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extending cj5 wheelbase

4

4x4phil

Registered User
Location
Salt Lake City
I have a 78 cj5 and I'm thinking about going pretty big on it, but I'd like some input so I know what I'm getting into. If I do this I want close to 100" wheelbase. I think I'm at 83. I'm not too concerned about how to do the back, but the front's an issue. If I install a 44 out of a wagoneer, do spring over and some sort of hi-steer, what's the best way to extend it. My biggest concern is steering geometry. How far can I go without messing things up or spending a ton? What's a good leaf/shackle combo? I heard a kid tell me he was gonna use a shackle reverse with xj springs. Would that work, and how much would it give me? Throw some ideas and concerns at me I'm all ears.
 
James K

James K

NO, I'm always like this
Location
Taylorsville, Ut
if you want to stretch the wheelbase 17"+ . why bother stretching the front? You are going to create headaches you say you don't want.

now if you are going to move the front axle forward..................I say you can get 1 to 1.5" without any real steering issues. you can also have far fewer steering interference problems if you leave the tierod down low and only move the draglink to the top, which may net you another 1" in the front. But then again you can always move the steering box forward the amount you move the axle forward and just extend the sterring shaft.
 
4

4x4phil

Registered User
Location
Salt Lake City
If I left the front alone and just did 17" in the rear i l know my driveshaft would love that but is that gonna leave me with any balance issues? And how do you pick just the right coilover? I see a lot of guys that have a leaf front and coil rear and it seems like the rear is the only thing that flexes.
 
James K

James K

NO, I'm always like this
Location
Taylorsville, Ut
4x4phil said:
If I left the front alone and just did 17" in the rear i l know my driveshaft would love that but is that gonna leave me with any balance issues? And how do you pick just the right coilover? I see a lot of guys that have a leaf front and coil rear and it seems like the rear is the only thing that flexes.
Click to expand...
my rear shaft is 38 and a 1/8. I don't understand why you would have any balance issues.

no real experience with coilovers.

mine flexes equally front and rear. leafs front and coils rear.
 
N-Smooth

N-Smooth

Smooth Gang Founding Member
Location
UT
you can balance a leaf front and coil rear, it is all about the right springs. if you use stock or just slightly arched leafs, thy should flex fine as long as the shackles are on the right angles.
and if your rear is overflexing the front then you need different springs.
it is a process of trial and error, just like most suspensions.
 
4

4x4phil

Registered User
Location
Salt Lake City
Yea, suspension balance was the type of balance I was thinking of. Sorry I was unclear, it was a late night. So I figure if I keep my coils even with the frame rails and pick some that are just about the same spring rate as my front leafs that I'd be on track. I'm thinking about a 3 link. I'll put my lowers just far enough under the axle to clear the bushings and the upper obvoiusly on top of the pumpkin. I was thinking about keeping the mounts on the frame at the same level like the fabtec rear tj LA design. Can you think of any problems I might encounter? The rear gas tank will find it's way happily in the tub of the jeep. I figure if I use a coilspring I'd have more leway trying to find the right spring combos. This is the part where everybody needs to tell me what part of my game plan won't work. Don't worry, I can handle it. :)
 
DaveB

DaveB

Long Jeep Fan
Location
Holladay, Utah
4x4phil said:
Oh, and with a 304 v8 and 17" extended in the rear, am I gonna be too front heavy??? Is that possible?
Click to expand...

CJ7s and CJ8s are both longer than the 5 in the rear but are exactly the same as a 5 up front. I can't imagine you would run into problems.
Dave
 
4

4x4phil

Registered User
Location
Salt Lake City
Ok. So far I've discovered (from what I know and what I've learned) that: my axles suck, if I wanna upgrade'm I'm gonna have to move my mounts to the outside of the frame (didn't know that), stock cj springs suck anyway, I need more wheelbase and that'll have to be a very custom job, I'm gonna need fuel injection, new tranny, different transfercase, and basically the only good thing on my jeep is the frame: even thought it's too short, narrow, and could possibly be rusted through. Plus in order to have enough time to do all this I'm gonna have to quit my job. But then I won't have enough money to work on it. So i think I'm just gonna make my cj5 look pretty, put a shackle lift on it with some 31's and sell it to some dumb kid for 3x what I bought it for and find another platform to start a build on. I'm really glad I didn't get 2 months into this project and get sick of it and scrap it cause it turned out to be more work than I want to put into it. Thanks for all the info guys I appreciate it. I think I'll start with a fuel injected yj next time.
 
James K

James K

NO, I'm always like this
Location
Taylorsville, Ut
now don't be discouraged.

we all start out like this. there is NO ideal platform to start with. they all have there draw backs.

the only thing left on mine from the original is the front half of the frame, the body and the wiring. :D
 
Hickey

Hickey

Burn-barrel enthusiast
Supporting Member
Location
Grantsville, Utah
Wow Phil! you progessed quickly. :rofl: Starting with a Fuel injected YJ is a good thing. Find one with an auto tranny. I started with the same rig you had, and I sometimes wish I still had 35's and a 4" lift on it for a DD.
 

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N-Smooth

N-Smooth

Smooth Gang Founding Member
Location
UT
i think you are headed in the right direction!
a yj is a good base rig, having a much better frame than a cj and a 4.0 of course. you can also get a decent auto tranny and the 231 is an okay t-case with a teralow and sye for medium-core wheeling.
but, you will be swapping axles pretty much no matter what, so do it right the first time.

man hickey your jeep was sooooo BADASS!
 
N-Smooth

N-Smooth

Smooth Gang Founding Member
Location
UT
so you mean a 30 foot fake-out?

those pics are closer than 30 feet and they look badass

seriously though, those are the only pics you have aren't they
 
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