but they will probably have what you need.

 

No one makes these parts now AFAIK. The 72-75 models are sort of black sheep and have worse aftermarket parts support than the earlier or later models.

If you can find some OEM seats, I'd suggest you go with those and recover them or have a local upholstery shop recover them. The original seats are quite comfortable, and you'll have the "fold and tumble" passenger seat.

 

Thanks for the links. I posted in the wanted section and already got a reply.

 

How do you know about Split Pea?

 

Gosh, anybody who's driven 101 would know. I grew up in California.