12:30 pm
Club Member
April 12, 2020
1:47 pm
Club Trailmaster
March 13, 2015
2:11 pm
Club Member
April 12, 2020
4:44 am
Club Trailmaster
March 13, 2015
The nice thing about working on a CJ is that nearly everything that can be done to one already has. Unfortunately many of the original forums and photo hosting websites no longer exist but the people who did these swaps are still mostly out there.
The biggest hurdle is the swap from a bell/crank style steering to the saginaw crossover style. Boxes, frame brackets, pumps, etc. are all available in kit form with junkyard options (though it has been many a year since I have seen a 1970s car in a pink-n-pull so maybe not so many junkyard options). Depending on your engine you will likely have to grab a pump from a cj7 or other source and fab some brackets to make it work in your engine compartment. I say fab because 50+ years is a long time for a rig to go unmodified and not many places still make parts for the early engines.
At this point I would start collecting the parts for the swap. Craigslist and facebook market place are your friend but budget a grand or two. Steering and brake systems shouldn't have corners cut so you will want to replace calipers, tie-rod ends, etc. with new.
The axle itself is a bolt in affair but I would personally look for a complete unit with matching gear rations to what you have in the rear. 76-83 CJ-5 axles are narrower than the 82-86 cj7 axles but both will be disc brake. If you find a complete wide track axle then just run some spacers in the rear and call it good.
-Axle - craigslist/marketplace -If you have 3.73s then you are most likely to find an axle with matching ratios and not need the cost of opening the differential- budget $250ish but could be free or more if it is a matching set with lockers
-Calipers, pads, and rotors get all new, also consider new brake hoses- ~$250
-Steering box - get a remanufactured unit ~$350
-Pump - remanufactured ~$100
-TREs - new, ~$100 depending on source and quality
-Hoses - likely have napa custom make them for the length and fittings you need ~$40 each
-Advanced Adapter Kit Below - $635
-Fluids and miscellaneous parts - ~$100
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February 26, 2014
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