CJ5 prodject

[raven mad]

updates from frieday

Here are a few update pics from my progress... I was able to set the CJ5 tub down on the TJ frame...

progress

I deff. messed up one measurement, guess what it was !!!

 

[raven mad]

grill

I had to trim the grill over the stearing gear to clear the lines, I took out some extra becouse Im gonna move the stearing gear up about 2.5 inc.

 

[raven mad]

fix it

OK, sooo I got creative with my spring mounts ... I neaded to move the rear end forward 2 inc. anyways, and I should have just done this to begin with ... but I guess I have a habit of doing things twice .... LOL

This is were I started ... a peice of 3.25 X .25 wall tubinng, cut 2-3.125 inc. long peices, broke out the 3" hole saw and cut out 4 round peices of .25 plate, welded the ends on , drilled the holes out to 9/16's and cut the pockets out with the trusty plasma ...

 

[mmcj7]

Nice...

 

[raven mad]

fixxed

Welllll, second time is a charm .... new spring perches are on the frame, the axle moved 3.75" forward and the shackle is at the proper angle ... nowwww .... on to the front suspention ...

before

after

 

[95yjjeep]

cool build. i like the idea of a tj frame with cj5 body.

 

[raven mad]

tj frame

cool build. i like the idea of a tj frame with cj5 body.

It is actualy working out better than I thought it would. I lined up the grill body mount bushing and the tub fell into place. I am not using any of the stock body mounts besides the grill bushing so no worries there ... And I stretched the wheelbase to match a TJ with the front pushed forward 2.5 inc. and the rear back 1.5 past stock TJ. I figured it to be alot better to use the Tj frame rather than modify the CJ frame, re-plum everything and in the end with the CJ frame it would all be custom .. Now I can pretty much pull into a auto parts store and get a part ... this weekend I will start workin on mounting the Tj heating and airconditioning system into the Cj5 body, along with the pedal assembly ( pain in the A@$ ) ... these are my measurments as of right now, understanding that there is about 1500 pounds missing that will be added ...
Frame height at the center : 21"
Belly pan ( aftermarket ) : 19"
calculated amount of lift : 2.0inc. suspention lift
1.0inc body lift
the rear suspention is set at 50 / 50 = 5inc. up 5inc. down
the front will be set at 50 / 50 = 6inc. up 6 inc. down
I have 2.5inc. body Fox coil overs for the front and I am hunting for 2.0inc. 2-3 inc throw air bumps for the front... I was going to use the range rover front radius arms, but I may scrap that and build a 4 link as I have aquired a set of front RE arms ...

 

[raven mad]

front suspention

OK, so today I am workin on the front suspention. I was already done with it on the CJ5 frame, but now that Im using the TJ frame a few things must be changed ... here are some up to speed pics of what is already done... I will be done with the radius arme tonight. I will be building frame pockets for the front radius arms similar to the rear spring ahangers, so I need to modify the front radius arms to use a RE rubber barrel bushing instead of the ford style I bushing ... once again, Im doing it for a second time... will I ever learn ??? NNNOOO LOL

here are the brackets I built to use the Land rover radius arms, they have a lower shock mount built into them ...

I set the housing up on the table, built a axle side track bar mount out of 1/4 inch that will hold the axle end of the factory JK wrangler track bar. and welded all my brackets into place along with some 1/4 moon shaped gussets that I welded to the portion of the radius arm brackets to increas the strength of the brackets attachment to the axle tube

I will have an updated pic of the front radius arms tonight ...

 

[raven mad]

front suspention

OK ... So I rebuilt the front land rover arms... I didnt take pics of the process though ... I cut the frame mount end off of the arms, I cut a 17inc. long piece of 1.75 X .250 dom... then slotted it and fit it over the arm. At this piont I burned it home... on the frame end I put a 3inc. rubber barrel bushing... then I built a template for the mounting surface at the frame. I cut out 2 base plates from 1/4 inc. then I cut out 4 more peices and drilled the center holes for the bolts that will hold the arm to the brackets. I cleaned it all up with the grinder and sanding disc, removed the paint from the frame and wallaaa ... there it sits ( after tripple checking all the measurments). LOL yepp, I ran out of jackstands and resorted to fire wood

this view showes the overlap to the inside of the frame rail .. I will have 2 more holes to drill were the new flat bellypan and engine skid plat will bolt to the plate. I placed and welded 2 gussets above the plate to the frame for support ...

this pic shows the 1/4 moon gusset that I welded to the radius arm brackets on the housing ... I did this to increase the strength of the bracket and its contact to the housing ( prob. overkill )

 

[cj5walt]

quick question when you had the radius arms on the other frame were the arms stock length? where was the frame end mounted in refrence to the factory leaf spring hanger? and how much stretch did it provide?

im sorry to ask all that but im thinking very hard on doing a similar set up utilizing air shocks

 

[raven mad]

stuff

quick question when you had the radius arms on the other frame were the arms stock length? where was the frame end mounted in refrence to the factory leaf spring hanger? and how much stretch did it provide?

im sorry to ask all that but im thinking very hard on doing a similar set up utilizing air shocks

The arms were stock length when I had them on the CJ5 frame... The arm was mounted ( center of the 2 peice ford style eye bushing ) approx. 8 inc. behind the leaf spring bolt. No worries on the questions...... If you do decide to do it let me know, I have a whole set of extra brackets that I built, plus I have the factory TJ front coil towers that I cut off the frame and I could cut off the Eye Bushing mounts from the frame...

