First Jeep build! Here we go...

Well it has finally come to that point where I am ready to start my build. Im starting with a purdy much bone stock 1972 Cj5 with a small spring and shackle lift being the only aftermarket stuff on it...for now. I have just ordered leaf spring hangers, spring perches, TJ flares for the rear, winch, winch plate, HEI dist., 3-core alum. radiator, 15 gallon poly fuel tank, sending unit, out riggers to outboard front springs, shackle mounts, clutch fan and hi beam switch. The list will be getting bigger in the next couple weeks and will start posting pics as fast as I can get them up. It will be a purdy short build...hopefully! When finished, her specs will be a 304, NP435, twin sticked d20(300 if they guy dont sell it), front and rear toy axles(unless I can find my waggy D44 front) stretched 2" front and 3" rear, 79-83 toy stock rear springs over the axle, 4:56's with detroit rear and quick-lok front, power steering some little stuff inside and out. Hope you enjoy! So here she is...my blank canvase!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Well a little update. My parts have started coming in finally and I tow the jeep down to start on the axle and spring swap. Tomorrow morning I head down to pick up my new-to-me transmission and T-case. Its a Np435 mated to a twin sticked dana 300 for cheaper then I could adapt the NP435 that I already have to my current Dana 20 and 304. Stoked! Will post pics as soon as I can. My day dreams are FINALLY starting to become a reality and its awsome.

 

Good for you! It's alot of fun ain't it?!!!!!!

 

OH it sure is fun! I got parts rolling in every day now and love hearing the door bell ring. Today I got myway-out shackle mounts from ruffstuff and outriggers to outboard my front springs, my saginaw steering box and my HEI dist. Still waiting on big items like my radiator, fuel tank and 3rd member. Should be ready to tow in by the middle of next week hopfully. And no worries, I am going to post before and after pics of all four corners underneith and outside as well as little interior things I do like mounting my CB and all my switches in a military ammo can mounted next to the drivers seat as well as an E-brake mounted between drivers seat and tub. That way I can use it while wheeling and not worry about working 3 pedals at once. Going to use the e-brake assembly from an old '70s mail jeep. Small and skinny so should be bout right. Picked my my np435 and twin sticked dana 300 today. Needs to bearings in tranny its real clunky and binds but I have an almost brand new np435 sitting next to it so may just swap adapter and d300 onto smooth tranny.

 

Ok, well I got 99% of my parts in now and will start cutting and welding in a couple weeks or as soon as I can get some time.

Ford Np435 mated to Twin sticked Dana 300 ready for bolt in.

My Toyota axles. IFS rear and '85 front. 4:56's and front has clutch pack for now.

Most of my little parts ready to be installed.

These are what Im using to outboard my front springs.



Saginaw steering box.

Way-Out shacke mounts from RuffStuff. Outriggers came from RuffStuff also.

I will be posting lots and lots of more pics once I start tearing her down. So far I have only had the time to install my new 3-core radiator and HEI distributor. I'll keep you all posted!

 

Purdy! now put em on!!!

 

Sweet! I Wish I knew more about all these mods so I could have planned my build better... oh well I guess I really am just a rookie!

Where did you find the TOY axles and what did they run you? I Was thinking about doing that to mine.

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I will be putting them on AS SOON as my GMC is out of the shop getting straight axled. Still have a few little things to buy like ubolts for the toy axles and a high steer kit. The Toy axles ran me $650. I could have got them cheaper somewhere else but the guy I got them from already had 4:56's in the rear axle and they were both complete so i bought them. I got them from a tow/toyota salvage/fab shop in Oakdale, California. I wasn't really set on them untill I held a stock toyota front axle up to a stock Dana44 front axle from a chevy. Toyota dwarfs the Dana 44 and am starting to loosen up to the birfields they run instead of u joints. Really happy (so far) that I went with them.

 

Well I know its been a bit since I have posted. Was just about to start tearing her apart when I was taken off of work due to a knee injury and the workmans comp stuff is dragging its feet. So since I have not been paid in almost 6 weeks and I have to find money to get my GMC out of the shop before I tear the jeep down...it may be a few more weeks before I can roll the sleeves up and start on her. I do have a few photos from the new HEI, 3 core aluminum radiator and custom bottom radiator hose. Here you go.

Best pic I got of the HEI installed. IT was dark with a disposable camera.

