Cj5 Front Rake, Rust Hole On Frame, Etc.

Hi guys!
So, after using the Jeep a bit and getting the urge to go offroad a bit out of my system I started to check out what is wrong with my "new" CJ5.
I noticed several issues, none of them extremely horrible but still...
First of all, I noticed a small rust hole on the frame (on the front, near the rear hanger for the front leaf spring), it's on the "boxed" part of the frame, specifically on the boxing plate (not on the C beam). I guess I'll have to fix that, not very terrible, but still not nice to find.
Second issue is that I noticed the jeep has a bit of a front rake (lower on the front than the rear).
I checked it out and the front leaf spring rear shackle goes to the frame itself. Same as seen on the M38A1.
This is the rake (you can actually see the shackle if you zoom into the image):

I'm not sure if my jeep should or not have a separate spring hanger, because it is a brazilian CJ5. But I'm sure that the rake is not factory . Worn out leaf springs? I'll be checking another friend's brazilian CJ5 (1980 instead of 1969... hoping suspension design stayed the same haha)
Another issue that has developed last week is that I lost brake lights, this Jeep has the switch on the master cylinder. I'll be buying a new switch, does it use a washer or something of the sort so it doesn't leak?
While under the Jeep I noticed the front driveshaft has a nice amount of play in the spline, I'll be taking it to be repaired, what I found strange is that the rear one is rock solid, almost no play at all.
Unfortunately I also spotted that the engine leaks oil (it seems to come from the front, I'm guessing it's the front crank seal). With the fan it spread everywhere, so no way to tell if it's leaking from somewhere else as well.
Luckily not much else was amiss

 

Welcome form Michigan USA, The first thing I would do is rebuild or replace the springs, shackles, and bushings, that is a starting point. I put a set of 1" lift in mine, they all settle a little, then check the caster in the front axel, you may have to put wedges in to get the right caster. That should take care of the rake you mentioned, then check your camber, you may have to aline the spindles. Be careful about welding on the frame you could make things worse, CJ frames flex a lot. Good Luck

 

Good looking Jeep. Welcome from Ga. USA. Definitely has a rake at the front. I would address that first.

 

Hi J-M - welcome from Boston USA.

I'd say seeking out other owners of Brazilian-origin Jeeps in your area will be very helpful. This will give you a better idea of what's normal for your Jeep and these local owners can share experience about parts sources, repairs and so forth. From your pictures, this Jeep has some obvious differences compared to our NA-built examples

For a 50-year-old Jeep, having flat springs is not surprising. Normally you'd expect something like 6-8 cm of distance between the axle and the bumper on the frame. Looking at your picture, I'd guess it's much closer than that. There are a few sources for new springs in the USA, but in Uraguay it may be better/cheaper to have a local shop make new springs for you... or maybe they can still be sourced through Jeep in Uruguay or Brazil.