 

[raven mad]

worky worky

So, I got outa work early today .... yippeeee and I started to assemble the outer for my tera CRD 60 front axle housing... I bought Reid racing inner knuckle C's fron ECGS ( very easy to work with). I had allready finished rebiulding the outers that I bought from a board member who was kind enoph to sell them to me... The outer knuckles are from a late 80's dualy chev. front dana 60 ... I used them becouse I did not want the hub body to protrude out past the Hummer wheels like some kind of a curb feeler or hybrid rock scribe with what to leave my mark on every rock I strolled part on the trail ... However, after assembling everything I now know the trade off .... Width, and alot of it, approxemetly 1 inc. of the tire sits inside the body line and the rest of the tire is firmly planted outside the body line ...HHMMM, the rear is just shy of 6inc. narrower on each side ... I suppose now I will be looking for 2-3 inc wheel spacers for the rear and when I build body armor, becouse no-one on GODs green earth builds body armor for CJ5's I will build a 6 inc. tube flare in the rear to make some kind of an attempt to keep jonny law from classafying me as a habitual effender and naming a street after me with all the funds they raise from my tickets !!!!!! bellow are a few pics ... never mind the mess, I know ...

front veiw

rear view

side veiw ...

 

[raven mad]

tommarrow

Tommarrow I will be picking up the new brake calipers for the front axle, all the brake parts for the rear 14 bolt, and Im gonna measure for stearing linkage and go on the prowl for the best set up I can find for a decent price ... the jeep sits so low that I dont think I will need high stear arms, although, I was begining to think that if I could scroung up a JK stearing box, I would use it, notch the frame to clear the linkage, mount it up high and cut the frame about 6 inc. in front of the grill... hhmmmm , food for thought ....

 

[raven mad]

Well, today was a interesting day... I cut out the firewall on the passengerside, in my never endeing quest for creature comfort, I wanted heating and air conditioning for my CJ5 ... I sold the TJ tub so cutting the firewall out of it and welding it into the CJ5 was out ... Soooo, after some measurements .... I created this, It is deff. angular and square shaped, but the factory heater and AC unit mounts up perfectly ....

I spot welded the outside, stitch welded the inside and sealed the inside with seam sealler

Painted and sealed so that contaminents dont stain the paint (flat tan)

 

[raven mad]

hanging pedels

I also cut out part of the drivers side firewall. I am useing the complete pedal assembly, stearing colum and wiring harness from the 2005 TJ. So, I built a templete of the 2005 TJ firewall and tacked it place. I test fit the hanging pedals, brake and clutch master cylenders, and then removed them ... I am done for the day, I need to spend some time this evening with the woman and the kidoes .... tommarrow I will finish the drivers side, paint it and seal it, set the tub back down and start putting junk on the fire wall ... WOO HOO...

this is the start, I still need to cap all the holes, and seal it from the inside ...

 

[raven mad]

stuff

OK, so my surgery got postponed untill May 5th and I found myself driving home from VA yesterday .... I got up this morning feeling MOTO, so here is what I did .... I finished up the firewall, sealed it, and painted and sealed the paint ... Installed the hanging pedal assembly from the 2005 TJ, installed the brake booster and lines, clutch master cyl. and started placing the wiring harness into place ... ( pain in the @$%)
Placing the Harness ...

hanging pedals, doesnt seem like much, but the firewall was a huge victory for me, so that I was able to retain all the Factory TJ hardware...

Tommarrow I will be finishing up the engine compartment, picking up a plastic welder to rebuild the TJ heat ducts and defrost ducting, as well as start building my radiator and AC condensor mounts ....... mmmmm, a CJ5 with a heater and AC that actualy work ....nice

 

[raven mad]

Today I also ordered all new stearing from ECGS (thanks randy) as well as new spindle hardware and Tera Flex super short slip yoke eliminator kit ... My rear drive shaft will be 19 inc. long and will opperate at 12 degrees at ride hight with a flush mount belly pan..... I suppose that is the benefit to only 2 inc. of suspention lift....

 

[amcjeepman]

Very nice fabrication on all accounts.

 

[mmcj7]

It looks like its coming along nicely.

 

[raven mad]

hmmmm

Well, this next 2 weeks should be productive, atleast I need them to be .... I realy would like to take it on the CJ5 run at URE on May 21st.

 

[cj5walt]

looks like its comin along good!!! what kind of top have you got going on in the last pic of post #20?

 

[raven mad]

top

The soft top that I have for it is a ROCK GEAR fast back top ... They went out of buesness a few years ago, but a friend of mine in Oregon had it and was willing to part with it.... Rock Gear tops are made to pull tight with the roll cage ( no bows ), you can roll up the sides and back and they fit into zippered pockets inside the top peice .... Only one problem ..... the top is for a CJ7, not a CJ5 .... so I will have to get creative

 

[raven mad]

thursday

MOTO again today ... I finished up the engine bay for the most part today. I need to buy some more hardware to finish up the 6 fricken ground wires. I also need a new AC hose built (not sure were to get that from), and a new aluminum radiator and electric fan (that'll have to wait a few weeks) and last but not least, mew battery cabels to reach the battery in the back of the jeep !!! OK, so I got the coil overs in, I still need to finish up some gussets, and OW yeah, I deff need to build a snorkal / air box .... I have no idea what that will look like, but Im thinkin all custom offcourse...

top view ....mmmmmm

front shot ... dont look to close, I still havent welded the inner C's to the housingand the track bar mount issnt finished ...

this is a closer look at the wireing, computer, and fuse box location ...

 

[raven mad]

tommarrow

Plans for tommarrow ..... finish front suspention
finish body mounts
finish cage mounts to body
start wiring dash

More pics tommarrow ofcourse ....

 

[cj5walt]

looks awesome!!! cant wait to see it rolling on the trail