1978 Jeep CJ5

Chronology of Events continued. Page 4

01/05/04

Ordered a SuperLift "EZ Ride" 2.5 inch spring lift kit from National Tire & Wheel in Wheeling, WV. Springs, shocks, shackles, bushings, etc. $393.95

01/08/04

Shipment from National Tire & Wheel arrived.

01/10/04

Removed the remaining (passenger side) fender. Began cutting away the angle steel reinforcement around the frame on the passenger side front. Replaced the heater hose. Had to remove the alternator and bracket.

01/13/04

Reinstalled the alternator and bracket. Installed vacuum hoses to the spark CTO switch.

01/15/04

Finished removing the angle steel frame reinforcement. Revealed a crack in the front cross member about 3 inches long. The cross-member looks like it has been welded once or twice. I think I can fix it.

01/16/04

Parts from M.O.R.E arrived.

02/22/04

No entries in this blog for about five weeks now. The month of January was very cold and snowy. Worked on the Jeep every weekend, but not in the evening as much as I would have liked. Just too cold in the garage, even with the propane salamander. The cold has eased up so far this month of February. Had a few thaws that melted some of the snow. Still only got things done on the weekend. The progress so far:

With everything removed around the front cross-member and all of the cracking revealed, I've come to the conclusion that I'm better off replacing the cross-member rather than trying to weld the cracks in the one that is in there now. The only problem is that I can't find a source for a new frame front cross-member. I've found sources for the rear one, but not the front. So, what to do ? In steps my good friend Clyde from Dansville. Jeeper extraordinaire, who just happens to have an old barnyard Jeep that he go ahold of somehow. Pretty much a rusted out hulk but there is a good possiblity that it might be able to donate a front cross-member and maybe a few other parts.

First off, today is a beatiful day. Sunny with temps in the mid to high 30's F. Just the day for a scenic ride down wonderful route 256 to Clyde's place. I put my torch set and some tools into my old 92 Pontiac and I'm on the road about 1030 AM. Arrive 1130 AM at Clyde's place. He takes me on a quick ride around his yard in his CJ7 and then over to the bone yard where the scrap CJ5 is. Turns out to be a 1979 CJ5; almost a perfect match for my 1978 CJ5.

A quick inspection shows that the front cross-member looks to be in fine shape. We decide to proceed. We try to move the Jeep into a better position to work on, but it it frozen to the ground, so we decide to operate on it as it sits. I set up the torches and go to work. I carefully cut the frame around the cross-member, being careful not to ruin it. Clyde shows his expertise with the torch when he cuts the top off of the bolts holding the steering box without marring anything at all; just like an artist. Eventually, with some wiggling and bending back and forth, the piece I want pops off. We were really helped by the fact that the front suspension had already been removed and was nearby. In fact, I took the opportunity, with permission of course, to remove the driver's side spring plate by torching off the U bolts. I grabbed a couple of knobs off of the heater controls on the dash and that was that. By 1230 PM, we had everything back in my vehicle and I bid Clyde farewell and proceeded back to Rochester.

09/05/04

So here it is, seven months after my last entry into this log. I worked on the Jeep off and on from Feburary. Of course the problem was frame and cross-member cracking at the front. Work done during this period included cut and torched out the old front cross-member. Cut out cracks in the frame around the front cross-member mounting area and welded patches back in. Heated and straightened the driver's side frame rail. Welded the driver's and passenger's frame rails back together where the original factory welds had broken apart. Welded the replacement front cross-member into place. All of this took me until August 25, 2004. That is when my friend Clyde called and invited me to a Jeep Rally that was to take place Labor day weekend. I committed to getting the Jeep back together by then. What followed was twelve days of intensive work to put the thing back together. The first seven days, I worked every night from about 5 PM to Midnight or later each night. The next five days I worked from about 8 AM to midnight or later each night. Finally got it all together by Sunday night, 9/5/2004. Here are a few pics from this time period.

Here is a list of what was done from Feburary to August

  • Frame cracks cut out and patches welded in
  • Frame spring perch and sway bar internal nut plates fabricated and welded in
  • Frame rail original welds ground out and re-welded
  • Frame cross-member welded into place
  • Frame cross-member to frame gussets welded into place

Here is a list of what was done during the intensive twelve day period.

  • Frame repair area sanded and painted
  • 2.5 inch spring lift kit and shocks front and rear
  • Original equipment shackles installed (front)
  • Original pittman arm installed
  • Mountain Off Road Enterprises (M.O.R.E) heavy duty steering box plate
  • M.O.R.E steering box brace
  • Stainless steel brake lines (front)
  • New front bumper
  • Lower roll bar body mount area rust cut-out and sheet metal patches welded in
  • Roll bar reinstalled
  • New seats installed
  • Seat belts reinstalled
  • All fan belts replaced
  • Old grill and fenders put back on
  • Radiator frame soldered
  • New bikini top

09/06/04

Labor day Clyde and I attended the Jeep Rally only to find that most people had gone home. We then traveled to Birdsall, NY and went to the trail that they call "Roswell". I had no idea how bad/difficult/fun that trail would be. To me, it was a real "ball buster". It was a basic two track about one mile long, that had some of the deepest, widest, wettest, chuck holes I've ever seen. Turns out that this trail and the deepest and worst hell hole is called the "dolly hole". To the Jeep's credit, I never got stuck. Of course I was real nervous about all of the welds that I had done to repair the jeep frame. I really expected the thing to crack apart. It was suggested that I was "scared". I would use the words "sensible" or "prudent". The bottom line is that I wanted to drive my Jeep some before I busted the thing apart going through mud holes like the "dolly hole". Inspection has shown that all welds held up.

