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will need to adjust the mounting holes - the old frame was more bent/twisted, so the mounting locations on this excellent frame do not match the holes in the body. fortunately, fiberglass is easy to drill, and repair/fill.
got back to working on the cj5. raised the transfer case crossmember about an inch - needed to do it so that the engine wasn't tilting back and hitting the firewall. i then decided that i didn't like how high it was (the new springs had a 4" lift), so i took out two leaves per pack, and got it sitting almost the way it was 9 years ago. now it has about a 2.5" lift from the springs, and the shackle angles are better.
moved the body around on the frame to line up with the mounting points, and was able to get all the old holes to align enough with the frame that i can use them. the body is now attached firmly to the frame.
pulled the steering column. needed to replace the lower bushing at the end of the column. pulled the steering wheel/shaft to do that. should have that reinstalled next time i work on it.
got the hood and windshield installed. finished connecting the coolant hoses and a few electrical plugs, then it was time to start it.
poured a little gas down the carb vent to fill the bowl, keyed the starter, and it fired right up. ran long enough to confirm oil pressue, and it is charging. pushed in the clutch, and moved the transmission into 2nd; no grinding - that’s good. didn’t drive it yet, need to install the seats..probably tomorrow..
Last edited by wallytoo; 06-16-2022 at 05:32 AM.
Reason: add pics
working out a few "bugs" after reassembly - 9 years since i drove it, with a new frame, and small stuff needs to be ironed out.
yesterday, however, i drove it on the road. took a mid-afternoon shakedown run of about 10 miles; performed great, haven't seen any leaks pop up yet, good coolant temperature, carb seems to be set right (not rich, not lean, good response, good low end).
need to swap on the "real" tires and rims - those are the "rollers" i used for assembly etc. not much tread remains on them, and with the rear locker, i can easily make it sideslip.
took it wheeling today. nice day for it, group of 8 vehicles running some local roads. cj performed great. the yj spring conversion is very nice compared to the narrow springs my cj used to have (plus the front leafs are longer). pretty much a shakedown run, and it passed.
continuing to wheel it on the weekends. hit a few nice trails with a few technical challenges, but not anything hardcore. aired down to 7psi, made for a smooth ride over the rocks.
this ride went better than the "first" trail ride out - the beads on all four tires kept leaking air. had to jack/inflate each tire, some more than once. for this ride, dropped to 7psi and didn't have to touch them until it was time to air up at the end of the ride.
back end flex...
this pic shows how steep the road is - the camera is being held level
after wheeling and driving for a few weeks, i added one of the smaller leafs to both front leaf packs after the springs had settled a bit. this helped make the shackle angle a bit better again. now, several weeks later, it is still good. at the same time, i added a 6 degree wedge to the front spring perch to rotate the back of the diff downward. this helped make the “kingpin”/caster angle negative, so the jeep goes straighter down the road.
11-01-2021 | 04:07 PM
