I'm tall, how do I fit in an early CJ5

Good Morning Everyone,

I have owned/driven CJs in the past but soon I will be driving my first early CJ5. I am a little over 6 feel tall and it's a pretty tight fit in the drivers seat. I have read a few posts about notching the rear fender tub to move the seat back and a recent thread about changing out the windshield frame to an intermediate style for better visibility.

I was wondering if anyone had much success with changing out the seats to one with a thinner back and if so, what seats did you use. I have seen some poly buckets online, the kind you might see in a sand rail dune buggy, they seem pretty thin. Has anyone tried something like that? I really don't want to cut the tub up but its now it seems like my knees are over the pedals and it makes for a very uncomfortable driving position.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

--Dean

 

After towing my '55 home and sitting in the drivers seat for the first time in forever, I was kind of wondering the same thing . I'm 6'1"...I'd forgotten how tight these things are. Good thing the top is open...feels a lot less claustrophobic R) . Afriad I don't have any easy fixes though. Folding the windshield down seems to help...

 

I'm 6'6" and have never modded any of my Dad's 61 that I grew up in. A tight fit is just part of the deal to me. There are some solutions, as you've already seen, but that's personal preference.

I draw the line at trying to drive a T-bucket tho...........

 

That's exactly how you do it. I'm 6'2" and this was the fix for me. Night and day difference in comfort and visibility

Both upgrades are pretty easy to do as well.

 

I'm 5'4" and keep the seat all the way back. Take the seat out completely and put a cushion on the rear fenderwell.

 

I am 6'5", and I fit OK into my CJ5. A flattie is kind of tight though.....

 

At 6'3"smaller steering wheel always helped me. I know not origional but not pemanent either.

 

I have a 61 cj5 and i had to order a new wheel from quadratech, it was like $26 plus an install kit $15 and about 15 minutes of work. I hated to take off the original wheel also but decided its not permanent and i can change it back in a few short minutes, i got a 13 inch diameter which helped out greatly, they make them as small as 8 inch diameter but i dont recomend one of those, 13 inches is about as small as you want to go because any smaller and it would look funny, good luck

 

I would recommend the next time you get out of the shower,don't dry off with a towel, just crawl inside your dryer, and have somebody set it on high for about 60 minutes. That should shrink you up just about right!
Oh, and if you tend to be a little stinky, throw in a bounce sheet!

 

I went the small steering wheel route also, but found the force required to steer in tight places increased, so I'm adding power steering. Even the simplest things I do tend to become a project.

BTW, my problem is not height, it's width. I'm not really fat, just short for my waistline.

 

I hear that!

 

What top do you use after you change out the windshield?

 

I'm 6'4", and driving a flatty, so I feel your pain & then some . . . . luckily, I have an M38 tub, so the driver's seat is a few inches further back than it would be if I had the '47 tub (2A). If you're in a '5, enjoy the luxury of room.

 

I have an early 5 with a half cab and I fit like a glove R)

EDIT: im 6' 2"

 

The size of the frame is the same, it's the placement of the glass that is different. You can use the same top.

 

I imagine with all the miracles of surgery that there are right now there has to be some kinda way to take a few inches off your legs. I think they even have a chart so that all you have to tell the doctor is the year of your Jeep.

 

I'm 6'2" and drive my 2A OK. After a while you just plain get used to. I love that thing :stout: