1980 CJ7 first Jeep build

[MrBeast]

Well time for an update. I have been collecting more stuff for the jeep.

I picked up this 79 waggy, it has Dana 44's with 3.54's a recently rebuilt 304 that is pretty healthy, and a T-18 trans with a Dana 20.

I am going to install it all in my CJ for now, and later the Dana 300 will go back in attached to a NV4500.

Here is a shot of all the jeep stuff, my welding rig, and my 72 Chevy Cummins project.

Funny thing is, everything runs and drives except for the 72 which is a work in progress.

I also really love the wheels that came on the Waggy, I have always been a fan of the old turbines, I am going to get them cleaned up and put the 33's off of the green jeep on them. I think it is going to look pretty sharp.

 

[MrBeast]

Ride height before:

After!

Been working my butt off this weekend. I don't have the front suspension all the way back together yet, but it is getting closer.

All I have left is hooking up the power steering hoses, installing the new shock towers, sway bar disconnects, steering shaft and brake lines, and I can move on to the rear.

Hoping by the end of the week to be driving it!

Oh yeah, doing this in a driveway in the Texas heat sucks! I cant wait to hit the road to Alaska!

 

[MrBeast]

Well ran into a bit snag today, rear shackle is not compatible with the CJ lift springs I was using. Nor was it compatible with the shackle eye I ordered, so I will order a new shackle eye, and I wound up using the waggy front springs since they had a similar lift.

A small mod is going to have to be made to correct the shackle angle, but it wont be a bad deal at all.

Here are pics of it sitting on 3 wheels for a test of the ride height.

I really want to see it on the ground all the way, then I can get to work getting the 304 transplanted in.

 

[MrBeast]

Got to drive it tonight for the first time with the new front suspension in, it rides like a dream, all the death wobble is gone, it goes down the road straight and true, ride is amazing. I am so in love with my Jeep.

I still have some things to do to the suspension, I have to put my Currie u-bolt plate on the drivers side, I still have to get the rear brake line in and get the rear brakes bled, and lower the E-brake lines. Also have to get the right shackle hangers for the rear. As soon as I go this thing is going to be really coming together fast.

Next I need to get the transmission built so I can get new drive-shafts made, the front drive-shaft is now too short, and I suspect so is the rear.

So as soon as the transmission is built I will be stabbing it and the 304 and getting the front clip switched over.

Then it is a matter of fixing some rust, swapping the good heater out of the other jeep over, and with that I should be pretty close to having it on the road, going to be a lot of work, but it will be well worth the while.

 

[MrBeast]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaxdA0z7T8

 

[MrBeast]

Well not a lot to report on the build right now, other than that I ordered my new bell housing, clutch and adapter to get the NV4500 installed today. So hopefully by the end of the week I will be getting those, and I am going to get cracking on it again. Probably will not have any updates until later next week. Going to get the 304 put in and the transmission. Should be driving it 3 or 4 weeks from now.

 

[MrBeast]

Well today has been a productive day, Got back into corpus last night, this morning took my friend to the airport, when I got back to the house I did some cleaning up around the driveway, then got the jeep fired up. Much to my amazement after sitting for 3 months it fired right up after a little cranking, I was worried it would be dead.

Then I got it backed up to my M105 trailer.

The tire on the drivers side of the trailer is flat, so you can see about how high it will ride when I get rid of the ton and a half running gear and stuff a 3500 lb axle in it with a set of 33x12.50's on there with the same bolt pattern as the jeep.

I know a lot of folks are going to say this is a lot of trailer for the CJ7 to pull, and they are right. I am upgrading my CJ to bigger axles with bigger brakes, I am running Waggy springs in the back, and I will be running upgraded brakes with a hydraboost. As well I am cutting a lot of weight out of the trailer, and if I can not get it light enough by ditching the axle and heavy springs, I am going to build a new frame out of 2x4" 3/16" wall box tube.

As far as the body of the trailer goes, it is close in size to the Jeep its self, I am confident with the upgrades and changes I am making that it will be able to tow it just fine.

I have another m101 that I am fixing up for my buddy Kirk, it is going to get a standard trailer axle, and it will get cleaned up and painted as well I am throwing some standard 6" oval trailer lights on it.

Going to be a busy couple of months, tomorrow I am going to get the rear suspension on the Jeep finished up, then maybe get to tackle a few of the last things on the front suspension finished up. Hopefully next week I will get to drive it some before I pull the engine to stuff the 304 & NV4500 in.

 

[shortbus4x4]

Its not the towing the 105 with the Jeep I would be worried about, its the stopping. Get trailer brakes on your new axle for it and you will do fine.

 

[cdnabn49]

just curious - that doesn't happen to be an old CDN jeep is it? Looks like my old jeep from Port Lavaca.

 

[MrBeast]

just curious - that doesn't happen to be an old CDN jeep is it? Looks like my old jeep from Port Lavaca.

I am not sure, I bought it here in corpus, not sure where it came from.

 

[Quill]

I would think about adding brakes to the trailer just to be safe.

 

[MrBeast]

I would think about adding brakes to the trailer just to be safe.

I am definitely rolling with brakes I wouldn't run with out them, I already have a new brake controller that is getting installed when I take the dash apart to rebuild the heater and instal my alarm.

 

[Hill Bill E.]

Wish you were with driving distance! I'd buy the tires/wheels from the 101 from you after the axle swap! They would bolt right up to either my '44 or '53 Power Wagons!

Loving the CJ! I've been using my '80 for wheeling the last 5-6 years, now it's going back to factory spec (but keeping the lift and 32 or 33" tires)

Picked mine up in Killeen, TX in '97, and it's never seen a MN winter yet, plan on keeping it that way! Solid CJ's are a rarity up here.

 

[jeepdreamer]

Good luck with the NV install. I did mine last week and my back still hurts! lol! Now if I could just get the rest of my junk to fit together I'd be great! Can't wait to try the NV and all... Post pics when you do yours..I'd like to see how yours fit and what you do for a cross member.

 

[MrBeast]

Good luck with the NV install. I did mine last week and my back still hurts! lol! Now if I could just get the rest of my junk to fit together I'd be great! Can't wait to try the NV and all... Post pics when you do yours..I'd like to see how yours fit and what you do for a cross member.

I mess with 4500's so much I have a fixture welded to the top of my transmission jack that holds them perfectly, With the transfer case attached I simply strap the front of the case to the jack, makes em go in super easy and slick. Also I put the transmission in 1st gear before I instal it so as that I can spin the output to line up the splines on the clutch disc with the input shaft. It works great.