Had to customize a bottom radiator hose since the radiator sent to me had the in/out spouts swapped.

See what I mean?

New radiator. Shinney!

Front view of radiator installed.

And here is my wheelin buddy fabricating a plug for his valve cover since he lost his breather tube. Made from a funnel from his horn and some electrical tape. Worked good too.

 

Also, I need to know how to mount the 300 in the jeep. Meaning, what do I use for a crossmember? Do I just get some tube and make a basket then get a 300 mount to weld into the center? Or can my crossmember for my dana20 work for it? Thats about the only thing that I aint sure on and would like to know before I rip into her. Thanks.

 

i just swapped a d20 out of my willys and put in a d300, my d20 hung down pretty low, with the d300 i was able to move everything up a bit. I could have used he same mount, but other then the fact that the PO built it, and it was a piece of crap, it would have lowered the rear of my drive train too much.

here are some pics old and new.

old


new

 

Wow that old one really did hang low dont it? Thats a slick mount you got there. What are the measurements on that if you dont mind me asking? I would like to know so I can get the metel and have my buddy build me one just like that. Are you planning on running some sort of skid on the bottom of it or keeping it that way?

 

Alright, so I was looking at my current trans mount and was thinking...if I change the rubber mount to one for a D300, thats bout all I got to do, right? Or am I missing something? Also, does anyone know if a power steering pump from a early to mid 80's grand wagoneer with an AMC 360 will bolt up to my '72 304? Only parts I need left are the power steering pump with lines, E-brake lever and Hi-Steer for the toyota axle. Besides fabing the drive lines and brake lines. Hopeing the rear drive line can be used without cutting. I know the 435/300 combo is a few inches longer then my current setup, but Im also dragging that rear axle back about 2" so hope it works. Also, while Im at it, does anyone know how to change steering wheels on the old manuel steering columns? May sound dumb but im having a darn moment with that wheel and its got to go.

 

Alright, starting work tomorrow morning and getting a big ol compensation check tomorrow morning so im ready to start thinking again. GMC almost done in the shop so I can start making her awsome here purdy soon. Since I havn't been able to start on it yet, i have been planing everything out in my head and on paper so I have a sort of game plan when I start. The rear axle will be hung under the frame rails just like the original. The front is concerning me though. Im going to start but welding my outriggers at the very end of the frame rails and getting those set. Now currently, the center pin to center pin on my front axle is exactally the same from center of frame rail to center of frame rail. So I just measure the cp to cp on the toy axle, take the added length and divide by 2 then push new hangers out that far? That sound bout right? I'll be doing the front axle before anything else since it will be the hardest and since I dont know much about outboarding, just wanted to make sure Im on the right path. Also, here is what I am using for my steering. Trail Gear toy hi-steer.

 

Also, here are some pics from the last wheelin trip. Last time she will see dirt on the jeep trans, axles and suspention. Enjoy...I did.

This is what she looked like right before leaving. (thats my truck thats getting the straight axle..i love her)

Here is the coat of primer mud before I finished the job.

And here is the final product. First and only time so far wheelin with the LTB's. They are made out of butter but are some fantastic tires for sure.

 

I dont know if your frame rails are the same width as mine, but the toyota leaves are 32" wide and the cj5 frame rails are 29 1/2" wide so you will need to out board your springs 1.25". Always mock up what your gonna do and take a step back and look at it. Alot of times youll catch somthing and its alot easyer to grind out a tack weld than a finnished weld.

 

Thanks for those numbers. I was planning on welding my outriggers in place ( what im using to outboard my springs) and then meansure a hundered times, tack, measure, step back, smoke a marlboro, then if she is good then get to welding. Is there a required degree for shackle angle? Or a degree which will provide the best results?

 

Well I just went threw the whole shakle angle deal or what ever you wanna call it. What you need to think about is what will happen at full droop. You dont want your shackle to be able to flip back the wrong way(had it happen only once). I set mine up so that with no load on the axles/springs (frame on T-stands) the shackles are 90deg to the frame. I think alot of people may have different oppinions about this but that is what I have done.

 

Sounds good to me. I would not want a shackle to flip backwards on me. So purdy much mock it up like I want it, get it all square and such and then once its tacked in place, just raise it up till the axles are just hanging and see the angle of them then. Have you heard anything about boomerang shackles? Heard they are suppose to be good at keeping the shackle from flipping.