[AJ]

Hey guys, I am kinda stuck on my 55 CJ5 project here and could use some help.. My overall idea is to have a 350/TH400/D20 in it with a D60 front out of a dodge and 14 bolt rear. As it stands right now, I have a DJ grille and a 77 CJ hood to add on to the front end to give me a bit more length, 2 saginaw boxes out of a chev pickup, both the 2wd and 4wd versions. I am so far planning on putting the radiator behind the seats with a couple of electric fans on it for the cooling aspect. prolly either a 454 rad, or a rad out of a caddy with the big block, I have access to both. whichever fits best. that will let me move the drivetrain forward quite a bit, I think. I am planning on using either a holley projection system on the motor, or the stock 89 TBI setup, whichever I can make work the easiest. I have the 14 bolt out of a crewcab srw truck now, and am bout done with the disk conversion on it, but the 60 won't happen until tax refund time. Someone once told me that ford aerostar coils are good to use for a 4 link setup, and I nailed 2 pairs of those for free, so I have those. I also have access to a full set of springs off either a mid 70's chev 4X4 pickup, same vintage blazer and a suburban too. The 2 main areas where I need some good technical advice are the suspension, and the possibility of eventually putting in a TH350 with the 203/205 doubler. I have the TH350 and the 203 and 205, all I need is the doubler kit. But, I'm pretty concerned with the driveshaft length issue. I'm not afraid to whack the sheetmetal to make stuff fit, and I'm not even planning on having typical front fenders at all, just welding some sheet metal on a tube frame level with the hood. I'm gonna sretch the front of the frame out to wherever I need it for the suspension setup and the hood/grill setup, so that I can move the drivetrain as far forward as I can. what suspension would be the better overall way to go here for the front and rear? I like the idea of a 4 link front and rear, but i'm not dead set on it If I can still get pretty good approach angles and move both axles pretty far. Can you guys see where I'm going with this, and what I want out of it? Any helpful advice and comments are welcome here.

 

[Anonymous]

Well that's okay. Interesting reason. That is a rather sweeping generalization about people. If I had cheap variable rate steering get a box out of a mid to late seventies FSJ with the 76 cast onto the body what would I do with it? And second? I could be. My original intention to use the late hood and the DJ grill you can leave the radiator in front of the engine which is the most efficient place and safer for you. That sounds better than cold coolant burns like hell on skin. Is it the only one? That might not be very far off.

 

[Sandman]

I've got a line on a Dana 20 transfer case for a good deal.

I heard that you can use a 208 adapter for the Dana 20 and it all works but for one bolt. I believe that you still have to source up the coupler though.

 

[blazinzuk]

Okay dude all I can say is stretch it. You can get flex out of leaf springs and they are the cheap stuff to do easy to setup etc. I think basically what you should do is just use your frame as a basis and weld on what you need not to hard to do a coil in the rear just need the rod ends or bushings or whatever you are going to use. Use a rod end with at least a 30,000 lb tensile strength. Also you can save some money by getting someone at Itech to machine the threads into your tube for you. Make a plan and stick to it. :rotfl: :rotfl:

 

[AJ]

Thanks for all the input guys, keep the good sources and knowledge coming in!