Pookie's Willys MBT thread

[pookie]

Hey guys,

A little intro and a pic. About seven years ago I had a 1997 TJ and a M416 trailer. I sold them both and went through a bunch of different vehicles, after which I still wanted another Jeep. My current DD, do all, is the 2002 Jeep TJ Sahara pictured below. Now that spring is here and we want to get out in the woods more, I realized that even with the cargo rack on the back its still doesn't have enough room for our outdoor adventures. So sell the Jeep? Nope. Get a trailer? Yep. I recently found the 1942 Willys MBT also seen below. It has a tailgate cutout already and no rust!!! But it is missing the taillights and the lunnette (if anyone has a lunnette for a non-crazy price please let me know). Bare with me, because the plan is to slooooooowly build it and the Jeep into what I need them for. I don't know how to weld yet, so that is actually one of the first things on my list to learn. Other than that I'm just on here to get ideas and information, which leads to my first question...



Question #1 From what I have found the MBT has a 5x5.5 bolt pattern. I'd like the MBT to match the TJ. I've heard that the center hole on standard CJ wheels won't fit the MBT hub. Without doing an axle swap on the MBT is there a way to get the same bolt pattern? Wheel adapters maybe?

 

[pookie]

Question #2 While I'm on the subject, I need a way to carry 3 mtn bikes. I have a roof rack bars, so I am thinking of building rack to carry the bikes above the trailer. Or, I'm thinking of adding a 2" receiver to the back of the trailer and carrying them there. Any suggestions?

 

[Crush Jeep]

Question #2 While I'm on the subject, I need a way to carry 3 mtn bikes. I have a roof rack bars, so I am thinking of building rack to carry the bikes above the trailer. Or, I'm thinking of adding a 2" receiver to the back of the trailer and carrying them there. Any suggestions?

I did a 2 inch receiver on the back of my trailer, it's just a little cutting and welding. If you look at my thread it has pictures of it. M416 build my brother and I
Good luck and have fun.

 

[Mark Harley]

Welcome!

A rear receiver is handy Just keep the weight low so it does not wag the dog.
What lunette are you useing now? Many people remove the lunette and replace it with a 2" receiver.
Then you have many options for towing.

Community College or trade schools offer summer welding classes.

 

[pookie]

Crush, thanks. Where in NC are you? I went to school in Boone.

Mark, it doesn't have a lunnette at all right now. It has the original lunnette mount/shaft, but someone cut the ring off and welded on a 1 7/8" ball mount. Its sturdy, I towed the thing 300 miles with no issues. I'll get some better pics later tonight.

 

[Mark Harley]

The lunette from a 416 is like gold........
One on ebay now.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lunette-M41...Parts_Accessories&hash=item4d0be9efe9&vxp=mtr

 

[pookie]

Here is a pic of my current setup.

 

[Aspen Trails Trailers]

Personal opinion here. Not raining on anyone. I had a large mountain bike team, where we sponsored over 300 riders nation wide. We had more bikes stolen, more bikes destroyed from bikes on the back of a vehicle. Bikes on top seemed to be safer. No one backs into them, no damage from crossing a ditch. Now McDonalds did wipe out a few roof racked. A couple of garage fatalities, but hands down way more destroyed on the back of the vehicle. I would mount to the trailer some how if possible. Now that is just me.

If you do mount them on the back, be sure you have clearance to cross obstacles, and as Mark stated not to high to cause towing problems. Most MTB's are not that heavy though.

Bob
www.aspenXtrails.com
951 692 0958

 

[Mark Harley]

I would retain your lunette and cut off the coupler.
Fab up an extended lunette with one from a M105 they are cheaper.
mate the two with thick wall tubing and weld.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lunette-Eye...Parts_Accessories&hash=item460ebdcc26&vxp=mtr

 

[pookie]

Aspen, thanks. I was hoping to mount them above the trailer rails, similar to how others mount kayaks or canoes. We tent camp and I don't have any immediate plans for a roof top tent over the trailer. So after the trailer tub is loaded that leaves everything above for more gear. I also didn't want to mount them to the top of the TJ because a) that would make it even more of a brick in the wind, and b) I've seen some of those images when the bikes get taken out by a garage door. Ouch.

Mark, that's not a bad idea. M105 stuff is alot cheaper than the older 1/4 ton stuff. I guess because the 1/4ton stuff isn't around anymore. I saw a MBT lunnette for sale, but it was over half what I paid for the trailer! I want one, but not that bad.

 

[pookie]

Some pics from wood pickup yesterday.

 

[Mark Harley]

Nice looking trailer Realy clean.
If you placed the Hitch mount on the lower hole would it sit more level?

keeping it original or flashy?

 

[pookie]

Lower hole?

And not sure at this time. Its already been chopped up so I'm not going to do a resto. Whatever I build won't be too wild because it gets used as a regular trailer. Personally, I'd like to flip flop the paint scheme and make it white to match the Jeep but add a green star. My wife thinks that would look weird. One thing I am planning is to go back to stock wheels on the TJ. In doing so, I also have an extra pair of the same stock wheels I'd like to put on the trailer.

 

[Mark Harley]

I stand corrected your lunette mount has only one upper hole.
A 416 has two. I would go with white with a tan star and ID numbers.
Matching wheels and everything will match.

 

[pookie]

Took it out for a quick campout this weekend. Towed great, no issues, and a pic of campsite and of it loaded to come home. Nice thing about it is everything can just be tossed in and sorted when I get home. Which was good because it was raining when we broke camp.