Off Road Mods

My advice.. take it out and wheel it as is... When you run into a short coming, example, graound clearance, you'll know you need to lift it. If you can't go slow enough, find deeper gears either in tranny/T-case or axles. getting stuck cause one wheel spins and the other doesn't, Lock it.

But first things first. Safety. Put a cage in it.

 

HALLELLUYA! THERE IS YOUR ANSWER!!! That is how my jeep evolved!

But you still will want (NEED) front and rear tow hooks and a tow strap. Hopefully you at least have the factory roll bar in and mounted securely.

 

I really agree with the above. That is, however, unless your Jeep currently rides like a lumber wagon as did mine. Bigger, more aggressive tires are always a plus if you plan to lift. It won't look right if you lift it and have stock tires. I personally have a 75 with 2.5 inches of lift and maybe another .5 with the shackles. I also have 33 inch mud kings. Looks pretty good as is, but I might put an add a leaf on the front in the future.
A winch would be a smart purchase if you plan to wheel alone. If in a group a tow strap and frame mounted hooks is sufficient.


High5

 

As pretty much everyone else already said, unless we know what you want your jeep to accomplish, it's hard to tell you how to build it. Also as noted, figuring out it's shortcomings by wheeling it the way you want should tell you what needs attention. That said, if I understand you correctly you want to keep the stock engine and drive train. That being a 258 and I will assume a T14 and 3.73 gears, I would deff not go any bigger than 33" rubber and if you don't need the clearance go with 31". Lockers are great but again, if all you're doing is exploring dry fire trails through the woods than you prob don't need them. Good hook points, tow straps, and a winch are good ideas no matter what you're driving style is. Also, what kind of budget do you have? If you're loaded go ahead and make all kinds of mods just to be prepared.

 

thanks guys
i'm just looking and seeing what i like.
maybe a mild lift and bigger tires for now!

as far as new seats
i could go with the
'classic' low-back
and do the mod's
to make them fit my '75?
thanks
again
dave

 

All of the above are some great ideas. I couldn't imagine my CJ5 w/o PS. My rig handles most off road adventures just fine without a lift (but I never get too deep into it either). One mod I didn't see mentioned that I enjoy every day I take my jeep out is disk brakes. The drums up front were awful. It’s wet up here in the NW and every puddle I hit made braking absolutely fun. And lastly :iagree: just drive it, it'll tell you what you need to do next.

 

I used laredo seats from a CJ-7, with the stock bracketry. Just meant drilling some holes, and getting grade 8 hardware from Sears Hardware.

 

thanks again guys for
all this sound advise.
a vague plan is coming together
i'll let you know
dave