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Project Help

908 Views 4 Replies 2 Participants Last post by  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 ciols 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. 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.
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I would stretch out the wheelbase as far as you can and not worry about the doubler for now. Maybe stay with the leaf springs untill other bugs are worked out and then go with a 4 link.

I would keep the motor back as far as you can to help balance out the front to rear weight.

Also hook up the 2x4 and the 4x4 steering box so that you can steer one way or the other while going backwards sitting the other way.



Sandman said:
Also hook up the 2x4 and the 4x4 steering box so that you can steer one way or the other while going backwards sitting the other way.
Huh??
lol... could you give me a bit more detail on that one? :deal:
Its so you can sit and spin. :thumb:



:shock: :shock: :finger: :finger:
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