Building a CJ-2A

[Ian]

I have a CJ-2A that I want to do a minor/moderate build on, but I don't want a rockcrawler; I want something for exploring the southwestern US in trips of a 5-7 days in duration.

I'm planning to leave the drivetrain mostly stock; I think these Jeeps were pretty capable offroad to being with. The one big change is that at some point in the past someone swapped the L-head out for a Studebaker flat 6. I like that engine (more power without overwhelming the tranny/tcase/axles/etc, but still mechanically very simple). Lift will be only an inch or two, via new leaf springs, and 31" or 32" tires.

What I do want to do is outfit the body of the Jeep as best I can for trips longer than most folk would consider in a 2A. What do you guys consider to be the most important modifications for an expedition vehicle? What neat features would you add to this Jeep if you were building it? I'm thinking a second fuel tank under the bed (like a CJ-5 tank), built-in fresh water storage somewhere, HAM radio mount built into the dashboard. A shower would be really cool, but I don't know if it's feasible.

Any thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[ntsqd]

Given the long distances likely to be involved I'd suggest finding a Warn Over Drive or buying the Advance Adapters' Saturn OD.

For transfercase longevity look for the latest model Dana 18 that you can find. There are 3 different idler shaft sizes and you're going to want to use the biggest available. Some claim that the Scout Dana 20 case is the strongest of the 20's, so it may be worth dropping all of the 18 guts into one of those.

I would look into converting to a 4 speed trans. Not a granny low truck trans as those are really just a 3 speed with a stupid low and mostly unusable first gear, but one of the passenger car type 4 speeds. Alternately, consider going to a T-5 5 speed trans and not using the Warn/Saturn OD.

Converting to disc brakes is simpler than converting the the drum brakes, and less expensive. A friend of mine went to 4 wheel discs on his 2A using all junkyard sourced (CJ-5/7?) brackets and caliper cores. He used the existing master cylinder and found that he did not need a proportioning valve at all.

If you are going to fit new leaf springs, find the longest that you can make work. They won't be long enough because there isn't a lot of room to work with, but anything longer than stock will offer an improvement in ride quality. Spend the money on mono-tube shocks. Bilstein, Fox, Sway-a-way, or King. My own prefs are for Fox first and Bilstein second, but really any of them will work better than a twin-tube. With an 80" wheelbase you probably don't need to worry about getting remote reservoirs.

My friend with the 2A has considered building a fuel tank to cross over under the seats, as well as removing the rear diagonals under the bed for a rear mounted tank. He was thinking to try to put the batteries in the wasted space of the rear fender wells behind the rear tires, but some custom fab'd water tanks could go there too.

A shower is very possible. There are a couple mfg's of heat exchangers and there are several threads here on the topic. Can also go with the "bug sprayer" type of shower, of which there are also several to many threads about.

 

[svaras]

X2.....Warn overdrive and front whell disc will be first on my list.
Then try to find a way how to isolate the floor or you will burn your feet with the temperature.

 

[logos]

What are you going to do for a top? I know my soft top is loud which is why I’m keeping my eye out for inexpensive hard tops.

I plan fabricate a custom rear tire carrier/bumper. I need one to carry 1-2 jerry cans, the spare tire, and a rack above the spare tire. I plan to make the rack big enough to hold a few Rubbermaid action packers. I know the inside of my CJ-7 is short for storage. Some other ideas I was looking at was Tuffy has some small storage boxes that go on top of the wheel well. I figured these would be useful for small items that always stay locked in the rig. I’ll probably mount the hi lift on the hood just to keep the bed available for other items.

I know other CJ’s that use manual 4 wheel disc brake setups from Corvettes that would work well with your lightweight rig.

One thing I always strive for is a lightweight rig. I’ll use my backpacking stove, tent, etc to keep weight and space down.

 

[dirty Bakers]

Ok here is how I would do it
-Hard canopy top with roof rack and cavas sides that secure to jeep tub when dropped down (like curtains I guess)
-swap in a the later 4-spd with granny the t-98 and add a warn/saturn over drive
-Keep engine just cause its cool and rare and has more power than the 4
-PTO winch
-hot water system for shower
-updated steering from herm the over drive guy

If you need any parts send me a pm and I will get back to you.

