DJ5 Front Axle Specs

I assume the AMC DJ5's are a close enough relative to the intermediate CJ's that this belongs here, so here' goes:

What years were ball joints used on the DJ5 front axle (as opposed to kingpins), and what was the track width of these axles?

 

Basically 3 different axles used on DJ's.
1) "I" beam type axles used kingpins DJ-3 1956 -1965 #812241
2) Early tube type axles used kingpins. DJ-5/6 1966-1971 #994755 LHD # 946935 RHD
3) Late tube type axles used ?? pivots. DJ-5/6 1972- 19?? #5350688 LHD # 5350689 RHD

 

We need a DJ discussion topic thing on here...

 

Thanks for the info, oldtime.

 

I'd welcome it- I picked up a 70 DJ5A and find myself primarily coming over to the ECJ5 forum looking for answers. Where else does one go:?

Ken, how did you come up with the kingpin part numbers? Any sources for a kit? I don't need the parts now but you know how it goes with old iron- doesn't hurt to have spares and my 30mph test drive won't reveal problems that might show up at 50-60.

By the way, my plans are to keep the Chevy 153 4 banger in there, pull the powerglide and put in a T5, which I already brought home from the picknpull. It's almost a bolt up. But most of the work will consist of a lot of sheet metal work to get it looking more like a CJ5. And those doors- they gotta go....

Lots of little oddities with the postal jeeps. For instance, the tires/rims are 14"- a big reason why they always look so low-slung. I had never heard of a 14" jeep rim with the 5-5.5 bolt pattern and big center hole. Those rims go away too.

 

The numbers posted above represent the various axle assemblies. Not the king pins.
I have virtually every universal parts list, catalog and service manual ever produced.
Well over 2 dozen original publications.
I can supply most any CJ or DJ part number or reference (1945-1975) if needed.

 

IIRC DJ5A, L & M have 14" wheels. I am pretty sure the L and M share the bolt pattern of a Cherokee.
The B,C,D,E & F share the bolt pattern of the CJ and have 15x5" wheels.

There used to be a pretty good yahoo group for postal jeeps but a squabble occurred and a couple of the main contributors took their ball and went home. The group is still there but very inactive. It was a bunch of letter carriers using DJ's on routes. The DJ is really a pretty good machine. Great dd/parts getter even with the RHD.

 

There is a 14 inch rim with the CJ bolt pattern. I have one here. Looks like the KH ring around the lugs. I may end up installing a set on my DJ3A which has redrilled hubs to fit the 5 lug pattern, to drop my gearing a bit. Whoever built my 2WD jeep put some really tall gears in there and it can barely start out on a hill. But boy can it go fast onc eyou get moving.

 

To each his own, of course, but I'm not a big fan of mods on an old jeep. My A1 is original down to the OD paint it had when it was surplused. Only the 12v from the PO and my addition of 11" brakes up front are changes.

The nice thing about the DJs is that I don't feel the same hesitation changing it as I do with the other, real, jeeps. In fact, I look forward to changing it. It has allowed me to understand the mind set of those who don't hesitate to mod a jeep. I guess...

There really ought to be a section of the ECJ5 page for the DJ. But without 4 wheel drive, they're just the red headed stepchild.

 

Or in the case of the Surrey, the rich Pink haired relative. R)

They are still real jeeps.

 

I wonder how hard it would be to get a DJ page added on here, i think it would be pretty useful, not that the DJ's are too different from 5's but they are an outcast so why not give us outcasts a tech thread of our own?

 

It might make no sense, but the DJ-3As I always did consider real jeeps. The postal jeeps? I don't know, Chevy engine, Audi engine, Powerglide, Torqueflite, RHD, fixed hardtop and so on. The intent of the vehicle was so different from the intent of jeeps in general that I just see them in a different light.

But, apparently, after the recent mass crushing of old iron when the price of scrap went pretty high, there are fewer of these things out there. Though they still only command very minimum prices. I got mine for 350- probably not much above scrap or salvage yard prices.

 

If the admin folks ever needed a reason for opening up a DJ page, here would be the one I would give (IMHO): by their very nature, DJ5s beg to be altered and modded. Sure there are folks who simply want to restore them and they would use the page as well. But the DJ presents a target rich environment for the guy with a plasma cutter/ welder/spot weld cutter/picknpull/swapmeets nearby and an imagination. The stock straight front axle, centered 44 with posi, hardtop, outboard springs, variety of engines and many other fairly unique aspects of the vehicle encourage the creative juices to flow. You can see the general direction I'm taking with mine.

I'd say it's well suited to having its own page

 

While I don't think the DJ5 models are the "quintessential" Jeep, I think they deserve a place alongside every other model. Yes, they used some oddball powertrains, but most of the other models did sometime over the years, too - the Perkins diesel and Buick 225 in the 60's CJ's, the TH-400 in Commando and full-size models (later replaced by the TF727), the Renault turbo diesel in the XJ/MJ, etc. And, they held true to the Jeep tradition - durable, versatile, and when you looked at it you knew it was a Jeep.

 

To some guys, anything but a G503 (WWIIjeep) are not real jeeps. To others, only flat fenders are real jeeps. To others, a Chrysler product isn't a real jeep.

So it's better to be open minded on the definition of a jeep, no doubt or else we'd be in bitter disputes all the time...

The postal jeeps have been available to the public for many years and I've yet to see their inclusion in the jeep community. The fact we are advocating a page for them here- decades after hundreds of thousands of them have been surplused to the public, shows the DJs inability to gain traction within the community. Certainly, rat rodders- a group pretty far removed from the jeep community- have embraced the DJ to a greater extent. DJs are more likely to be crushed for scrap value than restored, whereas I have seen many an owner of a CJ2A or M38 or CJ6 agonize over crushing a pile of rust held together by a few scraps of pitted metal.

Nonetheless, the DJ has real potential as a modded rig

 

Well said, gunner, but I'll add that I think they have some potential as a stock rig, as well. Not as much as if they're modified, but they can still fill a niche.

 

Stock they make a good little run around car, with a locker in the back even with 2wd i'm sure they'd do pretty well off-road. its nice with their sliding doors too, really easy to ride "doorless"

 

Agreed. When I'm done with my build, it will be a road rig with some off road capabilities. I'll start a thread on it when I'm done.

 

To add to Oldtime's response.

Basically 3 different axles used on DJ's.
1) "I" beam type axles used kingpins DJ-3 1956 -1965 #812241
2) Early tube type axles used kingpins. DJ-5/6 1966-1971 #994755 LHD # 946935 RHD
3) Late tube type axles used ?? pivots. DJ-5/6 1972- 19?? #5350688 LHD # 5350689 RHD ​

My LHD '69 front axle was replaced with the later tube type, it appears to be the same width as the Dana 30. Am guessing the early ones are narrow like a Dana 27. It has two hole steering arms on both sides, so it seems to work either way LHD, or RHD, not sure why the different numbers, unless that is an assembly that includes the drag link and tie rod. The tube diameter is the same as the Dana 44 in the rear axle.
At one point, I had the pieces and considered building a dual-control Driver's Ed version, automatic would have been easy, the 5-speed somewhat more involved.

Start your thread now, don't wait. Show your work, pictures, pictures, pictures.