Making My CJ5 Into A CJ6/II

Yep, on the more power........This TPI 5.7 Corvette take out is really pretty mild comparatively speaking @ 250 HP and 350 ft lbs of torque. On paper with this making big torque numbers just off Idle I'm hoping it's just what this package needs both off and on the road while still potentially seeing 22-25 mpg in Overdrive.........Time will tell if this was a good choice.

 

those motors are so responsive to CPU programming... you can tune or detune more than you think...

I had big problems with my TBI on my custom built 258... had a Delphi guy spend 1 hr with a laptop and its a totally different motor...
the GM TPI computers are WAY more sophisticated and smarter.. control way more..

 

I see a 4" crank in your future------------------------------------
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Nah.........No Hod Rod here.......If I want to go fast I have other toys!

With 4.88's in the back and a 3.8 gear box with a 4-speed auto and 30% OD it should be close enough to get me in all the trouble I need. Although I do have a 3.750 ultra-lite gun drilled crank here w/1.888 journals.

I think I'm going to leave all that Stroker Motor and axle wrap stuff to you...............(LOL)

 

Ho-Lee-CRAP that crank is sexy! WHOO!

Mike

 

A work of art!

 

I just looked at that again. The rod journals are not solid. How much time goes into making one of those? wow.

 

Yep your right.........the Journals are drilled as well as the center of the crankshaft from one end to the other short of the snout........hence the term Gun-drilled, that's excess weight ( that gets turned into horsepower) that is not needed since a tube with 4-walls can be made to be as strong as a solid member......this one weighs 35 lbs which is lite but I've seen even lighter. Some of the lighter ones have the crank hub scalloped with bigger holes.........CNC Turning centers have dramatically reduced the time while increased the accuracy when building one..........when something like this is ordered the bob weight of the Pistons , rings, Pins ,rods and bearings along with a percentage of overbalance is supplied to the Crank Manufacture............when finished the crank is already balanced to your rotating assembly.....so no further work in that area is needed........about $4 grand a copy.

 

So much really nice machine work.

 

Back to the build, sorry been away from this for a few weeks........While other projects have gotten in the way , but truth is this project is starting to get somewhat complicated , so some time off to think is welcome. Not that I am not up to the task , but sometimes when you think things may fit you really have to look forward far enough to other components that also eventually may need to share the same space........like two steps forward and then two backwards........so were working on it and solving some issues.

GOT MOST OF THE FACTORY WIRING PEELED AWAY AND JUST NEED TO UNPLUG A FEW MORE THINGS.

LONG TUBE MANIFOLD RUNNERS......THAT'S WHERE THE LOW END TORQUE COMES FROM.


SOMETIMES YOU JUST GOT TO START CUTTING......MADE THE TEMPLATE TO SEE WHERE THE CUTS NEED TO BE ROUGHED IN.

I'M GOING TO HAVE TO BUILD SOME MORE FIXTURES AND RAISE THE CHASSIS UP ON THE FIXTURE. AS I AM RUNNING OUT OF ROOM UNDERNEATH, COMMON PROBLEM WITH A PORTABLE CHASSIS FIXTURE AS COMPARED TO A TABLE TOP VERSION WHERE EVERYTHING GETS BUILT UP, RATHER THAN DOWN!


HUMM, LOOKS LIKE IT WAS MADE TO BE THERE! WELL ALMOST....

 

Nice work Terry. Building a vehicle the way you are doing it is a lot like the way you eat an elephant.

 

wait till you hang that huge aluminum box on the back of that trans

 

Yep , I'm getting it polished right now just for you!

 

Steve, I saw that huge aluminum Atlas box hanging there yesterday. That's part of what is causing his rethinking some things. Wait till you see what comes next!
I'm really looking forward to seeing this rig on the trails. Everytime I go visit this guy I feel like an amateur.

Don

 

Back to the Build.........


ATLAS BARE MOCK UP CASE.

NOW THAT'S A SIZABLE HOLE FOR THAT "BAD BOY".......DECIDED TO COME DOWN THE DRIVERS SIDE ON THIS BUILD, MORE ROOM ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE 700R4. GOING WITH FORD 9 INCH FRONT AND REAR AXLES ON EXTENDED YJ 2.5" WIDE DEAVER LEAF SPRINGS............IT WILL BE TIGHT AND INTERESTING UP FRONT!


EVEN THOUGH THAT ATLAS IS BARE IT'S STILL BIG , BULKY AND HEAVY........HAD TO TIE A ROPE AROUND IT TO GET IT INTO POSITION. THAT ALSO HAS A DEGREE RING ON THE FRONT OF THE TC SO THAT IT CAN BE TILTED AT VARIOUS ANGLES TO SUIT THE BUILDS NEED. WERE GOING TO ROTATE THAT UP AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE TO GET BETTER GROUND CLEARANCE. ALTHOUGH DRIVESHAFT ANGLE TO THE FRONT PINION WILL ALSO BE AN ISSUE.......NOTHING BUT COMPROMISES.


NICE AND TIGHT............HOPE IT ALL FITS.