Here is a list of new parts that have not been installed

  • M.O.R.E. frame reinforcement plates
  • M.O.R.E. shackle reversal
  • Sway bar quick disconnects
  • Replacement body panels
  • Back bench seat

Here is the list of current problems

  • Engine temperature gauge inoperative (fixed 11/3/04)
  • Front sway bar missing (fixed 10/30/04)
  • Manifold to air cleaner heat tube missing (installed 9/17/04)
  • Rust repair patches need welding into place and finish body work
  • Metallic sounding body squeak when engine is under load (fixed 9/15/04)
  • Engine tends to diesel when iginition is cut off (mitigated by timing reset 9/11/04)

Rebuild Phase 1 complete!

Here is what it looks like now:

09/15/04

Replaced both u-joints on the rear drive shaft to fix a really bad squeaking/rubbing sound that was getting progressively worse. Both u-joints dry as a bone. Got new parts from NAPA. Decided to replace the rear brake shoes. Got the shoes from Advanced Auto Parts. Got the back end jacked up and the drums removed. Disassembled the passenger side and found that the rear side of the wheel cylinder is frozen in place. Stopped working on it and going to get replacements for both sides tomorrow. Might as well do them both. After the brakes are done I think it is time to try for a state inspection.

09/16/04

Bought new wheel cylinders at NAPA plus power steering to air pump fan belt.

09/17/04

Installed new wheel cylinders and the new brake shoes.

09/18/04

Jeep passed NY state inspection. First "quick" inspection shop made me eat alot of shit about the fact that it didn't have a catalytic converter so they failed it. Alot of talk about having "Albany" (state capital) authorize "paperwork" for it to pass inspection. Got out of there and went home to think. Decided to try a Midas muffler shop that I knew about. They had done work on my 92 Pontiac in the past and Jeff over there seemed like a pretty straight shooter to me. I called and spoke to Jeff and asked for an appointment and got one for 3 PM. I explained the situation to him. He looked up information in the Midas system and he found that a 1978 Jeep CJ5 with 258 c.i. 6 cylinder engine came with or without catalytic converter. I said that it agreed with my service manual that said that catalytics were only installed on the models going to California. I asked him point blank what he would do. He said that if everything else was OK, that he would pass it. Sounded completely fair to me. Bottom line: passed inspection! Thanks Jeff for being fair and honest. Hope anyone reading this takes their vehicle to his shop on Dewey and Latta for mufflers, maintenance and repair !

09/19/04

Went Jeepin' again with Clyde and his buddy Clive who was driving a 80's (?) Chevy 3/4 ton 4 wheel drive pickup. I have forgot to mention that Clyde drives an early 80's CJ7 with the same six cylinder engine as mine, but with a Weber two barrel carb and four inch lift with thirty four inch swamppers. Anyway, we went back to "Roswell" and took a different trail that started out pretty cool but got "hairy" after about 10 minutes. Clyde was first, I was second and Clive was third. We got around a hellacious 110 degree turn and then got 50 feet further and I swear I saw Clyde's Jeep dip down to where the right side back wheel was 4 feet off the ground. It somehow dipped back and he got it backed up a little. We all stopped and looked. Wow. A washout that was over six feet deep. There was no way to go forward without building a bridge. I took many pictures so that I could document what happened. The only thing to do was back up and get out of there. Did that ever turn out to be a problem. The fenders and hood of Clive's, truck got pushed way out of shape. After a short while he couldn't open the driver's side door. I had to hook up to some fallen trees and pull them out of the way, so that he could get traction. Eventually he did and to his great skill, he got out of there. Then it was my turn. I backed up some OK but then kept slipping off the trail. I guess I was getting pretty pissed off and kept spinning my wheels somewhat violently. I thought I was doing what I had seen others do in similar situations, which is just "give it hell" and hope the Jeep gets you out of it. Eventually, I ended up going straight up the side of the ravine that we were in and getting out. As I came up and over, I noticed that we had an audience of two other Jeeps and the occupants. I must admit that I saw some pretty respectful expressions on their faces as I came barrelling over the hill. Clyde followed me. We stopped at that point and "shot the shit" with these people who Clyde knew. Later, he admitted that he couldn't remember their names! This "eyeball chat" eventually broke up and the audience Jeeps went their way. It was suggested that we original three should now go back to the "dolly hole" trail. I didn't want to repeat that experience so soon, so we went on down the trail about 1000 yard to the "hill climb". This turned out to be a climb up a hill with about a twenty foot rise at an angle of about 60 degrees. Nothing to snear at. I went first and didn't make it the first time. I backed down easily and made another run with just a little more power. Made it up easily. Clyde followed me up the hill. Clive stayed put. We stopped for awhile then we went back the way we had come in. It was getting late so we called it a day. I went home via Dalton, Nunda, Mount Morris, Geneseo, and Avon. Clyde and Clive went back to Dansville.

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