 

[troy]

You are a brave man for wanting to travel in a CJ2A for a week at a time.

For your suspension, you may want to look at the YJ kits that people are using with Suzuki samurais. They are spring plates and shackles to convert to the longer and wider Jeep YJ springs. Stock samurai springs are nearly identical to the CJ2s. It would give you about 2" lift if you used stock YJ springs and stayed with a spring under axle arrangement. YJs are much longer and ride so nice vs. the short stiff springs on there.

I vote for keeping it vintage looking.

 

[craig333]

Overdrive definitely. For what you're doing the 3 sp will suffice. Top? Hopefully its off and sitting at home unless you're out in the winter. A bikini top is a must though. Just be sure it doesn't attach to the windshield frame so you can still fold down the windshield.

Definitely need more fuel capacity. Ten gallons doesn't go far.

Save your money on the fancy shocks. Those old jeeps you can't hardly tell any difference even if it doesn't have any.

Some type of shower for sure. You do get dirty in a Jeep.

If you have the two piece rear axles you might really want to consider an upgrade to one piece, or carry the tools and tighten it often. Limited slips are easy to find.

Dual batteries. Should be enough room under the hood.

 

[pumapatrick]

I have a 47 CJ2A that I built. It is fun for driving around town for coffee and treats..........but you get this thing off road it will bust your kidneys. I also have a 98 TJ and a Grand Cherokee......I opt for a better ride.......good luck

 

[4Rescue]

First off neat project. It's cool to think of going out in a rig that small, it requires smart thinking in the packing department. I'm stoked to see this project build. I love old Jeeps for the same reasons I love old FJ40's and Series Rovers. They were built back when form followed function. I love how simple they are. IF you ask my grandad about Jeeps he get a far away look in his eye and will tell you that a Willy's, with a Howitzer in tow, will go nearly anywhere you just have to give it enough gas and don't let up(he was a marine on both Guadel Canal and Pellilou so he drove alot of Jeeps) .

Back to your rig: You can't bring everything so what do you leave out???

Personaly because I live in the NW where water is everywhere I tend to thnk of filtering water and bathing in natural bodies of water. Being that you're godn in the SW this may be different for you and you may need to think of some sort of water tank.

With a rig this small, it would be a great candidate for a Toyota 3RZ or 22RE swap giving you extremely reliable power and great fuel economy in this little tough guy. Hell if you swaped in a whole SFA Toyota Drivetrain you'd gain quite a bit of strength and still have a small lightweight package that makes for easy repairs (if you ever need any) just about anywhere. OR maybe the 2.5L 4Cyl and drivetrain out of a YJ of you want to keep it Jeep. That would be neat too, Old jeep body meets newer jeep drivetrain and motor. Just thinking about it I'm getting a little smirk on my =face, that would be a cool truck. Basicly I think personaly that you should stay with a 4cyl drivetrain since you're not talking big tires or anything. Plus it's different. I love having my little 4 bamger out in the woods with a bunch of guys with v8's... Sure they get up things faster, but I still get there and I can go all day on one tank of gas. a 4 banger would suit your exploration needs really well I think. Plus it'd be real neat to see a custom built Jeep w/o some hunk of shivvy junk under the hood. ooh a Chrysler V8 W/Cylinder de-activation would besweet too... But that's way to complicated for an Expo rig eh. Oh well, I'm just day dreaming now eh.

Like I said, I can't wait to see what you build mate.

cheers

Dave

I'd suggest keeping your eyes out for a hard top of some sprt or fab one up. THere's prescious storage room wasted on spft top Jeeps in the form of the rear quarter areas. It'd be real easy to fab up a few Jerry can mounts for the rear sides to free up some space on the rear bumper. Plus that way the roof racki can be hard mounted to the top instead of using a secong exterior cage.

 

[ntsqd]

snip....

Save your money on the fancy shocks. Those old jeeps you can't hardly tell any difference even if it doesn't have any.

You've missed the point. It was to use the longest, supplest leaf that can be made to fit to soften the ride. A good shock, i.e. those that I listed above, will further make the ride quality one of comfort rather than unbearable.

