What Should I Do?

Here is what I'm going to use my 4cyl 1965 CJ-5 for.
-weekend ride through town in the summer only.
-I want to wheel it, I never plan on going where I could get body damage on the tub since it is fibreglass (I have my Cherokee for that).
-I want it to be good in deep mud so I can attend the local mud run and actually make it through.
-I don't care to much about usability on the highway or anything like that.
-I would like it to have a flexy suspension.
-I don't want my tires to rub in the rear since it's a fibreglass tub.

OK, here is what I would like to know:
-Pro's and Con's of 33" vs. 35" tire (on a completely stock drivetrain with upgraded brakes)? Strength issues?
-how much lift do I need for each tire so I can have reasonable flex.
-what brand lift and where do I get it?

I would love to hear any suggestions about naything for this Jeep. It is going to be Black, with Black Steel Rims.

Thanks a bunch. I Love this site!

 

33s would be fine. I would upgrade the brakes to either 11" drilled drums( do a search for drilled drums) or disks front drum rear. I also would do a saganaw steering box upgrade. Manuel should be fine but you could make a power steering setup if you want to do some fab work to make the bracket for the pump. a 3" lift will work with 33s. Flexy suspension is not something you are going to find unless you go YJ spring over. The lack of hiway driving means your 4cyl will be very happy since you most likely have 5.38 gears in your axles already.

 

...a very humble and well thought out question.

Good advice with the drilled drums...helps mud & stuff to drain out. Lynn and Blevisay have done that here.

*33s add enough stresses to the stock drive train; go any larger and your Jeep career may be quite short. R) Previous owner of my rig put 33s on and blew away the front differential, thus occasioning the sale. Since then I've exploded a couple driveshafts and ujoints, and I'm not even a big wheeler. 35s? Just say no!

*I'd vote to keep the steering as is for now and do other things first. With what you're planning to do, you could very well be happy with what you have.

*I've got a 2" body lift (fiberglass) and 2.5" suspension lift w/ extended shackles. Just bought 4WD Hardware's spring lift kit...it was reasonably priced (but I picked it up to save on shipping $$ ).

 

The stock springs will shock the crap out of you on an RTI ramp. It will be as good as a stock 97 Tj with coils.
Compare these numbers:
'75 Jeep DJ-5D: 556
'97 Jeep Wrangler:532
'96 Jeep Wrangler: 357

Heres what Lynns 71 did in 2003 at the Pa Jeep show in York Pa.
"I ramped a 926 with my '71 CJ5, 2.5" lift, stock axles and 33" MTs. I had to stop at 926 because I kept picking up the front tire that wasn't on the ramp".
This before he installed his dana 30 front.

 

OK, should I convert to a wider spring or is that not necessary.

 

Well aparently I am wrong about flex, Mike thanks for setting me strait. From what it looks like no you don't need wider springs.

 

Not necesssary. I run a 2½" Rancho lift on my 71 model. While stiff they are flexy. It has 6 leaves in each set. All the big name companies make lifts for these vehicles, Trailmaster, Rough Country, BDS, Black Diamond, Rancho and Super lift. Some are softer than others, Patrick runs a Trailmaster that has fewer leaves than my Rancho and its softer riding but they have a tendency to sag a little over time compared to the Rancho. Not that its bad just look at the ride you want versus maybe the load you will carry and such, if you wheel with alot of gear you may want a stiffer spring for longevity and the weight.

 

I like BDS because that is what I have on my Cherokee and there warrenty is the best.

I have 12 leafs per side in the back right now. I never looked at the front, I'm assuming it's the same.

 

Mike the ones above in the list are all on a 23º ramp and with stock springs.
The one Lynn did you'll have to ask him.

 

Well I dont know where you found this Mike but I'm gonna have to dissagree. First there was no '96 wrangler. And then the leaf springs are not gonna flex as well as coils and control arm set up. Look at my TJ and Johns CJ7 on the ramp in May. All I had was 1 3/4" coil spacers and the front sway bar un hooked with stock shocks. And Johns CJ was only 1-2" farther up the ramp, with his lift springs revolver shackles. So I dont see how a "stock" 75 DJ-5D will out flex a TJ. And now that I have replaced the shocks with longer ones it has even more flex.

I have never been around mud trucks that much but have been to a couple of mud drag race type things they have here. And basically all those vehicles have enough body lift to clear the tractor tires or tall skiny boggers and the biggest engine they can fit in it. You dont need a flexy suspension for mud, since for the most part it is all flat, unless you get crossed up on the ruts and I think your diffs will be the thing dragging the most at that point.

 

The distance up the ramp is taken into account with the wheelbase. And technically no there wasn't a 96 Wrangler but if you bought a 95 in 96 its a 96 as far as a tester is concerned. Model year is always argueable, did they build a 70 Camaro, nope, but ask guys that have them titled that way. Just like our Jeeps. Oh and in a stock test you can't unhook the factory sway bar. So these are probably accurate numbers. These came from an old magazine article.

 

But then my front axle will be wider then my rear... I plan on getting a set of steelies with as much backspacing as possible to widen my stance.

 

Oh, I forgot to ask, should all of the body mounts on the Jeep be 1.5" thick or just for the tub? Is that thicker then stock?

 

15x8 rim with the most backspacing I can get. I just wanted a wider stance. I also prefer the look. How much are bearings for the D25?

 

I wondered about running the wider d30 with the stock (to you anyway - not really stock on my M38 ) D44. Lots of folks are doing it and it doesn't look wrong or hurt anything. Some folks pointed out there are factory vehicles that come with wider fronts. It's really not noticable unless you are looking for it. My $.02.

 

Check this place out www.holbrookspecialties . Just springs! Kind of spendy but flex is what you get.
Joe