AS I SAID , EVERYTHING IS A COMPROMISE , I WILL RAISE THAT UP A FEW MORE DEGREES AND TRY TO MAKE IT JUST BARELY CLEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME RAIL WHERE THE SKID PAN WILL COME ACROSS.......WHILE STILL WATCHING MY COG TO KEEP IT AT A REASONABLE HEIGHT.

 

I like it!

 

I have read this thread twice. Awesome build. Gotta ask though, why are you putting the engine/trans so high in the frame? I put a 350sbc/400 turbo in my 61 CJ5 without floor or firewall mods. After seeing the quality of your work, I'm sure there is good reason.

 

Good Question, and without knowing anything about your build and how you use it making any comparison between the two without that rational would be at best hard to do. This Build will be street driven and have a very compliant suspension , but will also be very capable off road.

Nothing that you see here is yet set in stone.........but in reality if you look at the placement of the Transmission inside its really not that high, but to answer your question: Ground clearance in the center because of the long 103-105" wheelbase has to be fairly substantial in order not to get hung up on the break over angle. At Ride height it is now about 24".....and that is only using a 37" tire which is small in comparison to others running allot taller tires.........notwithstanding the suspension will probably have about 6-7 inches of travel both up & down so if the motor was lower the front axle would be into the engine pan quite easily ..............and what if I was to tell you that the height of that motor in comparison to the Buick V6 that came out of there is not much more than a fraction of an inch in difference???

The frame rails in comparison seem low but that in itself is a way to keep weight closer to the ground which effects the overall COG. There is really allot going on here and until the suspension is at least tacked in place and I have a chance to cycle it and then corner weigh everything , things may still change allot as I adjust ride height , ground clearance and COG.

Right now the limiting factor on the motor height is getting the distributor out at the firewall...........much easier to start at the high limit and then make your compromises and come down if need be from there............so keep watching as it gets closer to being finished and well both see how it turns out. And Thanks for commenting!

 

Back to the build.........Time to get some axles & suspension under this Jeep........I'm planning on using 12.50x37x17 KM2's I want this to have a fairly low COG and also not be overly heavy. After looking at all the alternatives like the latest Large ring gear D44's ,D-60's ,Corporate 14's & Rockwells I decided to custom build some Ford 9" axles for two reasons........One I have used them for years on the Drag Strip and have plenty of parts and support equipment , and Two if done properly I can get these as strong as most of the alternatives without a weight and size penalty and without conversions from 6 and 8 lug hubs to 5-lug wheels....... A few months ago while in Los Angeles I stopped by Deaver Springs , Ray Currie and Walker Evans shops to explore some of these options. Still not 100% on what I want to do.........but I did decide that a Ford 9" properly built will handle 40" tires with an Automatic.........Also there is a ton of support on the Ford 9" stuff , these will be 35 spline rear "Unit Bearing full float" axles and in the front we will use 1-ton inner C's , Unit bearings and the large 1480 series U-joints...........still allot to be figured out on all these custom parts and still not yet 100% sure on the final outcome and direction but I'll press forward anyway. Only one way to find out and that is to make some Sparks so bare with me as I plow some New Real Estate!


NEED TO FIRST LIFT THE BODY OFF SO I CAN RAISE THE CHASSIS 8 INCHES ON THE FIXTURE.


CUSTOM BUILT 2.5" WIDE DEAVER MAIN SETUP LEAFS......FRONTS 47" W/1.50"OFFSET PIN AND THE REARS ARE 50" W/3.00"OFFSET PIN, OBVIOUSLY LONGER THAN A STOCK YJ BUT WITH THE EXTRA LENGTH OF THE CJ6 WHICH WILL PROBABLY END UP AROUND 105" THESE SHOULD BE REAL SWEET FOR RIDE AND ARTICULATION.


WITH THE CHASSIS NOW RAISED ON THE FIXTURE , I CAN NOW START TO LAY OUT THE SPRINGS........NO REVERSE SHACKLE , WITH THE LONGER SPRINGS THAT SHOULD ELIMINATE THAT NEED.

CURRIE SENT ME ONE OF THERE AFTER MARKET 9" FORD HOUSINGS TO PLAY WITH , FIRST THING I DID NOT LIKE WAS THE WAY THE ENDS WERE SWAGGED TO ACCEPT A 3" AXLE TUBE. YEARS AGO I HAD BUILT AN OLD FIXTURE WHEN WE DID OUR OWN AXLE WORK TO BORE OUT THE AXLE ENDS, ITS SET UP AT MY BUDDY'S SHOP ON AN OLD LATHE I'LL TAKE IT OVER AND BORE THESE OUT SO A 3" OD SET-UP TUBE WILL GO THROUGH THE PUMKIN


OK THAT IS MUCH BETTER..........3" TUBE THOUGH THE PUMKIN NOW

IF YOUR WONDERING ABOUT HOW TRUE THAT BORING FIXTURE IS? OVER 5 FEET ABOUT .002

 

Terry, still 5x5.5" wheels? Full float 9" with unit bearings? Whose hubs or are they custom? Still planning a ff 9" for the butt of my B.