If you have not ever used a set of such shocks then you have no idea how good they can be. If you put them on short, stiff springs then you have wasted your money.

 

[craig333]

No, you missed my point. For what he wants to do any old springs will do. As will any old shocks. He's not building an extreme rock crawler. Sure it might be nice to have that stuff, but I got the impression he was trying to do this on a budget.
You don't need extreme articulation to conquer 99% of the trails out there.

 

[Ian]

Thanks for the replies! FWIW, it'll probably be 6 or 8 months before I get to building the Jeep up - I have a house to build while it's still warm out. But I want to let the project percolate in my head while working on other stuff, so I've got it reasonaly well planned out by the time I start working.

Since photos make these threads so much better, here's a shot of the Jeep as I got it:

It ran, but needs a lot of work. I'm going to completely rebuilt the Studebaker engine. I really like the specs on it - I think it's a great combination of power, economy, simplicity and uniqueness. Sure, I can't get parts at any parts place anywhere, but I can (and plan to) carry spares of pretty much everything that can break.

The body tub needs either a whole lot of patching or outright replacement - so I have lots of opportunity to tinker with it. I want to play with adding small storage areas in various areas, like boxing in the little step plates behind the front fenders. I'm also going to move the driver's seat back enough to be a bit more comfortable (I'm 5'10").

I've considered getting an overdrive on several occasions, and one things that stops me is the notion that not having one will help keep me from using main roads to get places. If I can only do 50mph, then there's less temptation to use the nice highway as a shortcut, instead of taking the interesting old back route.

As you can see in the photo, it currently sports a well-worn bikini top. I don't have any specific plans for a full-coverage top, but I should at least come up with something to keep the interior and cargo dry in the rain. I'm also think I could probably build up a good set of storage boxes/racks attached to the roll bar, which could fit a lot of stuff, but allow easy access from the sides, and not overly hinder access to stuff in the bed.

Extra fuel capacity is a top item on my list, and shouldn't be that hard to make happen. From the write-ups I've seen, it's not that difficult to mount a CJ-5 15-gallon tank unthe the bed of a CJ-2A. Plumbing one of those in along with the stock 10-gallon tank under the driver's seat gives me 25 gallons. Add a Jerry can or two, and I should be in good shape fuel-wise.

What do you guys think about lockers? I can't afford to put something like an ARB on this vehicle, but they do make Lock-Rites for these old axles (D25 & D41). Would it be worth putting one in the back? Or in both front and back?

Manual Saginaw steering and some sort of brake upgrade have also been on my short list. As it is, the loose steering makes for exciting driving, and the less-than-great braking just adds to the terror.

 

[Ian]

BTW, I do want to stick to a budget as much as possible on this. I have a pile of extra parts already, and among them area full set of 1" lift Rancho springs that I plan to use. They might not be as nice as longer sets, but they don't require and frame or steering modifications, and I already have them in hand.

 

[wely]

I also have a CJ 2a I'm working on. I will be watching this thread closely.

 

[Root Moose]

Love flatties. I think your plan is a good/realistic one.

I think that adding modern, stock configuration springs will be light years better than what is on there now. Will it flex and ride as nice as a YJ spring conversion? Probably not - but good enough for the effort required.

I'd still get the overdrive. Between noise, buffetting and squirrelly handling at highway speeds you'll probably be sticking to the B roads regardless. The OD will lower revs and noise levels while conserving fuel. The latter is a big deal since you have such small capacity.

Does anyone make a top for the flatties that has an integral bikini and removable sides? BestTop? They only make the Tiger top IIRC. Someone else? Viking?

Move the seat - definitely worth doing.

You may want to hold out for used axles that already have lockers in them. There is always someone parting out or upgrading an early CJ5 with built axles it seems. May be the cheap way to get a ARB or Detroit in "modern" axles.

I'd convert to Saginaw steering too. Less wander and less tiring than the Ross steering on those long stretches.

Which engine is the Studebaker? I know nothing about that line of cars and am intrigued. I'd keep it too... unless refreshing is going to cost some big money that could be better served adding a "modern" engine like a TBI 4.3 or similar.